The Harvest is Abundant but the Laborers are Few

Today is the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, so it is quite appropriate that we read from the Gospel of Luke at Mass today. As you meditate on the reading below, reflect on how God is calling you, personally, to be a missionary.

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two 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.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, 'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"(Lk 10:1-9)

Let Freedom Ring!

Today we celebrate Independence Day! On this day in 1776, the United States declared independence from a tyrannical England—solidifying the young country’s commitment to liberty and justice for all.

Today also marks the end of the Fortnight for Freedom, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ campaign to help the faithful understand how important religious liberty is to America and to point out the current threats to our most precious freedom.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Archbishop of Washington D.C., His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl said, “We have always had these rights – they are guaranteed in our Constitution…We need to lift up for people to see, that some of [these rights] are being eroded.”

Dioceses throughout the country held Bible Studies, rallies, and other educational events in order to “lift up” the challenges our Church faces today. And at noon Eastern (9am Pacific) today, all houses of worship are asked to ring their bells—to “let freedom ring.” The faithful will be united, and they will make their presence known.

Most appropriately, the Fortnight will close with the sacrifice of the Mass—our highest form of prayer. This closing Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception here in Washington, D.C. The celebrants and the congregation will offer up their efforts and ask God for His favor in securing the right to religious freedom in America.

Let us pray with them today, that our right to live like Christ in the public square is upheld and protected.

What's new at the Shrine?

As you can see on the website, there have been some new developments at the Blessed John Paul II Shrine.

The most exciting update is that Fr. Gregory Gresko has recently been appointed as the Shrine’s Chaplain. Fr. Gresko comes to the Shrine with over twenty years of experience as a minister to students and young adults as a priest, lay missionary, and musician. He also holds his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Lateran University’s John Paul II Institute and is currently working on his doctoral thesis. As Chaplain, Fr. Gresko will be responsible for the spiritual care of the Shrine’s staff and pilgrims. With his positive energy and inspiring homilies, Fr. Gresko has done a fabulous job so far!

The staff at the Blessed John Paul II Shrine is currently preparing a landmark exhibition on the life and legacy of John Paul II, but in order to tie pilgrims and tourists over, we’ve opened an interim exhibit: Be Not Afraid. This new exhibit chronicles the life of Karol Wojtyła in his own words, and the collection consists of hundreds of items, including many personal effects, works of art and photographs.

Stop by between the hours of 10 am and 5 pm Tuesday through Friday and check out the new exhibit. All are invited to Mass as well, which is held Tuesday through Friday at 11:30 am in the Shrine’s chapel.