SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
21 JULY 2024
In
ancient Israel, the image for leadership was that of a shepherd tending
sheep. David himself had been a shepherd
before being anointed as king. He knew
from his own experience the importance of being present to his flock. He led them to pastures and refreshing
water. He protected them from wolves and
thieves. Shepherds sometimes gave their
lives for their sheep.
In the
first reading, the prophet Jeremiah is very critical of the leaders of his
people. They had not been good
shepherds. They separated themselves
from the people entrusted to their care. They were so busy caring for their own needs
that they neglected the needs of their people.
They had not taught them about the Covenant and had not warned them of
the ways they had departed from the Covenant.
They had not cared for the vulnerable, poor and weak of their day. As a result, Jeremiah warns that the sheep
will be scattered. That is exactly what
happened when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and scattered God’s people in
exile. In the deserted places of their
exile, they would learn of the gentle care of God, the true shepherd. Jeremiah promises that God will raise up a
righteous shoot from the house of David.
That shepherd will reign and govern wisely. He will do what is just and right in the
land.
Saint Mark sees
this prophecy fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus has announced that he is the promised Messiah. He has traveled through Galilee proclaiming
that the Kingdom of God has arrived in him.
He has taught about that kingdom and worked miracles to show people the
truth. He has cured the sick and
wounded. He has healed the broken
hearted. He has called people to become disciples. He has sent twelve of them on mission to extend
his ministry.
Today, they
return from their mission and report all that had happened when they exercised
ministry in his name. They had been sent
out as fellow shepherds, and now they are exhausted. So, Jesus invites them to go to a deserted
place to rest for a while. God had taken
their ancestors into a deserted place for forty years after they had been freed
from slavery in Egypt. There, God tested
them and provided a place of solitude.
Jesus himself had spent forty days in a deserted place before beginning
his public ministry. In that deserted
place, solitude and rest helped him to come understand his Father’s will for
him. Unlike his ancestors, Jesus
resisted the temptations of the devil and remained faithful to his mission.
However,
when they reach the place that should have been deserted, they find a vast
crowd waiting for them. Despite his
exhaustion and desire to be alone with his apostles, Jesus has pity on the
people, because they are like sheep without a shepherd. In his heartfelt compassion, he teaches them
and cares for them instead of scattering them.
Behaving as
the Good Shepherd promised by the prophet Jeremiah, Jesus models for his
apostles and us what healthy Christian ministry looks like. The Lord has called all of us to be faithful
disciples. In whatever vocation he has
called us, we sent from this Mass to be good shepherds. By the way, your good shepherd has abandoned
you and is spending the weekend in Indianapolis. You are stuck with me! We who are priests and religious and lay
ministers need to be active in ministering to the needs of the people entrusted
to our care. The same is true for
husbands, wives, and parents. We must
allow our hearts to show compassion on those who need us. But we must also come off by ourselves to a
deserted place to root our activity in prayer.
Today,
Jesus feeds the sheep with his word.
Next Sunday, he will feed the assembled multitude with five loaves and
two fish. He does this for us at every Mass. He feeds us with his word, and then feeds us
with his Body and Blood in the Eucharist.
The Good Shepherd is with us and graces us with the courage to lead as
he leads us.
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