Carefully, over countless generations, God unfolded his plan, preparing the world for the time when he could gather a people to himself from every nation and people.
- Then finally, Jesus came to deliver everyone from slavery to sin
- and to bring all of us into a new relationship with God.
- By his cross, he inaugurated the church,
- which is nothing less than the gathering of all those who have been redeemed.
This was the message that the apostles brought to the whole world, and which we are now called to proclaim as well.
- Jesus calls all of us to do what he did to form the people of God:
- reach out to the lonely and isolated,
- take pity on the helpless,
- befriend the poor and marginalized.
- We can begin in our families and parishes, and move into the wider community around us.
Such love does not come naturally, so we need to ask the Holy Spirit to teach us true charity as we work to build the kingdom of God
- Jesus has left it to us, his followers, to continue to fulfill his heart-felt prayer:
- “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
- so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).
“Lord, I want to work with you in bringing your great plan
to fulfillment.
Come, Jesus, and give me
your heart of compassion.”
