helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are only few.
Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest.” Jesus called his Twelve disciples to him, and gave them authority over
unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to heal every disease and sickness. Jesus sent these Twelve on mission, with the instructions: “Do not
visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go, and proclaim this message:
The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. Freely have you received,
freely give.

Reflection:

Face to face with the needs of the people,
Jesus knows that by Himself, He can never do
as much for the people. But limitations do not hinder
Him. He acknowledges that the laborers are too
few for the harvest at hand. The same situation
presents itself today for the Church. So what did
Jesus do? He involves His disciples, empowering
them to do mission. The Church today recognizes
the great contribution of the laity in advancing the
mission. They are now active participants in the
Church’s life and ministry. The challenge in the time
of Jesus and that of the present is the same. But
it should not deter the Church in proclaiming the
good news. The laity is just waiting. The Church can
tap into an enormous pool of willing collaborators for
God’s work here on earth.