Saturday 18^th October – Feast of St Luke, Evangelist

Reflection: Luke 10: 1-9

LABOURERS WANTED!

Christ’s coming ushered in a new and everlasting covenant in man’s relationship with God. He was to establish this new covenant in the Church, on the foundation of the Apostles and so the preaching of the Kingdom was extremely necessary so that people would embrace this message of salvation. Based on this backdrop, it is easy to understand why Jesus told his disciples: “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into his harvest”. We might ask ourselves, is there really such a need today? Most of my friends, peers, classmates and neighbours are Christians! Is the need for evangelisation still as urgent as Christ made it seem?

Indeed, many more people around us profess Christianity compared to the days of the early Church. But does that lessen the urgency of evangelisation? Despite the number of Christians around today, very few individuals are really committed to living out the Christ like life our Christian faith demands – a life of love, sacrifice, justice, truth etc. This reality reveals that Christ’s request for labourers in His vineyard is as urgent today as it was in the 1^st century.

Dear friends, are you truly living out your Christian faith? Are you committed to a life of holiness? Do your thoughts, attitudes, words and actions profess the Christ you receive in the Eucharist? Today, Jesus reminds you and I that He needs labourers in His vineyard. Let us renew our commitment to Him and allow ourselves to be instruments of transformation to others especially through our everyday lives.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I renew my commitment to you today. Please strip me of selfishness and sin and strengthen me to evangelise through a good Christian life. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 347 – Why is “not practicing what you preach” such a serious deficiency in a Christian?

Agreement between one’s life and one’s witness is the first requirement for proclaiming the Gospel. Not practicing what you profess is therefore hypocrisy, a betrayal of the Christian duty to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world”.

 HIDE A TREASURE: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:8 RSV-CE

Readings for Today: 2 Timothy 4: 10-17; Psalm 145: 10-13, 17-18; Luke 10: 1-9