The Laborers Are Few

DECEMBER 04, 2021, SATURDAY
Saturday of the First Week of Advent (Violet)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 180

Reading I
Is 30:19-21, 23-26

Thus says the Lord GOD,

    the Holy One of Israel:

O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,

    no more will you weep;

He will be gracious to you when you cry out,

    as soon as he hears he will answer you.

The Lord will give you the bread you need

    and the water for which you thirst.

No longer will your Teacher hide himself,

    but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,

While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:

    “This is the way; walk in it,”

    when you would turn to the right or to the left.

He will give rain for the seed

    that you sow in the ground,

And the wheat that the soil produces

    will be rich and abundant.

On that day your flock will be given pasture

    and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;

The oxen and the asses that till the ground

    will eat silage tossed to them

    with shovel and pitchfork.

Upon every high mountain and lofty hill

    there will be streams of running water.

On the day of the great slaughter,

    when the towers fall,

The light of the moon will be like that of the sun

    and the light of the sun will be seven times greater

    like the light of seven days.

On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,

    he will heal the bruises left by his blows.

Responsorial Psalm
147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R.    (see Isaiah 30:18d)  Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Praise the LORD, for he is good;

    sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;

    it is fitting to praise him.

The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;

    the dispersed of Israel he gathers. 

R.    Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds.

He tells the number of the stars;

    he calls each by name.

R.    Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Great is our LORD and mighty in power:

    to his wisdom there is no limit.

The LORD sustains the lowly;

    the wicked he casts to the ground.

R.    Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Alleluia
Is 33:22

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King;

he it is who will save us.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,

teaching in their synagogues,

proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,

and curing every disease and illness. 

At the sight of the crowds, his 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. 

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,

“Go 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.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus had compassion on the people who were harassed and helpless. What about me? Do I feel the need of his help in some part of my life?

PRAYER:

Lord, the cries of the poor and broken-hearted are evident in the mass migration daily beamed into my living room. Let me not forget that you summon me today, to be your eyes, your ears and your hands of compassion. May I respond with loving compassion to all who come to me.