The Harvest is Abundant

The Harvest is Abundant

Saturday of the First Week of Advent

The Lord will give you bread in adversity and water in affliction. No longer will your

Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes, you shall see your Teacher.  While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: "This is the way; walk in it," when you would turn to the right or to the left. Isaiah 30:20-21

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 9:36-38

Piety

Advent is a time of waiting. Some may think waiting implies “waiting for” -- sitting around until the Lord shows up.  What if waiting means “waiting on?”  Then this is our time for waiting on the Lord in service.

Father, make us your waiters and waitresses, serving your every need this season. Get us out of the passive mode of waiting for YOU to do something and help us to be the initiators of the service needed in our world today to build your Kingdom tomorrow.

Study

Isaiah promises that the people who are walking in darkness will one day have a Teacher who will help them to understand his lessons well.  Matthew explains that the promise of Isaiah is fulfilled.  Jesus does all that and more which Isaiah promised.

However, more work needs to be done to heal the lost, troubled and abandoned sheep.  So, people await God’s commandment to go out and work the harvest of souls before they can say, Like Elwood Blues, “We’re on a mission from God.”

The notes for the NABRE explain that this passage implies that “only God (the master of the harvest) can take the initiative in sending out preachers of the gospel.” However, in the very next chapter, this passage leads to the scene in which Jesus does what some think only the Father can accomplish – thus aligned his mission with the mission of the Lord and the Church.

“Then he summoned his twelve disciples^* and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. “ (Matthew 10:1) 

Action

In these early days of Advent, we reflect on Jesus’s real presence in the world.  There is no future tense to the Gospel.  It is happening here and now. The Good News is that these Gospels match the first readings and show that the promises are fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus brings healing. He raises up the childlike. And Jesus calls and sends the twelve apostles to continue his ministry.

If we expect to hit the road on a mission from God, we better use these days to get prepared and begin our life of service.  No more waiting for someone else to do this or that. As St. Theresa would say, yours are the only hands He has in the world.