11TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: CALLED, LOVED, AND SENT

A professor was addressing an audience at a seminar recently, and began to describe her qualifications. Outlining all her degrees and certificates, to the surprise of everyone, she told the audience, “Of all the certificates I have in my life, the greatest of them is my baptismal certificate. My baptismal certificate is most important!" That stuck with me. Our baptismal certificate gives us a unique place in the sight of God. The question then becomes what we are doing with this all-important certificate. Jesus calls the apostles today and reminds all of us, "The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few."

The story begins in the Book of Exodus with God speaking to the Israelites after delivering them from slavery in Egypt. He reminds them: "I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself." What a beautiful image! God reminds Israel of his love even before asking anything of them. God chose them, carried them, and brought them close to Himself. All He demands is: "You shall be my special possession... a kingdom of priests, a holy nation."

The twist in this invitation is whether the people are willing to respond, to be present to the Lord, notwithstanding their imperfection. This sets the tone for their relationship with God. It also reinforces the mission of Christ in the manner in which he calls the disciples in the New Testament. God’s people are chosen primarily because they are loved. They are defined by their identity from where their mission derives.

Saint Paul writes in the second reading: "While we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly." Paul does not say Christ died for us when we had everything together or when we had the capacity to perform. He says Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This reveals the astonishing depth of God's love through the cross of Christ.

This seems paradoxical, but that is true. We can easily think that God loves us only when we are doing well, praying faithfully, or working hard to be perfect. Obviously, we are invited to constant holiness and righteousness because Christ seeks purity of heart, meekness, and righteousness. However, it is important to be reminded that God loves us but abhors our sins. God's love comes first because He desires us. The Christian logic is that once we learn to be present for God, we would want to please him by our way of life. God’s grace inspires holiness of life once we show sufficient readiness for Him.

The gospel of Matthew reveals the heart of Jesus. He looked upon the crowds and was moved with compassion because they were: "Troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd." The word "compassion" here is powerful. As in many instances in the gospels, Jesus is always deeply moved in His very being. He saw the sufferings of the people before him. He saw their confusion. He felt their despair. He saw their hunger for meaning and purpose. He saw their need for hope. Jesus' heart connected with their troubled and abandoned situations. He is worried when his flock appear like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus calls the Twelve and sends them out to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, drive out demons, and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Notice the Jesus’ pattern: First, He sees. Then, He is moved with compassion. Then, He loves. Then, He sends. This same pattern continues today. Jesus sees our world. He sees broken marriages, struggling families, lonely elderly people, anxious young adults, children searching for guidance, and communities wounded by division. Jesus sees the needs of those with disabilities. Jesus sees the broken-hearted. Jesus knows that most of his flock are troubled and abandoned. He understands their spiritual hunger. There is indeed a strong need for men and women whose hearts will be moved with compassion. Jesus wants ministers who are truly configured to His Sacred Heart. This is the call to discipleship.

This mission is first and foremost a mission for every baptized Christian to be a witness of hope. The harvest remains abundant. Perhaps the greatest challenge today is not that God is no longer calling people. The challenge is that many no longer believe they are called. People make excuses and assume someone else will do the work, whereas Scriptures show that God consistently chooses ordinary people. Moses felt inadequate. Jeremiah felt too young. Peter was impulsive. Matthew was a tax collector. Yet God worked through each of them. Mother Teresa once said, “God does not require that we be successful, only that we be faithful.”

Today, we are reminded that our Christian life follows this sequence: We are chosen by the Father. We are reconciled through the Son. We are sent by the Holy Spirit. Like Israel, we are God's treasured possession. Like the sinners in Paul's letter, we are loved beyond measure. Like the Twelve Apostles, we are sent to bring God's mercy to the world.

As we celebrate the Eucharist today, the following questions are placed before us: Where is Christ sending me today? Who in my family needs encouragement? Who needs forgiveness? Who needs a listening ear? Who needs to experience God's compassion through me? The harvest is still abundant, but am I making adequate use of my baptismal certificate?

Readings: Exodus 19:2–6; Romans 5:6–11; Matthew 9:36—10:8