32. Praying for vocations: Labourers for the harvest

We often hear complaints about the lack of vocations in the Church, and it is easy to imagine that in ten years at the most, the reduced number of priests will mean that we shall have to make radical changes in the way we function. As this question is not -at least for the present-open to reflection, I thought that I might here have another look at the Gospel to see if we could approach the question from a different angle, and have another look at how we have been viewing it.

At a first glance, it would seem that Jesus chose His images rather badly. Perhaps He did so on purpose. "The labourers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send labourers into His harvest." This Gospel functions backwards, beginning as it does with the harvest. Why not with the spadework, the ploughing, the harvesting? Then there is the criticism about the small number of workers, while normally complaints are made about a poor harvest or a bad year.!

At the time of the combine-harvester, here is a farmer who does not want to work on his own. He could do so of course, but He wants to associate us with Him. Strange mind-set! He appears to be loathe to send out harvesters if he is not requested to do so. Still, it is His harvest, and so it is in his own interest. I deduce from this that our God holds back from helping us... He does so only if we ask Him. His attitude is not that of a too generous godfather, nor does He indulge in paternalism. He asks us to ask Him. He invites us to pray.

Then, He sends us as "sheep in the midst of wolves", in other words, without protection. His is a well-meditated choice. Have we really understood Him, we who are always seeking protection for ourselves? We find here the intuition of the Order of Preachers, when at Montpellier, Diegue of Osma and Dominic, advised the papal legates to leave aside their retinue, in order to go two by two as mendicants, to preach the Gospel. It is impossible to be an apostle while surrounded by soldiers.

It is hard for us to understand that the manner of preaching the Gospel, is itself a part of the message to be transmitted. The form cannot be at odds with the content. Jesus speaks very little about what is to be proclaimed. He composes no catechism, while constantly insisting on methods. The Message? He gives His Church time to elaborate this progressively at the end of long and difficult debates. It will take several centuries and numerous Councils in the wake of all kinds of heresies, in order to tease out elements of the faith as fundamental as the divino-humanity of Christ, the Person of the Holy Spirit, the importance or the relativity of the holiness of ministers for the efficaciousness of the sacraments etc.

"Eating and drinking whatever is offered to you" In the Jewish context of Kosher regulations, the position is radical, with all the risks of contamination, in the first instance ritual, but also a question of hygiene.

"Carrying neither money nor purse nor sandals..." meaning no material props. In the poorer churches of Africa and Latin America, so beholden to financial assistance, this advice is rarely respected, and indeed impossible to carry out literally. However I consider it as very important, for the call of faith ought to be accompanied by an experience of sharing in mutual dependence which is the very heart of the Gospel. Besides, that is what is proposed: "The Kingdom of God is very near" The disciple who is not welcomed, is invited to go further on, shaking the dust from his feet as he does so.: those who turn aside from the neighbour, by-pass both the Kingdom which had been offered to them, and this life which they had been given to share with others from the first moment of meeting.

"The harvest is great!" Good News! But it is frustrating! It means harvesting, not sowing! It is humiliating perhaps, but we have to accept it. There is always someone who has been sowing before us, our job is to harvest. Before we can give, we must be able to receive. For the apostle who regards himself as indispensable, or for the teacher who pontificates, the word of Christ is a call to humility, to a profound change of mentality, to a radical conversion.

Are we sure that we have really understood? Perhaps we function in the completely opposite direction! Too anxious to plough the furrow, too impatient to give, rather than to receive, and all this without showing respect for local cultures.