The gospel for the memorial of St. Benedict is taken from Matthew 9th chapter 32, 38th verse. A demoniac could not speak, was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out, the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, he drives out demons by the prince of demons. Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and curing every disease and illness.

At the sight of the crowds, his 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. There is dramatic contrast between the Pharisees and Jesus in this Gospel. Pharisees filled with condemnation, judgment. Jesus, on the other hand, filled with understanding, compassion and empathy.

He looked at the people and he knew that the kingdom was not being proclaimed by the temple. And they were troubled and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd. And Jesus wanted so much to be their shepherd. Foreign the Closing Prayer it is clear at the end of this gospel passage that we are called to do what Jesus did, to be people filled with a compassion and understanding and a longing to be used by God to heal and to transform and to change. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.