In our Gospel today, St. Luke recounts how Jesus sent out a large group of His disciples and instructed them to "ask the master of the harvest to send out more laborers for his harvest."
In its varied forms, the LORD'S work cannot be done by one person or even a small group of people; it requires many laborers. Since the harvest is abundant and wide-ranging, the more workers, the better. This is an essential message for bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and the lay faithful of the Church. Many people are needed to take responsibility for the life of the Church, the work of the LORD.
In sending out His disciples ahead of Him, Jesus drew attention to the many difficulties, challenges, and rejections that they would face. He anticipated that some towns would not welcome them. Still, whether people received them or not, the disciples were to proclaim: "The kingdom of God is at hand for you."
Indeed, the LORD is present to all people, whether they receive Him or not. Jesus continues to work in and through those ready to be His laborers. We are always in the presence of God's kingdom, God's rule, among us; there is no escaping it. The issue is how we respond to that presence and the call to share that presence with others.
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