First reading Isaiah 30:19-21,23-26
The Lord God will be gracious to you and hear your cry
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
People of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, he who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Whether you turn to right or left, your ears will hear these words behind you, ‘This is the way, follow it.’ He will send rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the bread that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing. Your cattle will graze, that day, in wide pastures. Oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat a salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain, on every high hill there will be streams and watercourses, on the day of the great slaughter when the strongholds fall. Then moonlight will be bright as sunlight and sunlight itself be seven times brighter – like the light of seven days in one – on the day the Lord dresses the wound of his people and heals the bruises his blows have left.
Responsorial Psalm 146(147):1-6
Happy are all who hope in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Praise the Lord for he is good;
sing to our God for he is loving:
to him our praise is due.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem
and brings back Israel’s exiles.
He heals the broken-hearted,
he binds up all their wounds.
He fixes the number of the stars;
he calls each one by its name.
Our Lord is great and almighty;
his wisdom can never be measured.
The Lord raises the lowly;
he humbles the wicked to the dust.
Gospel Matthew 9:35-10:1,5,6-8
The harvest is rich but the labourers are few
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’
He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: ‘Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.’
_____________________________________________
Sheep without a shepherd
Today’s gospel describes the moment when Jesus looked at the crowds and felt a deep compassion in His heart because they were “harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd”. He was moved by their suffering and understood their deep longing for direction, care and guidance. Today, Jesus invites us to reflect on how we can embody this same compassion in our own lives, reaching out to those who feel alone and guiding them towards Him, the Shepherd, who can direct them to live a purposeful and meaningful life.
In the Gospel, Jesus urged His disciples to pray fervently for more labourers to enter the fields of mission work. Today, by virtue of our baptism, we are each called to be His labourers, joining Him in His same mission to spread love and hope. Jesus relies on our willingness to reach out to those closest to us, our family members, colleagues at work, friends, neighbours, and even strangers we meet throughout our day. Each encounter presents a unique opportunity to introduce someone to Christ, and we may be the only ones who can provide them with the light and guidance they seek.
Reflective question:
Am I aware of the mission that Jesus has entrusted to me?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
