Reading 1
In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.
While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,
Moses went up the mountain to God.
Then the LORD called to him and said,
“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;
tell the Israelites:
You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians
and how I bore you up on eagle wings
and brought you here to myself.
Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,
you shall be my special possession,
dearer to me than all other people,
though all the earth is mine.
You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”
Gospel
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Then he summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits
to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
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 Thaddeus;
Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
Reflection
In today’s Gospel, our Lord sees that the crowds are “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” In response, He tells His disciples that the “harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” These images are grim, but with them Jesus offers hope, compassion, and a call to action.
We too may often feel like sheep without a shepherd. But just as Jesus claimed that the “harvest is abundant” in the Gospel, we can still be confident that our souls and the souls of countless others are fertile ground. Jesus saw the struggle of His people, but He could also see their capacity for grace. So too is His heart moved by our pain today, and He continuously bestows abundant gifts upon us that only need cultivation.
An important aspect of cultivating the grace of God in our lives are the mentors and ministers God sends to us. So, Jesus commands that we “ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” One way to pray for the guidance we need is to ask God to help us through the wise people in our lives. Specifically, we should pray that Our Lord raises up more priests and makes them ever holier.
In this 65th anniversary year of our Diocese, one of our primary initiatives is to pray for an increase in vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life. Today’s Gospel is a perfect reminder to renew our efforts now that we are almost halfway through 2026. We thank and praise Our Lord for the gift of the six new priests ordained just last week, but we do not cease to pray that God sends even more laborers for the harvest of the Diocese of Allentown.
Jesus’ final words in today’s Gospel are an important reminder for our priests, but also for Christians in any walk of life. “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Priests do not earn the Sacrament of Holy Orders through their extensive preparation or holiness, but rather, Holy Orders is an undeserved gift of grace to equip them for their mission. Every Sacrament, and every blessing of our lives, God gives out of pure generosity just because He loves us. Christ calls us to give others this same generosity.
On June 11, the United States Bishops consecrated our country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion centered on the merciful and unfathomable love of God and our response to it. I encourage all the faithful to entrust themselves to the Sacred Heart, and to remember that we are all called to serve God’s people freely in love, because we are all recipients of God’s love.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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