"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." Can we be counted among the laborers? Are we ready and willing to work for the sake of our faith, or are we looking for the easy way out?

Our faith is more than a personal experience. It's more than a routine that fits into our weekly schedule. Our faith is meant to be shared with others, even when that requires a bit of work on our part. In today's Gospel, Jesus calls his followers to "Go on your way," to prepare people for the Lord. And we are called to do the same. We are meant to go on our way-out of our homes, and even out of our churches-to share the good news of the Gospel and to serve those in need.

It can be tempting to think, "I believe, I go to church, isn't that enough?" But Jesus tells us that there is an abundant harvest out there-countless people who may just need to know that Jesus loves them or that someone is willing to help. If we don't step up to the task then those people will miss out on that word of encouragement, that personal invitation to Mass, that act of kindness that might have made all the difference in their life. God may be calling some of us to an even deeper commitment-to be a lay minister in a parish or to discern a religious vocation, for example-but there is no doubt that God is calling all of us to labor for his kingdom in some way.

This mission isn't for someone else. It's for us to carry out the work of the disciples because we are today's disciples. When we accept this mission, we will not only enjoy seeing the benefits that others receive, we will also rejoice with those whose "names are written in heaven." Everyone is a Missionary!