“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send
workers to gather his harvest.”
Jesus called his Twelve disciples to him, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive
them out, and to heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the Twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and
Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon, the
Canaanite, and Judas Is cariot, the man who would betray him.
Jesus sent these Twelve on mission, with the instructions: “Do not visit pagan territory and do
not enter a Samaritan town. Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.
Go, and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal
the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out
demons. Freely have you received, freely give.
Reflect
READ: Once again, on the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, God affirms
his covenant with the people he has called as his own. Paul explains to the Romans
that Christ died to save us from our sins. In the Gospel, Jesus sends the apostles
on a mission of preaching and healing.
REFLECT: Time and again the Scriptures remind us that God is always with us,
ready to give us everything that we need. When the people of Israel were slaves in
Egypt, he gave them freedom and guided their journey to the land he had prepared
for them. He made them his people and gave them his commandments to help
them stay close to him.
When Jesus saw that the people were like sheep without a shepherd, he sent the
Twelve out to bring healing and hope to those who were wandering. And when
our sins condemned us to everlasting death, God sent his Son to break the bonds
of death and lead us to everlasting life. God always wants what is best for us. He
waits with outstretched arms for us to come to him.
PRAY: Father, you know what I need. I place my trust in you.
ACT: Write a note of support to your pastor or bishop, praying that he will be a
good shepherd.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023