After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons.”
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Jesus’ humanity and sensibility are exposed in today’s Gospel when he experiences his heart being moved by the reality that the crowds live. But can any of us be laborers of God when we ourselves are in so much need of him?
When we open our hearts and let ourselves be moved by the lives of our sisters and brothers, we will recognize our own fragility and weakness. Only then can we find ways of sharing our lives and faith with others. Who does God call to be laborers of his harvest? He calls those who recognize themselves in need of his mercy, and whose eyes share the way Jesus looked at others with compassion; people whose words are filled with the mercy of God, who make others feel accompanied and loved because they have experienced it themselves in their own hearts. The laborers Jesus asks his father for are ordinary, humble, and free. They are people whose hearts deeply desire to look, to feel and to love the same way Jesus did.
—Humberto Guzmán, SJ, is a Jesuit scholastic from the Mexican Province studying philosophy and social sciences at at the ITESO, Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Lord Jesus, you were moved to respond to the needs of all who you encountered. Mold our hearts to be like yours so that we may recognize the need and act on what we see. Make us worthy to co-labor with you in building your kingdom. Amen.
—The Jesuit Prayer team
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Ignatian spirituality reminds us that God pursues us in the routines of our home and work life, and in the hopes and fears of life's challenges. The founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, created the Spiritual Exercises to deepen our relationship with Christ and to move our contemplation into service. May this prayer site anchor your day and strengthen your resolve to remember what truly matters.
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