The Harvest is Abundant

Reading 1 Exodus 19:2-6a
Reading 2 Romans 5:6-11
Gospel Matthew 9:36-10:8

In our first reading today from the Book of Exodus, we hear that after God had delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt – He wanted to establish with them a new covenant. The basis of this new covenant was to be the Israelite’s deliverance out of Egypt which God had already fulfilled.

What is interesting is that God didn’t first go to Moses and say if you get your people to agree to follow my commandments then I will free you from your slavery in Egypt. God doesn’t coerce us into following or loving Him.

God we find, fulfilled His part of this new covenant BEFORE the Israelites even agreed to uphold their part of the bargain. You could even say God fulfilled his part of this new covenant even though He knew that the Israelites would fail to keep their part of the bargain – even though, He knew that these chosen people – who He elevated above all nations – would one day crucify His only Son.

Now you don’t have to be a lawyer or even a good businessman to know that you just don’t do something for someone before they agree to do something for you – be that pay you a certain amount of money or give you a certain amount of things in return. I mean it is just “common sense” isn’t it – if you do something for somebody before they agree to terms you don’t have any guarantee or recourse that after you have provided your part of the bargain that they will honor their part of it – and why should they.

You don’t do that sort of thing that is – if you think like man does. Our first lesson today then is to always remember that God’s ways are not our ways – and the only way we can hope to understand His ways is to change our hearts – to die to ourselves and put on the mind of Christ.

There was more though to this new covenant than just deliverance from slavery. The Israelites, if they hearkened to His voice, would participate in a special relationship with God – He would be their God and they would be His people.

They would be a nation of people set aside, raised up, elevated above all the other nations of the world – they would be the object of His preferential love, protection and care. God demonstrated to the Israelites His desire and His commitment to enter into this new covenant with them by delivering them out of Egypt even BEFORE they agreed to fulfilling their part of the covenant – which we are told was that they were to hearken to His voice – obey His commandments – which as we know are the 10 Commandments that He gave to Moses – and if they did that, if they hearkened to His voice – if they obeyed His commandments – not only would they be the object of His preferential love and attention – they would become a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.

God didn’t say if you obey My commandments you will avoid all pain and suffering or that you would not experience temptation – because it is only in those difficult times and temptations that our love for God is truly tested.

This covenant that God wanted to enter into with the Israelites was one that would require them to lead moral lives in a world that has no morality – in a world that teaches the exact opposite of what God teaches – that we should love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us – if they could do that if they could die to themselves and follow His commandments then their very lives would show people that they belonged to God and that justice and peace, love and compassion are the only things that will lead to true happiness in this world. God chose the Israelites to be a holy nation – a beacon to the world – a living testimony – proof that we can lead moral lives in this sinful, corrupt and fallen world.

The good news is that God doesn’t give up on us – He remains faithful even though we fail time and time again to keep His commandments. In our second reading today from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans we hear a similar story. God in our first reading fulfilled His part of the new covenant delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt BEFORE they agreed to their part of the covenant – and in our second reading we hear again that God’s ways are not our ways: Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world but to save it – Christ we are told died at the appointed time for the ungodly, for sinners, for His executioners.

God once again proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners He sent His only Son to die for us – so that IF we change our lives – IF we repent, then we can and will be saved by the blood of Christ shed for each of us on the Cross, shed to save us from the slavery of sin and for our salvation and we will enjoy everlasting life in heaven – but the choice is ours to make – even though Christ thirsts for the salvation of our souls – He wants us to come to Him by our own free will.
God had chosen the Israelites to be His people and in our Gospel we hear Jesus instruct his twelve apostles not to go into pagan territory or enter into a Samaritan town – He told them to go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Fortunately for us, this covenant relationship God wanted to have with the Israelites was extended also to the pagans. St. Paul himself, who in his early days, when he was known as Saul, persecuted Christians, but after his conversion experience on the road to Damascus became the Apostle to all nations.

And now each of us, just like the Israelites, has been chosen by God – to be part of a nation of people who share in a special relationship with Him. Each of us is called to live moral lives – to be lights shining in this dark world. To sacrifice, to give back to God everything we have received from Him. Each of us is called to be His disciples – 2000 years later – after Jesus sent out His first apostles, today He sends you and I – and the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.

Bringing light into darkness and hope in despair is not a vocation for priests alone. We are instructed at the end of Mass to "go in peace to love and to serve the Lord" which sounds like missionary work. In the most literal sense, a missionary puts their life on hold to go into other nations and serve the Lord by serving those in need. But we are all missionaries in our own neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces; and as the first and foremost in our homes.

Fathers – you have been called to a special vocation – you are to be the first teachers of your children (God’s children) in the ways of our faith. Together with your wives you are called to bear witness to the faith by what you say and do.

As we prepare to celebrate Fathers’ Day we should reflect a bit on what a father is.
Today I’m afraid that there are a large number of people who can no longer relate to the reality or the concept of a father. This was not always the case as most marriages never suffered from the ravages of divorce. Many individuals today do not have the benefit of a father at home, or even in their life to any extent. 50%+ of marriages, including Catholic marriages, end in divorce. Single parent families are painfully common.

A child needs a father and a mother, male and female, to receive the fullness of nurturing, love, and support. One parent can try heroically to fill both roles, and do quite well, but it is never the same as when mom and dad fulfill their respective roles.
A father, along with a mother, obviously collaborate with God to bring life into existence.

You will never know the eternal joy of Heaven without your father and mother saying yes to life. A father protects and supports his family. If evil in any form threatens his family a father must engage that evil and protect the family. This is true most of all spiritually, but also physically, emotionally, economically, and morally.

Dad has to fight many a battle to win the war of the salvation of the souls of his spouse and children. If dad doesn’t even know there is a war, where would that leave his family? How many sleepless nights fathers have had had worrying how to provide for mom and the kids? How many days he has come home from work bone tired, trying to provide a life for the family better than he had? How many deaths has he died agonizing over the welfare of each of his children?

Remember your father this Fathers’ Day. Pray for him, alive or deceased. While you are doing this, hopefully through a day started with the Holy Eucharist, remember your priests, who are truly fathers in the spiritual sense.

They too have expended a lot of “blood, sweat, and tears” trying to insure the well-being of their spiritual children. Without the priest there is no forgiveness through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Without the priest there is no strengthening through the sacrament of Confirmation. Without the priest there is no anointing of the sick. Most of all, no priest no Eucharist—the Source, Center, and Summit of the Church’s life.
Let’s pray for our fathers, both biological and spiritual, this Fathers’ Day, and every day. We need them, for the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.