Daily reflection – 7/11/2023
Sacred Scripture
A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.” Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9:32-38)
Reflection
The harvest is rich, but the laborers are few, so the land owner asks the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to his harvest. That was then but not much has changed, has it?Today, the harvest is as big as ever; people are as lost and rudderless as they have ever been in spite of the great strides in knowledge we have made. Where are the laborers? They are not just those who minister. That is a very narrow concept of laborers. Every single baptized person is called, in some way, to be a harvester, to help people find and experience the truth and love that God gives in Jesus. Every single person, in that sense and it is a very real sense, has a vocation, a call to serve and to build the Kingdom.Today and every day, Jesus is calling us to go out and care for the people who are in need: individuals who are filled with sorrow, pain, or loneliness. Jesus is calling us today to choose to see as he sees. Instead of merely glancing over people as the Pharisees did, our God calls us to peer into the hearts of the people around us: our friends, family, co-workers, and lovers. He asks us to be present and enter into a relationship, however brief, with the cashier at the grocery store, the annoying customer at work, and that one person whom it would just take too much to completely forgive. In truly seeing others, being present to them, and investing time in them, regardless of who they are, I believe Christ wants to show us something absolutely incredible: his own love and commitment to us. No matter how ordinary we may seem to ourselves, our God is madly in love with us exactly as he sees us and he wants to serve and love us with all of himself. Heaven is closer than we think. We don’t have to make up stories about a heaven of pink clouds. The heaven that awaits us has its counterpart here on earth—human love and the beauty of nature; the vision of beauty we see there will be magnified and known in all its levels of glory!In our own calling to evangelize, we can ease the sufferings of a weary world by being heaven to others through our own daily “face to face”–paying attention to the needs of those around us.That kind of love demands a response. A response to see as he sees and love as he loves.
How will you respond to his love today? How will you respond to Jesus’ call? Will you follow Him, or will you ignore or dismiss Him?
Prayer of The Day
Lord, may your kingdom come to all who are oppressed and in darkness. Fill my heart with compassion for the lonely, the oppressed, and for those around me who do not know your love and freedom. Use me to bring the good news of your saving love and mercy.
Daily Note
God calls each of us to be his hands and feet. Sometimes, that calling even transcends borders we are comfortable with. Either way, the call is always one and the same. To build the kingdom. To partner with him in the task. To make his dream and vision a concrete and tangible reality. All of us are encouraged to take our place in the grand story. You will be overwhelmed with tasks at hand, as Jesus was. You will perform miracles which will move hearts, as Jesus did. Ask God to send out laborers for the harvest, and be prepared. Because the first one he will send will be you.
