8 July 2025 – Tuesday of the 14th week
Genesis 32:23-32; Matthew 9:32-38.
Homily
In today's Gospel, we first see Jesus healing a deaf-mute. This obviously arouses the admiration of the crowd, but also the hatred of the Pharisees, who claim that Jesus casts out demons by the power of demons. Unlike the Apostles, who one day wanted to call down fire from heaven on those who had not received their message, Jesus does not even respond. He simply walks away and goes to the surrounding towns and villages, preaching the good news in the synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom and healing the sick.
He is then seized with compassion for these crowds who are like sheep without a shepherd to lead them to pasture. The Greek word translated here as ‘seized with compassion’ is a very strong word meaning ‘seized in the bowels,’ an attitude of great compassion and mercy that, throughout the New Testament, is attributed only to God.
Jesus then saw all humanity as a vast field of ripe wheat ready to be harvested, but there were not enough workers for the harvest. Jesus then invited His apostles to pray to the Master of the harvest to send workers for His harvest.
We often hear these words of Jesus as a call to pray for priestly and religious vocations. This is obviously a very good thing to do, but Jesus' words have a much broader meaning. The harvest is in fact the whole of humanity. And we are all called and sent to show this humanity the compassion and love of the Father, manifested in Jesus Christ. Let us pray during this celebration that we may be faithful to this mission.
And we celebrate today the memory of Blessed Pope Eugene III, of our Cistercian Order.
Armand Veilleux