Fr Paolo Consonni, MCCJ
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A
“When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few,” (Mt 9:36-38).
Our diocese is journeying deeper into the Year of Vocation, and the approaching World Youth Day in Lisbon at the beginning of August will be an opportunity for young people from all over the world to seriously consider their purpose in life. This Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 9:36-10:8) is offering good points for reflection, not only for young people searching for their vocation, but also for us adults to verify whether we are still answering God’s call.
Every vocation is the result of the convergence of three factors. The first is God’s dream for us as individuals and as one human family. God wishes that each person might live his/her life to the fullest and meaningfully use the unique gifts and resources He has given us. We easily give up our dreams and hopes, but God does not. Despite our many setbacks, he tirelessly works so that all may have life, and have it abundantly (Jn 10:10).
The second factor is also important. The deepest desires within our hearts. God’s call cannot be an external imposition that goes against our true self, our deepest longings, or our freedom. On the contrary, by calling us to a certain way of life, God traces for us the best possible way to self-realization, which includes challenges and trials necessary for our growth. God calls us by attracting us, not by compelling us.
The third factor is probably the most neglected, yet it is essential. The needs of the world and of the Church. Vocation and mission go hand in hand. God calls us not only to satisfy our individual desire of fulfillment but specifically to answer the pressing needs of humanity. A famous quote said that “the place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet” (Frederick Buechner). How true. The pandemic has taught us that we are all interconnected and that we cannot plan our life in isolation, disconnected from the reality of the whole world.
God’s vocation comes within the concrete circumstances of our reality and requires our personal and total involvement. The lyrics of a modern song say: “I woke up this morning/ Saw a world full of trouble now/ Thought, how’d we ever get so far down/ How’s it ever gonna turn around/ So I turned my eyes to Heaven/ I thought, ‘God, why don’t You do something?’ / Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of people living in poverty /Children sold into slavery /The thought disgusted me / So, I shook my fist at Heaven / Said, ‘God, why don’t You do something?’/ God said, ‘I did, I created you’” (Matthew West, “Do Something”).
When we watch the news, or hear about the Church’s problems, instead of feeling depressed, helpless, or simplistically judgmental, Christians should, like Jesus, feel compassion and feel called to action in a positive and constructive way: “The harvest is plentiful!” The lives of many saints teach us that, no matter how complex the reality of the world is, when in answer to God’s call we actively work for the good of others, we find meaning and direction for ourselves.
Therefore, in the list of the 12 Apostles called by Jesus, which will be read in this Sunday’s Gospel, you might as well add your name. “Apostle” in Greek means “sent forth.” We believe that the Church is apostolic not only because it is founded on the Apostles, but because each baptized person is “sent forth” to bring the good news of the Gospel to a world that thirsts for God’s healing, consolation, mercy, and forgiveness. We really need to pray so that we might be able to answer His call with generosity.
“Jesus is walking in our midst, as he did in Galilee,” Pope Francis once wrote to young people. “He walks through our streets, and he quietly stops and looks into our eyes. His call is attractive and intriguing. Yet today the stress and quick pace of a world constantly bombarding us with stimuli can leave no room for that interior silence in which we can perceive Jesus’ gaze and hear his call. In the meantime, many attractively packaged offers will come your way. They may seem appealing and exciting, although in time they will only leave you feeling empty, weary and alone. Don’t let this happen to you, because the maelstrom of this world can drive you to take a route without real meaning, without direction, without clear goals, and thus thwart many of your efforts. It is better to seek out that calm and quiet that enable you to reflect, pray, look more clearly at the world around you, and then, with Jesus, come to recognize the vocation that is yours in this world” (Christus Vivit 277).
(Image rights: Free to use. Free to use (CC0) Pexels.com)
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