Mass
Readings: Jer
23:1-6 Ps 23 Eph 2:13-18
Mk 6:30-34
Key
Verse to Meditate:
“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while" (Mk 6:31).
Dear
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
The liturgy of the Word of God on this
sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time invites us to see how God has realized His
promises concretely in Jesus of Nazareth, the good shepherd. The first reading
from the Prophet Jeremiah uses the imagery of the shepherd to condemn the
leaders of Judah for their failure to look after the sheep. Today's passage
from Jeremiah deals largely with a promise of restoration after the exile,
where God Himself will shepherd His people. The second reading from the letter
to the Ephesians presents Christ as our peace. The alienation that existed
between the Jews and the Gentiles has been broken by the precious blood of
Jesus on the cross. Therefore, having been saved, all people are now brought
closer to Christ and reconciled to God in Christ.
The First Reading
Today’s first reading from the book
of the Prophet Jeremiah brings to the forefront the theme of the good shepherd.
It generally presents the condemnation of the "shepherds," namely,
its political leaders (see Jer 22:22). We know very well that the
sheep-shepherd image is very common in the Old Testament (Ezek 34; Ps 23; Pss
95:7; 100:3; Is 40:10-11). The book of the Prophet Jeremiah is the second
largest book with 1,364 verses and is second only to the Psalms. Since the book
is permeated with sadness, heartache, and sobs over Judah’s rebellion, he is
called the "weeping prophet." His name means “may Yahweh raise up” or
“Yahweh has founded.” In this book, the personal life and struggles of Jeremiah
as a prophet are revealed in greater depth and detail than any other Old
Testament prophet. His life spanned one of the longest prophetic ministries in
Judah under Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah (627-587 BCE). He participated in
the most traumatic events in Israel’s history: the fall and destruction of
Jerusalem. He lived to see the first two deportations: the first in 597 (2 Kgs
24:10-16) and the second in 587 (2 Kgs 25), though he himself was not deported
to Babylon but was exiled to Egypt.
It is in this situation that,
through today’s first reading, Jeremiah gives the message of faith, hope, and
love and speaks of the restoration after the exile. The first reading also
shows us that God watches over His people through the prophets and men who have
been sent for this purpose. But the political leaders at times were not
God-centered and did not care for the flock as Yahweh did. Therefore, Yahweh
promises to punish the shepherds who were selfish and who had inflicted pain on
the flock: "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my
pasture! says the LORD" (Jer 23:1-2). The Lord scolded and blamed the
false prophets and shepherds of Israel, stating that they scattered the flock
of Israel by their selfishness and their lack of adherence to the Law.
I Will be their Shepherd: Yahweh also promises
that He Himself would gather the lost sheep of Israel: "It is you who have
scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to
them. So, I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. Then I
myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have
driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be
fruitful and multiply" (Jer 23:2-3). God also promised a good shepherd
through the mouth of the prophet, that Jesus would be the good shepherd who
would lay down His life for the sheep and save them (Jer 23:5-6). Even in
Ezekiel 34, we find that the Lord, after rebuking the false shepherds of
Israel, promises to reclaim God’s flock as their true shepherd. "I will
feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord God. "I
will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen
the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy (Ezek 34:15-16). In
Isaiah, the Messiah is also depicted as the shepherd of God’s people: Like a
shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs
(Is 40:11).
The ‘woe speech,’ which opens the
pericope, contains a judgment oracle against the shepherds/leaders. But
consequently, it becomes a deliverance oracle for the people. Under the
guidance of new shepherds, the flock will no longer have anything to fear; not
even one of the flocks will be missing. God takes the initiative to act
directly and will gather the scattered sheep. He will gather and bring back His
flock to their home. So, there is hope for the future. Hence, under the
guidance of new shepherds, the flock will no longer have anything to fear; not
even one of the flocks will be missing.
The Second Reading
In today's second reading, St. Paul
presents Christ as our peace (Eph 2:14; see Is 9:6). Speaking elaborately on
the relationship between Jews and Gentiles (Eph 2:14-18), St. Paul insists that
these two groups are made one in Christ by His sacrificial death on the cross.
He says that Christ can give us peace (Eph 2:15) and that He proclaims peace
(Eph 2:17).
