MARY, OUR MOTHER

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 343

Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself was about to come. And He said unto them, "The harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth labourers into His harvest." (Luke 10:1-2)

PRAYER TO GOD TO SEND MORE LABORERS INTO HIS VINEYARD: Jesus, the Lord of the harvest, desires us to pray to Him to send more laborers, i. e. more bishops and priests, and this not only for our own sakes, but for the multitude of our fellow-men, who are still unbelievers. He alone, by His grace, can raise up true apostolic laborers for His vineyard. This prayer is very necessary. Even many Catholic countries are in sad want of priests; but, setting aside this want, the majority of men in this world are either heathens (of whom there are about 700 million or Mahometans (of whom there are about 159 million). Only 250 million belong to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church; for out of those who claim to be Christians, 80 million belong to the Greek Church, and about 90 million to various Protestant sects. The harvest is indeed still great, and the number of Catholic priests and missionaries small in proportion. [Keep in mind these figures are from 1894 A.D., Editor]

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)