Summary: Jesus, moved by compassion for the needy crowds, taught and healed throughout towns and villages. He urged prayer for more workers for the plentiful harvest. Empowering the Twelve disciples, He sent them to Israel's lost sheep, instructing them to heal, raise the dead, cleanse, and exorcise, emphasizing giving freely as they had received.
Gospel Acclamation: The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King; he it is who will save us. (Isaiah 33:22)
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.”
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. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Go 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.”