Readings: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 / Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8
Setting the Scene
Jesus goes through every town and village, teaching, proclaiming,
healing. He sees the crowds and His heart breaks for them. They're
"troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd."
Then He says something strange: "The harvest is abundant, but the
laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers."
He's just described people as lost sheep. Now suddenly they're a harvest
ready to be gathered. Which is it?
Both. They're sheep who need a shepherd AND grain ready to be brought
home. They're vulnerable AND valuable. Lost AND waiting to be found.
So, Jesus calls the Twelve, gives them authority over unclean spirits,
and sends them out with clear instructions: "Go to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is
at hand.’
Isaiah had promised this day: God's people would no longer be hungry or
thirsty, their teachers would no longer hide, they would hear a voice behind
them saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
The Shepherd sends shepherds. The Healer sends healers. The abundant
harvest gets abundant workers.
The Heart of It
Jesus doesn't just feel sorry for the crowds. He's "troubled"
by their condition, the Greek word suggests gut-wrenching compassion, the kind
that demands action. He can't just observe their lostness. He has to do
something.
But here's what's radical: He doesn't do it all Himself. He multiplies
Himself through ordinary men. Fishermen. Tax collectors. Zealots. He takes
their ordinariness and fills it with His authority.
"Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."
Notice what He doesn't say: "Go when you feel ready. Go when you're
holy enough. Go when you've figured it all out." He just says: Go. You've
received freely, so give freely. What I've done for you, do for others.
The harvest is always ready. The question is: are the laborers?
Isaiah promises that God will bring rain for the seed, bread from the
earth, and abundant pastures. When God's people turn to Him, He provides
everything needed for the harvest. But He provides it through people willing to
be sent.
For Your Reflection
Take your time with these questions.
About Compassion:
- When did you last feel
gut-wrenching compassion for someone that demanded action, not just
sympathy?
- Who are the "troubled and
abandoned" people in your daily life that you've stopped seeing?
- What's the difference between
pity (which keeps distance) and compassion (which moves toward)?
About Being Sent:
- Jesus gives authority before
perfection. What are you waiting to feel "ready" for that He's
already equipped you to do?
- "Without cost you have
received; without cost you are to give." What have you received that
you're hoarding instead of sharing?
- Where is Jesus trying to send you
that you keep pretending not to hear?
About the Harvest:
- If people around you are
"abundant harvest," how does that change how you see your
workplace, your neighborhood, your family?
- Jesus says to pray for laborers.
When did you last pray that prayer, and actually mean it?
- Are you willing to be the answer
to your own prayer?
About Authority:
- Jesus gave the disciples
authority over unclean spirits. What "unclean spirits" in your
own life need that authority exercised?
- How do you reconcile Jesus'
command to heal and deliver with your own sense of inadequacy?
- What would it look like to act
with the authority you've been given instead of the confidence you feel?
Praying the Joyful Mysteries
As you pray the rosary today, see how God sends messengers to prepare the
harvest:
The Annunciation - Mary says yes, and the Word becomes flesh to be our Shepherd.
The Visitation - Mary goes in haste to serve Elizabeth; the first missionary journey.
The Nativity - Shepherds are sent to proclaim; the harvest begins at a manger.
The Presentation - Simeon and Anna recognize the Lord and immediately tell everyone.
Finding in the Temple - Even as a boy, Jesus is about His Father's work.
From the beginning, God's plan was to send people with His message. Mary
didn't wait till she was ready. The shepherds didn't wait for any training. They just
went. They proclaimed. They gave freely what they'd received.
A Quiet Challenge
Francis sent his brothers out two by two with nothing but their habits
and their faith. He told them, "The Lord revealed to me that we should
greet people with these words: 'The Lord give you peace.'"
That's it. No elaborate strategy. No funding. No safety net. Just peace
offered freely to everyone they met.
What if you greeted everyone you encounter next week with that same gift?
Not just the words, but the reality: May the Lord give YOU peace. The cashier.
The difficult coworker. The family member who drives you crazy. The stranger on
the street.
Freely you have received. Freely give.
Closing
Pray this with your hands open:
"Lord, I see the harvest. I see the people troubled and abandoned.
And I see my own reluctance to be sent. Give me Your compassion that moves
toward, not away. Give me confidence in the authority You've already given.
Send me where You need me, even if I don't feel ready. Especially if I don't
feel ready."
Then ask:
- Who has God put in my path that
needs what I've received?
- What's my excuse for not going,
and is it valid or just comfortable?
- Am I praying for laborers while
refusing to labor?
The harvest is ready. You've been given authority. Now go.
Saturday of the First Week of Advent
December 6, 2025
A Franciscan Reflection
©2025 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
