Homily For Tuesday Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 11th July, 2023. The Memorial of St. Benedict

Readings: Gen. 32:23-33 , Ps. 17, Matt 9:32-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

BE GOD'S FAITHFUL LABOURER WHO WILL HELP TO SAVE HELPLESS AND SINFUL HUMANITY

 

When we look critically in the streets, we will observe how people are struggling with the things of this passing world. We will fill their passion, their determination and willingness to achieving great things of life at the expense of things that prepares us for eternal life. Today, life has become nothing for some people. Greed, corruption and selfishness have rendered so many people into perpetual poverty and suffering.

Thus, reflecting on these, my mind turned towards the words of Jesus in our Gospel passage today, when he saw the crowds and had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, 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’.

 

Here, Jesus had compassion on humanity who were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. He then says to his disciples that there is a huge harvest waiting to be reaped. Calling on us to pray for God to send labourers into his harvest. Therefore, more labourers are needed, for Jesus sees how humanity are harassed and dejected, wandering aimlessly like sheep without a guiding shepherd. And because the souls of everyone in the world are so precious to Jesus, he needs many more labourers.

 

Hence the harvest is as big as ever and people are getting lost and clueless as never before. But who are these labourers? They are not just the bishops, priests, or religious men and women, but every baptized person is called in different capacity as God’s labourers to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those around them. So each of us has a vocation, a call to save souls and build the Kingdom of God together, just like Jacob in our first reading today who wrestled with God and his name was changed to Israel, because he had been strong against God, thus shall prevail against men.

 

Dear friends, the Lord desires to have faithful labourers. Are we among them? As labourers of the Lord, how are we carrying out this mission and mandate of Christ? How strong is our compassion towards others? Do we know people who are harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them and saying something to them. Or do we feel harassed and helpless as a result of what we are passing through in life? Do we feel the need of Jesus’ help in some part of our life?

 

Then turn to him for restoration just like St. Benedict, whose memorial we celebrate today. For he is known for his renowned piety and commitment to living a life of purity and prayer, of which he inspired many others to follow him in a life of asceticism and prayer, some of whom decided to follow his way of life and become ascetics and monks as labourers in God's vineyard.

 

Remember, as labourers, each one of us are called today to reach out to people at any particular corner of the field of harvest where we are now, for we may be the only person who may have access to reach out to them.  Therefore, let us start from our families, neighbours, colleagues in the office and others who we encounter in our lives, because, we may be the only person who can brings the healing and compassion of Jesus into their lives.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, give us the grace and courage to be faithful labourers in your vineyard, who will labour to bringing souls to you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.