Luke 10:1-12 Laborers

Luke 10:1-12  Laborers

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Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.  He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.  Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves…cure the sick…” 

He said, “I was tired of it.”  I couldn’t believe it.  I asked him how he could be tired of being a priest?  He said, “It no longer interests me…same old…same old thing.” 

I don't want to sound harsh, but to me, that was the lamest excuse I had ever heard.   For sure, being a priest is not an easy thing.  The vows are not easy to live at all.  But to say “it was no longer interesting to me…same old...same old thing???”  I’m sorry, but no way!  “I was tired of it” is not believable.  Better to say, “It tired me out!”   

Every morning I look forward to spending one hour in meditation with the Lord.  I love it.  It has become a part of my daily life.  To share my meditation with others is just the icing on the cake.  Daily prayer is the most enriching moment of my day.  It is never the same old thing.  How can inching closer to the Lord ever be the same old thing?

To celebrate the morning Mass for the children is always a personal thrill for me.  I love to see their glowing faces, the wild look in their eyes, and, when asked a question, to see their little hands go up as fast as possible and as high as possible, and stay there as if they were holding the world up with their own hand.  And if that were not enough, then to see the confused and bewildered look on their eyes when they are called upon to answer and they respond, “Uh…I don’t know…” 

How can anyone be tired of this?

From there off to High School; to relive the drama and the issues that never seemed to change.   But this time, I know some of the answers and I can help.  I can share experiences and insight that maybe have not been shared before.  I can relate the Gospel to what they are living at this very moment.  And I know it makes a difference in their lives.  I know because I see it and hear it from them.  He was tired of this?

Then I sit to hear Confessions in a tiny corner in the Universe where the human heart can find plenty of comfort, peace and healing.  Where else can someone dare to open their most inner feelings and thoughts; the shameful acts of their past and present?  Must it be tucked away forever?  Can it not be released for good?  Yes.  And when the penitent feels such freedom, they can finally rejoice in tears.  Was he tired of this too?   

The visits to the hospital are, for me, the most challenging and the most rewarding.  I never thought I would be visiting the hospital so often.  It is not an easy thing to do.  The emergency call breaks up your day; catches you at an inconvenient moment.  But it is the one thing that the sick remember and most appreciate you for.  The sick no longer find solace with a doctor, or nurse, or even a family member.  They find solace with a priest praying over them, anointing them and holding their hand.  One visit is often not enough.  They want to see you more and more, which can be a big challenge.  A priest may go to the same hospital over and over again, but it is never the same thing over and over again. 

There is so much more I could say.  But in general, what Christians do must be what the disciples did.  The disciples visited the people that Jesus intended to visit.  He sent them to the poor, the sick, the sinners and the needy before He arrived.  This is the work of a priest and for every single Christian.  We are sent to prepare the way…before the Lord arrives. 

I’m not sure how anyone could ever be tired of this.