December 5/First Saturday of Advent
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion 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.” ~ Matt 9.36-38
However you slice the Greek participles in today’s Gospel — “troubled and abandoned,” “harassed and helpless,” or “weakened and cast down” — it is clear that the crowds milling about Jesus like lost sheep need direction and healing. And so do we. Of course, Jesus is the ultimate good shepherd who leads his flock to a place of safety. But he makes it clear to his disciples, and to us, that his is not a one-person rescue operation. Indeed, as he notes, there seems to be a chronic labor shortage when it comes to doing good in the world. These days in particular, as we grapple with a tenacious pandemic, continued political uncertainty, and a murky future, we don’t have to look far to find people who qualify as eklelumenoi and errimenoi — harassed and helpless. Even those of us who feel that such adjectives fit us, too, can do something to help, whether it is reaching out to a parishioner who has been unable to attend church, offering to pick up groceries for a homebound older person, or simply declining to engage in divisive political discussions with family members or friends. And we can continue to pray steadily and earnestly that God’s transforming power will heal the world’s ills. As we stretch out our souls in prayer during these days of preparation, let us strive to be, as British mystic Evelyn Underhill put it, “the assistants of that Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.” If we can bring all of the gestures and small daily works we pursue into harmony with the will of God, we will be doing our part in the harvest.
Almighty God, Grant that I may strive to give willingly and unreservedly of myself, bearing witness to the Love that created and sustains me. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120520.cfm
To hear the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys sing “Come, Labor On,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9nDoe-y02E
