THE NEED FOR LABOURERS IN THE FIELD

SAINT AMBROSE OF MILAN, BISHOP, DOCTOR

Isa 30:19-21,23-26; Ps 147:1-6; Mt 9:35-10:1,5,6-8

The Lord will hear Our Cry

Prophet Isaiah was a priest in Jerusalem and very familiar with the presence of God in the Temple and the worship therein. He understood the political, social, and religious atmosphere of the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem. In this Messianic prophecy, he assures the people of Zion, who suffer various problems, political, social, and religious, that God would come to their help soon. “People of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer.” We take note of the sequence of the events as arranged by the prophet; Yahweh will answer only when he hears the cries of the people for help. We are not assured of God’s intervention before we cry for help and deliverance, but after. Though the troubles that befall his people are not of his doing, God permits them so that we may learn how evil and displeasing our disobedience is to God. He allowed the political, social, and religious sufferings of the people to help them turn around and seek his face. The bread of suffering, according to Isaiah, is from the Lord for our good. “When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, he who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes.” The bread of suffering and water of distress purify our spiritual eyes to see the presence of the Saviour.

We must not gloss over the difficulty of eating the bread of suffering and drinking the water of distress, for they are repulsive to our weak human nature. The grace of God assists us to see through our bodily, emotional, psychological, and spiritual sufferings in the hope of salvation from God. Unaided by God’s grace, our human spirit is easily choked by the bread of suffering and overwhelmed by the water of distress. Because of the difficulty of these trials, we solicit the intercession of our Blessed Mother, Mary, the Immaculate Conception. Her prayers and example of her life of fidelity to God’s words help us to climb the lofty mountains where the streams of spiritual consolation are located. “On every lofty mountain, on every high hill, there will be streams and watercourses, on the day of the great slaughter when the strongholds fall.” These holy streams and watercourses are located on the lofty mountains and hills, as we said, to make it clear to us that human merits or activities can never earn the grace of salvation, but only the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ which are the lofty mountains and hills we must climb by sincere prayer and supplications. Hence, the prophet says these graces will be available on the day of great slaughter when the strongholds of human pride and achievements fall. They become available when our merits and devices fail us completely, and we look to the mountains and hills from where divine help will come to us.

Because of the spiritual conversion that comes from these experiences of eating the bread of suffering and drinking the water of distress, we will see deeper into our daily reality and understand the will of God in all. “Then moonlight will be bright as sunlight and sunlight itself be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one—on the day the Lord dresses the wound of his people and heals the bruises his blows have left.” In the Gospel, the Lord witnesses the abundance of bread of suffering and water of distress everywhere in the land. But the people need help to lift their faces, minds, and hearts to the mountains and hills to supplicate for the salvation already provided. God calls the Christian labourers to play this role in the life of the people, to show Christ to the people. Beholding the crowds, he felt sorry for them and said to his disciples: “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.” St. Ambrose of Milan was a dedicated labourer in the vineyard of the Lord. Born in Trier (now in Germany) between 337 and 340, he was educated in Rome as an advocate and administrator. The people miraculously suggested him for appointment as the bishop of the vacant seat of Milan. He was the prefect of Liguria and Emilia as a layman then. The people coerced him to receive baptism, ordination, and consecration as the bishop of Milan in 374. He dedicated his whole life and properties to fulfilling his role as a true shepherd of God’s flock and a teacher of holy doctrines. He aided St. Augustine on his conversion journey through his intelligence and scholarship. May his prayers help us to dedicate everything to serving God and helping his people on their journey to salvation.

Let us pray: O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a model of apostolic courage, raise up in your Church men after your own heart to govern her with courage and wisdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.