laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of
the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest. And he
called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over
unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of
disease and all manner of sickness.--Matt. 9:35-10:1.

The selection of the Twelve, their grouping by twos, and their employment
as independent messengers, was the most important organizing act of Jesus.
Out of it ultimately grew the Christian Church. Now note what motives led
to it. Jesus was relieving social misery. He was oppressed by the sense of
it. The Greek verbs are very inadequately rendered by "distressed and
scattered." The first means "skinned, harried"; the second means "flung
down, prostrate." The people were like a flock of sheep after the wolves
are through with them. There was dearth of true leaders. So Jesus took the
material he had and organized the apostolate--for what? The Church grew out
of the social feeling of Jesus for the sufferings of the common people.

To what extent, in your judgment, does the Church today share the feeling
of Jesus about the condition of the people and fulfil the purpose for
which he organized the apostolate? Or has the condition of the people
changed so that their social needs are less urgent?

Fourth Day: Jesus Took Sides

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are
ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that
hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now:
for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and
when they shall separate you from their company, and reproach you,
and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice
in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in
heaven; for in the same manner did their fathers unto the
prophets. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received
your consolation. Woe unto you, ye that are full now! for ye shall
hunger. Woe unto you, ye that laugh now for ye shall mourn and
weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for in
the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets.--Luke
6:20-26.

In these Beatitudes, as Luke reports them, Jesus clearly takes sides with
the lowly. He says God and the future are not on the side of the rich, the
satiated; the devotees of pleasure, the people w