Readings: Exodus 19:2–6a; Romans 5:6–11; Matthew 9:36–10:8
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today’s readings reveal a beautiful truth: God chooses us, loves us, and sends us. Before asking anything from us, God first draws near to us with compassion and grace. In the first reading, God speaks to Israel at Mount Sinai: “You shall be my special possession among all peoples… a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” Israel did not earn this privilege through its greatness or power. God chose them because He loved them. Their identity came before their mission. They belonged to God before they were sent to serve Him. The same is true for us. Through baptism, we have become God’s people. We often define ourselves by our achievements, failures, social status, or possessions. But God defines us differently. We are His beloved children, His treasured possession. Every Christian mission begins with this awareness: we are loved by God.
In the second reading, Saint Paul reminds us just how deep that love is. He says that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. God did not wait for us to become perfect. He loved us in our weakness, our brokenness, and our sinfulness. The Cross is the greatest proof that God’s love is unconditional. Many people today struggle with feelings of unworthiness. They think, “When I become better, then God will love me.” The Gospel says the opposite. God loves us first, and that love transforms us. The Christian life is not a journey of earning God’s love; it is a journey of responding to a love already given.
In the Gospel, Jesus looks upon the crowds and is moved with compassion because they are “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” Notice that Jesus does not first see a problem; He sees people. He sees their suffering, confusion, loneliness, and spiritual hunger. The world today is still full of people who are weary and abandoned. Many suffer from loneliness, anxiety, family problems, poverty, addiction, or a lack of purpose. They may be living next door to us, working beside us, or sitting in the same church pew. Jesus continues to look upon them with compassion.
Then Jesus tells His disciples: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” He calls the Twelve and sends them out to proclaim the Kingdom and to heal. This is an important lesson. Jesus does not merely complain about the shortage of workers; He creates workers. Those who receive His compassion become instruments of His compassion. The Church today still needs laborers. Not only priests and religious, but parents who teach the faith at home, catechists who form the young, parish volunteers, faithful spouses, and ordinary Christians who witness to Christ in daily life. Every baptized person has a mission. Sometimes we think we are too weak, too ordinary, or too sinful to serve God. Yet the apostles themselves were ordinary people—fishermen, tax collectors, and men with many imperfections. Jesus did not choose them because they were perfect. He empowered them because they were willing to follow Him.
The instructions Jesus gives are also significant: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” The gifts of faith, forgiveness, mercy, and salvation are not private possessions. They are gifts meant to be shared. A Christian who has experienced God’s mercy should become merciful. A Christian who has received love should become loving. A Christian who has encountered Christ should help others encounter Him.
As we celebrate this Eucharist, let us ask ourselves three questions:
- Do I truly believe that I am God’s beloved child?
- Do I allow Christ’s compassion to shape the way I see others?
- How is God calling me to participate in His mission today?
May the Lord open our hearts to His love, fill us with His compassion, and send us forth as joyful laborers in His harvest. Having freely received His grace, may we freely share it with all whom we meet. Amen.