Laborers, Not Spectators
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June 13, 2026"When Jesus looks at the crowds in our Gospel today, something in His heart breaks open. Matthew tells us, “Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) These words reveal the entire mission of the Church—and present a deep longing of Christ for every soul.
Jesus doesn’t just see a crowd; He sees and recognizes people—each one with a particular story, a deep wound, a fear, and a blooming hope. His gaze is a burning and active love that refuses to leave people where they are. It is supposed to be the same gaze that moves our parish ministries, our catechetical formation programs, our care for the sick and elderly, and our welcoming attitude towards our brothers and sisters.This Gospel invites us to ask an important question: Do we see and recognize people the way Jesus sees them, or do we sometimes see only inconvenience, difference, or interruption?
Jesus challenges us to recognize a truth we often take for granted: There is no shortage of people longing for God, there is only a shortage of disciples willing to step forward. We notice that He doesn’t say, “Pray for more spectators.” Instead, He says, “Ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9:38) These are laborers willing to love, to serve, to forgive, to teach, and to lead one another closer to God.Jesus calls and sends the twelve by name—fishermen, a tax collector, imperfect men with imperfect backgrounds—and gives them authority to heal, restore, and proclaim the Kingdom of God. They are ordinary people doing extraordinary works. He sends them because He trusts what His grace can do through them despite their weaknesses. The same trust rests on us today. This is our universal call as part of the Body of Christ. The harvest is not just “out there”; it is in our homes, in our places of work, in our neighborhoods, and in our parish community.And then Jesus gives us a challenge: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” (Matthew 10:8) This is stewardship because everything we have—faith, forgiveness, mercy, talents, and gifts—was given by God freely, so Jesus asks us to give freely in return. This is not because the Church simply needs volunteers, but because love that is not given and shared freely dies naturally inside us.When Jesus looked at the crowds, His heart was moved with pity. When He looks at St. Paul the Apostle Parish today, His heart still moves, and so He calls and sends you and me—not because we are perfect and talented, but because His trust is stronger than our limitations.
May we allow His loving gaze to shape our own. May we allow His hands to lead us so we can become the laborers our world is praying and longing for. And may our parish community be a place where Christ’s loving gaze becomes the source of our inspiration to be visible and living witnesses of God’s presence in the world.