November 18
Plato the Great Martyr of Ancyra
Saint Plato contested in martyrdom in 266, when Agrippinus was proconsul. He was from the city of Ancyra in the province of Galatia.
OUR CONNECTION TO THE EARTH
In almost every generation of the past, mankind has been closely connected with the earth. The earth and soil are sacred elements of life. We don't think like that anymore; not so much. Most of us don’t grow our own fruits and vegetables, or hunt and butcher our meat. We simply drive to the grocery store and pick out what looks best.
Perhaps the change came with the Industrial Revolution. Certainly after World War II, we became a consumer society and most of us “left the farm.” We don’t harvest our own crops anymore, but it wasn’t so in the past.
In many parts of the world, though, the words "harvest" and "thanksgiving" are still closely connected. It’s too bad, because many of the lessons of life – indeed, many of the stories and parables of the Bible – have to do with farming and ranching. We have to use our imagination, at least to some degree, to fully appreciate these lessons.
For example, most who still raise crops know that it is not human effort alone that produces crops. Yes, one must plant, weed, water and nurture the soil. But a good harvest requires the right amount of sun and rain and other variables that are beyond our control. The early settlers or our nation, as well as the native population, recognized the importance of God's provision for survival. So, even in times of hardship, as in times of plenty, they gave thanks to God… as should we. Now, hundreds of years later, we too serve a commemorative meal as a reminder that from God all blessings flow, as the concluding prayer of the Divine Liturgy states:
“For every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from You, the Father of lights. To You we give glory, thanksgiving, and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.”
