Transcript
When Jesus looked at the crowds, He saw not just a group of people, but a deep ache in the human heart. “Harassed and dejected,” like sheep without a shepherd. His response? Compassion. And then, a call. “The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few.” We often hear this in the context of vocations to the priesthood—and rightly so. Our Church needs priests, shepherds after Christ’s own heart. But this Gospel is not only a call to the ordained. It’s a call to all the baptised. At our baptism, we were anointed as priest, prophet, and king, called to bless, to speak truth, and to lead with love and mercy. Jesus still sends each one of us out. And the needs today are as urgent as ever: loneliness, addiction, despair, injustice, and fear. The harvest is indeed rich. But it’s not a harvest of programs or performances that is the cure. It’s the harvest of human hearts—waiting to be met with love. Jesus gives His disciples authority—and He gives each of us that same Spirit. We are sent to heal, to lift up, to restore dignity to those we meet. We are sent out, not with our own words, but with the Word made flesh. And we are told to give and to love without charge, just as we have received freely that gift of God’s unconditional love. This Gospel always stirs something in me. Because when I hear Jesus say, “the labourers are few,” I don’t hear guilt—I hear an invitation. A reminder that the kingdom of heaven draws near when we respond with compassion. That our prayer is not complete until it sends us outward, into the fields of our own workplaces, families, and communities. The harvest is still rich. And Jesus still calls. The question for each of us is: how will we respond?