CAFOD is the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, and works across the world to end poverty and injustice.
This week we are invited on a journey, and first we meet our travelling companion. Nicanora is a 32- year-old mother of four. She lives on a small farm on the Bolivian Altiplano – a vast, inhospitable plain almost 12,000 feet above sea level. The journey with Nicanora begins in poverty. Nicanora works long, hard days, but the conditions on the Altiplano are tough – the burning sun shrivels fragile crops, and devastating hailstorms destroy what is left. No wonder Nicanora and her four children are hungry all year round.
That’s why the first step on this journey is to dig a trench to catch precious rainwater to irrigate that potato field. Next, soil must be prepared so that carrots and onions can be planted. Bricks must be made to construct a greenhouse to protect the crops from hail and sun. A wormery must be built and used to create nutritious compost. If these steps and more are followed, through the grace of God, this journey that begins in poverty can – and will – end in abundance.
This journey will take two years. That’s why, this Harvest Fast Day, CAFOD are asking us to do something a little bit different and rather special. We are asked to stand alongside Nicanora and the people of the Altiplano.
In this Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has said: “We will entrust the life of the Church, all humanity, and the entire cosmos to the Lordship of Christ, asking him to pour out his mercy upon us like the morning dew, so that everyone may work together to build a brighter future.” Now is our chance to work together with Nicanora as she embarks on that journey towards a brighter future.
Adapted from CAFOD’s Harvest Fast Day Message