The Harvest is Plentiful: We Need More Laborers

 In several places of our diocese the number of catechumens has increased significantly. “The harvest is plentiful.” According to St. Thomas Aquinas,[1] “it is not a harvest when the grain begins to blossom, or when the grains appear, but when it is ready to be gathered; so [the harvest is plentiful means that] men are disposed to believe as a result of preaching.” Men and women are ready to receive the Gospel: we need someone to preach it, we need many to preach it.

Also, our diocese is about to be “like sheep without a shepherd.” Bishop Miehm is moving to London. Yes, another Bishop will be appointed sometime this year; yes, we will not lack of a priest preaching to us the Gospel; and yes, the Lord is our main Shepherd and nobody will snatch us from his hand (cf. John 10:28); but in today’s Gospel, the Lord, even when He Himself is present among human beings, begs the apostles to beg Him for shepherds, for laborers, for good laborers, to be sent to His harvest.

1. “The harvest is plentiful”: many people are ready to believe because the Holy Spirit is always at work, on fire for the sake of human beings, preparing them for the Good News. “The laborers are few,” that is, the good ones, because human beings not always listen to God’s call to preach. The good laborers are few, also, because even we who have received the ministry, sometimes, do not work as much as we should.[2] Jesus wants us to pray for good laborers, for saintly shepherds.

How is a good laborer? “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them.” St. Thomas explains that, for some, no affection for people was sufficient, but efficiency was needed; and so, Jesus showed that He had come not only to do things for people, but also to feel, to connect. “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them.” A good shepherd is compassionate, not simply effective. A good shepherd is not looking for numbers, or results, but for children. Numbers make you look good, results make you feel good about yourself, or efficient, but children… Children make you feel that you are needed, that you matter, they make you feel loved… Children make you happy, because they are recipients of love and sources of love. Children allow you, oblige you to break the prison of selfishness and be open to life, open to relationship, open to love and happiness.

A good shepherd is compassionate because he is open and vulnerable to the needs of others. He is not focused on what he needs, but rather he needs to help people in order to heal his own heart. He works to satisfy others, not himself, but he himself is satisfied when others are.

A good shepherd, then, is one who works for God, not for himself; one who wants to remedy the needs of God’s flock, not his own needs.

2. What are those needs? “They were harassed and helpless.” Aquinas explains, “Harassed by devils and helpless in their infirmities. Or harassed by errors, helpless in their sins.” When Jesus is not made present by a priest, the devil has more power over the souls, and also over their bodies. A good priest brings the healing power of God over the devil. But most importantly, and as the basis for the previous, a good priest brings the truth of the Gospel against doctrinal and moral errors, and brings Jesus’ forgiveness through the Sacraments.

We all are sent to preach, in a way, but not all of us are ready to confute the errors of our age. Many people are walking towards their own harm because they are confused by errors. Many of them would believe if someone could show them the way. Not everybody can do that, and of those who can, not everyone wants to do it. “Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.”

Many people are helpless in their sins. We all are called to forgive each other, but not all of us can offer God’s forgiveness. People need redemption, they need to hear from God Himself that they are good, that He welcomes them back and forgets the past. We need priests that recognize their mission to release the captives from their chains, to be preachers and doers of God’s forgiveness. People are ready for that, but the laborers are few. “Pray to the Lord of the Harvest…”

God is the only one who can give us good priests and a good Bishop. Let us pray.


[1] St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Saint Matthew's Gospel, translated by R.F. Larcher, O.P., available at https://isidore.co/aquinas/SSMatthew.htm (Accessed June 13, 2026).

[2] Cf. St. Gregory the Great, Homily 17,3, 14 (PL 76, 1139-1140. 1146) in Office of Readings for Saturday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time.

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