"The harvest is abundant but the labourers are few” (Lk 10:2): The challenges of the evangelizing mission and the pastoral care of vocations

Abstract

It is already more than two thousand years since Jesus said, “The harvest is abundant, but the labourers are few.” (Lk 10:2). Over the course of centuries, the Church has risen to this challenge, yet the task is far from being accomplished. In fact, with the increasing world population, growth of other religions, secularism, and even dwindling religious fervour in some Christian territories, the mission of the Church has become even more daunting. The labour is indeed abundant, but where are the labourers? This article examines the nature of the evangelizing mission of the Church in the contemporary world and the agents available for this mission. The article examines the causes of the shortage of agents, reveals the imbalance sometimes present in the distribution of agents and suggests ways for the church to harness the strength of the different groups in the Church. Since the salvation of souls is the mission to be accomplished, this task can be better accomplished when everyone is coresponsible and sees themselves in communion with one another and see the mission of the Church as theirs. The task of pastoral care is to educate all members of the Church to key into the mission of the Church, which is the mission of Christ.