Seeing “time” differently. When the moment comes, seize it.

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Gospel: Matthew 9: 36 – 10:8

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them 
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits
to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The Greeks had two different notions of time: There was chronos – the tick tock type of time we all think of, and kairos.

Kairos meant an “appointed time.” Originally, it referred to the decisive moment in a battle when the momentum shifted in one direction, making it possible for one side to win. 

Today the Ukrainians are hoping that their counteroffensive against Russia is a kairos moment, the opportunity for them to turn the tide and win the war.

For us, a kairos moment could be a job offer; a marriage proposal; a pregnancy; the moment of priestly ordination. Each event unfolds chronologically in a matter of seconds or minutes, but in the broader picture of fate, they are kairosmoments – breakthroughs.

Life-changing opportunities that may never come again. We must seize the moment.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus has reached a kairos moment with his disciples. “The harvest is abundant,” he says, “but the laborers are few. So, ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Any farmer can tell you, when the harvest is ready, there’s a sense of urgency because the harvest waits for no one. It’s all hands on deck. You either reap what you’ve sown or the crops will be in jeopardy; the fruit will die on the vine.

While the farmer is ultimately responsible for his crop, the harvest is too large to reap on his own; he must appoint workers to assist in his labors. 

This is what we find unfolding in today’s Gospel.

Jesus sees a sizeable crowd, which symbolically represents all of humanity. The people are tired, hungry, searching for meaning, and ultimately, they are searching for God. “The harvest is abundant,” Jesus says, “but the laborers are few.”

Jesus did not try to solve every problem, cure every disease, nor to seize every moment himself; he delegates his authority to the Apostles to act in his name. “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons,” he says. 

Carry forward the kingdom of God.

That authority has been handed down through the ages – from the Twelve in the Gospel to over one billion Catholics today.

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By using the image of the harvest, Jesus is stressing that there are opportune moments of faith that do not last forever in people’s lives. We must seize the moment.

So, what are the kairos moments happening in our own families, in this parish, and in the broader Church? 

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Tiny examples may happen at the dinner table. Imagine your child comes home from school and asks you a question about God. That’s a kairos moment, an opportunity to plant a seed of faith or understanding in their heart. 

Maybe they’re older and begin sharing their thoughts or feelings with you. What should you do?

Listen carefully. Respond wisely. Build a bridge. It’s a kairos moment.

Maybe there’s need for reconciliation with a loved one. Grab the opportunity when it comes. Accept the apology. Extend the olive branch. 

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Think about the kairos moments happening in our parish – and in the universal Church.

Recently, a couple shared their need for at-home assistance with us. One has an advanced stage of cancer. The other is confined to a wheelchair. They need help now. It was a kairos moment for us to serve Christ in our neighbor… Fifteen people signed up to help them!

In terms of our growth as a parish, there are a number of kairos moments we face, particularly after the Sacraments are celebrated.

What happens after a child is baptized? Should we wait until CCD to begin forming them and their parents? Or can we offer something for them now?

How do we continue to form someone after being Confirmed? In many ways, that’s the beginning, not the end of a faith journey. We need to tend to our teens and young adults.

Or after a couple is married. What type of support, retreats, or marriage counseling can the Church offer them?

Or after a family celebrates a funeral? The Church should accompany them in their grief.

These are kairos moments, opportunities for us to “journey together.”

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“The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few. Pray that the master of the harvest sends out laborers for his harvest,” Jesus says.

In the words of the prophets, “Here I am, LORD, send me.”

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Image credits: (1) Mark Connor, Opportunity (2) Young People’s Ministries (3) American Warrior Radio