Matthew 9:35--10:4. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

One way to look at this gospel verse is through the lens of vocation. The Lord of the harvest, presumably God, needs to call more folks to help.

Often we equate the harvest with the church. So a big harvest means church growth, and the harvesters are church leaders, clergy. This text then becomes a call for more vocations to ordained ministry-for surely the rest of us don't have time for all of this!

But what if the harvest is seen as continuing the work of Jesus-proclaiming the good news of the coming reign of God, curing diseases and sickness, and providing leadership for such endeavors? Then the vocations we focus on are characterized by humanitarian efforts and social justice, such as working for the Millennium Development Goals. The difference and specialness of such vocations is not in the garb we wear, or the ecclesiastical order and place of honor we hold in our religious communities. Rather, it lies in bold and constant proclamation of the One who calls us all to work compassionately with and for one another.

PRAY for the Diocese of Christ the King (South Africa)

Ps [120], 121, 122, 123 * 124, 125, 126, [127]; Ezekiel 33:21-33; 1 John 2:1-11

A Morning Resolve Prayer. Click here.

For Today Prayer. Click here.