"It is really
God himself, the "Lord of the harvest", who chooses his labourers;
his call is always undeserved and unexpected. And yet, in the mystery of God's
covenant with us, we are called to cooperate with his providence, and to use
the powerful tool which he has placed in our hands: prayer! This is what Jesus
himself asked us to do: "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers
into his harvest!" (Mt 9:38)....
Prayer moves the heart of God."
John Paul II
Today’s Gospel
tells of Jesus sending out His disciples with the simple mandate to proclaim
the coming of God’s kingdom. They are to take nothing for the journey, but
depend on the generosity of those they meet. These men are to be received and
cared for as if God Himself had entered each village. Those who welcome the
disciples receive the peace of God; those who reject them will suffer severe
consequences.
These
disciples might be said to have experienced the call of God to the priesthood,
and their primary duty, then as now, is to proclaim the Good News of the coming
of the kingdom of God. God, in His great mercy, desires that not one soul be
lost. To achieve this mission, God has empowered His disciples to cast out evil
in His Name, even giving them the authority to pass judgment on those who, in
rejecting them, have rejected God. This amazing empowerment continues in the
Church and the priesthood to this day, and yet Jesus reminds us, rejoice not in
the authority and power given to the Church, but in the fact that the names of
those who remain faithful to her are written in heaven.
In contrast to
the Gospel’s strong depiction of the disciples’ mission, the first reading from
Isaiah uses tender imagery to depict the Church, the New Jerusalem, comforting
God’s people as a mother comforts her child. But the message is the same; both
readings describe the Church’s loving mission of bringing the Good News of
God’s kingdom to the whole world. This mission and mandate to seek out the
lost, visiting every village and home, will continue until the end of time. The
Church continues to offer peace and mercy to all whose hearts are open to hear
the Good News, welcoming His chosen disciples as if they were welcoming Christ
Himself.
well said
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