Once again, I have invited Fr. Marvin Labasan to share his Sunday homily in my post. Here it is.
“The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so, ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Whenever we hear these words of Jesus, several thoughts come to our mind. One of our typical responses is to pray for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life. It is important, however, to note that the invitation for more laborers does not pertain exclusively to the ordained and consecrated persons. It is invitation for all the baptized to participate in the mission of bringing souls to God.
How? By living our ordinary life as true disciples of Christ. If you are a Catholic who owns a store, your participation in the mission is to do business honestly. If you are a Catholic politician or employee, your participation in the mission is to serve the people’s common good and society’s betterment. If you are a mother, embrace your role as mother wholeheartedly and prioritize the well-being of your children.
Today’s celebration of Father’s Day is a timely reminder for fathers to fulfill their responsibility and not to pretend to be bachelors, free from obligations of family and home.
We are all called to recognize and embrace the commitments and duties that come with our being parent, politician, cleric, or whatever role we play in society and in the Church. By living out our status rightly and honestly people will recognize the power of Jesus working in us and through us. In their encounter with us, they can say, “I have met Jesus.” That is mission. That is our way of doing mission.
The Holy Father beautifully captures this idea of being on mission in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. He says, “Mission is not something we can take off; it is not an extra. Instead, it is something that I cannot uproot from my being without destroying my very self. I am a mission on this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world.”
Mission, therefore, is not merely a matter of personal preference. We cannot choose to engage in or dismiss it based on our desire or convenience. It is a fundamental aspect of our Christian faith. In the words of Fr. Timoner, OP, “Mission is not what we do; it is who we are.”
The reason, therefore, why the harvest is few is not because of the scarcity of laborers. For if the laborers were few, the Lord could have chosen more than 12 apostles. The problem then, especially in our times, is not the scarcity of laborers but the scarcity of witnesses, of individuals who demonstrate and prove what the Lord has done in their lives. Like Moses in the first reading, we are called to remind the world of the goodness of the Lord and proclaim His abundant mercy.
All of us are called to participate in God’s mission, each in his particular and ordinary life. Our participation does not need to be spectacular and extraordinary. At times, what the Lord is asking from us is something little, simple, quiet and yet consistent. Whatever our status, wherever we are and whatever time it is, we are all called to be Christ’s witnesses.
Today, let us not just pray for more holy priests! Let us also pray for an increase of holy government officials, holy professionals, holy parents, and holy people. Where we are right now is our field of evangelization, where we can live Christ and share Christ with others.