Today’s Scripture Readings

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

God does not remain distant or removed but draws near to each of us to heal, console, and raise us up. We see this in today’s Gospel, where we hear the words, “He saw the crowds and had compassion for them.” Jesus, moved by love, steps into the heart of our wounded lives.

Yet Jesus’s ministry is not his alone: “Then Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them authority…” (Matthew 10:1). Now, Jesus summons us. His words echo through time, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:38).

The labourers are each of us, called through our baptism. We are not merely observers of the gospel story but part of it. We are the hands and feet of Christ in the world today.

There will be times when we ourselves are the wounded, in times of sorrow, struggle or fatigue, when we come to Christ longing for his healing presence. And there will be times when we are called, like the Twelve in the gospel today, and are sent to be his presence for others; to speak hope, bind wounds and walk alongside the suffering.

As Henri Nouwen observes, we are “wounded healers,” ourselves in need of healing and yet, by God’s grace, sent to bring healing to others. Our fragility does not disqualify us but becomes the very place where Christ’s compassion is made visible. In our shared humanity, healing flows from mercy received and mercy shared.

This is our invitation: to receive the compassionate love of Christ with open hearts, and to offer it freely, generously and without reservation.