December 4/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 needed direction and healing. Don’t we all? These days in particular, as we grapple with continued political discord, social division, economic uncertainty, a shape-shifting pandemic, and a murky future, we probably all qualify as eklelumenoi and errimenoi — harassed and helpless. The ever-compassionate Jesus is, of course, the good shepherd who leads his flock to a place of safety. But he makes it clear to his disciples, and to us, that he needs assistants in this rescue operation. And he notes, correctly, that there is a chronic labor shortage when it comes to doing good in the world. There are plenty of people about to create negativity, to undermine progress, to disparage and criticize and troll their fellow human beings. But what if we tried harder, in the words of the classic 1940s song, to “accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative”? Whether it is offering a co-worker a hand with a project, offering to pick up groceries for a homebound older person, or simply declining to engage in divisive political discussions with family members or friends, each one of us can help bring in the harvest through small acts of kindness. 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.”
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/120421.cfm
To hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYMIlP6xXGU
