The lord is my shepherd
July 21, 2024, 16th Sunday in ordinary Time. Year B.
Jer. 23:1-6; Ps. 23: 1-6; Ephesians 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34.
Dear friends in Christ, on this 16th Sunday, we find comfort in the Word of the God who promised to bring security, justice, and to care for us even when our leaders, our parents, our friends will fail to do so.
“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David” (Jer 23:5).
A good king is compared to a good shepherd who protects and takes care of his flock. Unfortunately, like in today's first reading, in Israel there were many bad shepherds as we might have today in our times (1 Samuel 8). Henceforth, like some other prophets, Jeremiah condemns leaders who mislead and scatter God’s flock (Jer. 23:1). Yet, the Good news is filled with hope and assurance that Jeremiah brings is that God is the true Shepherd of his people. He will send them Jesus, “the Son of justice” and the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18) who will watch over them, feed them, protect them and even lay down his life for the sake of his sheep.
Following the guidance of Christ
In psalm 23, we read: “The Lord is my Shepherd. There is nothing, I shall want”. The people of Israel acknowledge themselves as the “people of God” and “his flock”. The reality is well described in Psalm 95 as reads:
“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” (Ps. 95:6-7).
This is important for us again today to see ourselves as the people who belong to God; the sheep of his flock. We need to accept Christ’s lead and guidance.
“He guides me in the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley; I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage”
(Ps. 23).
Christ is indeed with us as he promised till the end of the ages (Mt 28:20).
Unity at the heart of Christ’s leadership
Christ leads by sacrificing himself and promises to bring all people together. The whole of humanity is a beneficiary of such a promise because Christ has made us one by his sacrifice, breaking down barriers and granting us all access to the Father, ensuring peace among us as reported by St. Paul in today’s second reading (Ephesians 2:13-18). It is very important for us to understand that with Christ’s death and resurrection, the barriers of sin and death are broken; all obstacles to our attaining true eternal life, both of soul and body, were removed. The project of the Gospel is to remove all barriers to the construction of true love, friendship, peace, and forgiveness and reconciliation of healthy community life. “For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity”. (Ephesians 2:14).
That is the new covenant - calling all who believe in the love of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit to become Apostles of compassion.
We are apostles of compassion
Today’s Gospel invites us to share in the mission of Christ as The Good Shepherd. When he saw the crowd, exhausted, frail, and desperate and lost, he had compassion for them. This is an invitation for our Church and each and every one of us, to take care of the crowds of our time who are like sheep without shepherds. First, like Jesus himself, we need to regularly retreat silently in prayer in order to be fruitful in our ministries. Second, just as Jesus manifested the compassion of God towards the crowd, so shall we also emulate the compassion of Christ to other people by feeding them spiritually and physically. St. Mark is telling us this Sunday that Jesus the Good Shepherd is among us so that we may become good shepherds in our world today!
Happy 16th Sunday!
Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO sac
Living Out the Gospel this Week:
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have
been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13)
With this statement, St. Paul notes that everything has changed with Jesus. Believers and unbelievers, Jewish and gentiles who have been “been far off” have now been “brought near” by the pure grace of God. Thanks to the blood of Christ!
Pray that the Holy Spirit may help you break all barriers against love, unity, family and community!
Prayer: St. Francis of Assisi: Make me an instrument of your peace
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Have a blessed new week to you!
Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO sac