Matthew 9: 35 – 38
Jesus was going
through all the cities and villages teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming
the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of
sickness. Seeing the people, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed
and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord
of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”
*
The
harvest is abundant in everyday life. From the Gospel we know that Jesus told
his disciples to go out and cure the sick, cleanse lepers, drive out demons and
raise the dead. But what the Gospel writers left out was the part about raising
our kids, cherishing our spouse, doing our best at our job, and being present
to our relatives and friends and the people we serve.
Cleansing
lepers and driving out demons are valuable skills, especially in today’s
economy. Being a religious leader and serving God as a nun, priest, minister,
rabbi, imam, brother or deacon are also wonderful and loving vocations. No less
wonderful, no less loving, are the vocations of being a parent, a spouse, a
sibling, a friend.
Our
vocation in life is right where we are – where God has planted us. It takes
faith and love to heal the sick, to drive out demons. But it takes faith, love,
and stamina to raise a child to adulthood; to be a lifelong best friend and
sweetheart to a spouse; to be a loving relative, friend, worker, or boss. These
are the places where God has planted us. These are our vocations. The harvest
of our vocation is abundant. That harvest is love.
Yes,
raising the dead and healing the sick are spectacular achievements. But raising
our children, journeying through life with our spouse, working hard and
honestly at our jobs and professions, serving tirelessly at the altar, seeing
God’s love in every relationship we have ─ those are vocations.
My
sisters and brothers, the harvest is abundant in our everyday life.
……………………………………………………………………………………..
Readers
of this blog might enjoy these books by Deacon Lex. Both are available on
Amazon.com:
Just
to Follow My Friend: Experiencing God’s Presence in Everyday Life
Synchronicity
as the Work of the Holy Spirit: Jungian Insights for Spiritual Direction and
Pastoral Ministry
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