Rather than merely instilling in
the Gentiles the ideas of peace that existed in the Greco-Roman world in which
they lived, St. Paul emphasizes a much deeper understanding of peace. Peace is
not only a condition of non-war or the mere absence of conflict, as implied in
Eph 2:11-13 (Eph 6:15). For those who have come closer to God, peace refers to
both physical and spiritual well-being. Peace also signifies coming closer to
salvation.
Out of ignorance, the Jews and the
Gentiles were alienated from one another and from God. Hence, for those who
were alienated from Christ due to ignorance, peace is the end of alienation.
Paul also refers to peace as salvation, which is God’s gift. Paul proclaims
that due to the sacrifice of His blood on the cross, Christ became our
salvation and therefore He is our peace (see Is 57:19). St. Paul, who preaches
the Gospel of peace (Eph 6:15), ends his letter by wishing peace to the
brothers and sisters of his church (Eph 6:23).
The Gospel Reading
The Gospel of this sixteenth Sunday
in Ordinary Time tells us about the return of the apostles after their
missionary expedition. In the Gospel reading of the fifteenth Sunday, we saw
how Jesus summoned the twelve apostles, sending them out in pairs and giving
them authority over unclean spirits (Mk 6:7). As a continuation, the Gospel reading
this sixteenth Sunday presents, for our meditation, the pericope of the return
of the missionary apostles and the report of their ministry. This passage of
the Gospel (Mk 6:30-43) in fact forms an introduction to the miracle of feeding
the five thousand, about which we will hear from the Gospel of John next
Sunday.
In last week's Sunday Gospel
reading, we noted that the evangelist Mark did not use the word ‘disciple’ or
‘apostle’ but only the third-person plural form ‘them.’ However, when they
return after the mission, Mark refers to them as ‘apostles,’ which means ‘the
ones who are sent.’ In Mark 3:14, in the passage on the appointment of the
twelve, the evangelist Mark writes, "Jesus appointed the twelve, whom he
also named apostles."
The Origin of Retreats: Resting
with Jesus
The apostles report to the Lord
about the work they carried out (Mk 6:30). They must have taught the people and
transmitted the faith in the Lord. However, we don’t find Jesus immediately
appreciating their work or expressing an evaluative judgment on their efforts.
Instead, with care and concern, He simply says something very important:
"Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while"
(Mk 6:31). This phrase marks the beginning of all spiritual retreats. We need
to be alone with Jesus in the deserted place, praying and learning the art of
resting in the Lord. Going to a deserted place marks Jesus’ withdrawal from
public activity and notice (Mk 1:35).
The apostles were tired, and Jesus was concerned about their physical and spiritual well-being. So, what Jesus offered them was not just physical rest but spiritual rest, rest for their souls. This was His regular activity of rest, which Jesus practiced with His heavenly Father, seeking solitude (Mk 1:35; 6:46; 14:32-41; Lk 5:16; 6:12). Now Jesus invited His disciples to do the same. Jesus, the good shepherd, led the apostles to rest after their mission. I need to respect the sacred space between me and my God. Going to a deserted place sets the scene for the next miracle of feeding the five thousand (Mk 6:35-44).
People Seek Jesus
When they sought solitude to eat,
refresh, and rest a while, the people, like sheep without a shepherd, sought
out Jesus. The disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee in a boat and reached the
other side of the lake where they wanted to be by themselves. But they did not
get the rest that Jesus prescribed for them, because we read in Mark 6:33 that
many people "saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on
foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them." Something similar
happens also in a second pericope after the episode of Jesus walking on the
water (Mark 6:45-52). Here too, once again after crossing the sea, when they
reached land at Gennesaret, the people recognized Jesus "at once,"
and they "rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on
mats to wherever they heard he was" (Mark 6:54-55). The urgency of the
gospel and of the people’s need kept Jesus and his disciples ever ready,
forgoing even their leisure time.
Jesus’ Compassion for the People
The Gospel tells us that the people
who were eagerly waiting for Jesus and His disciples to arrive were like sheep
without a shepherd: "But when Jesus saw the crowd on the other side of the
lake, He felt compassion for them and began to teach them. When He went ashore,
He saw a great multitude, and He felt compassion for them because they were
like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things" (Mk
6:34). People hungered for the word of God with which Jesus fed them (Lk 5:1).
One of the important duties of the shepherds of Israel was to feed the people
with the true knowledge of God and the right understanding of the Law (Jer
3:15). Jesus, by teaching people many things, shows himself as the divine
shepherd, teaching and guiding them. In gathering God’s scattered people in and
around him, Jesus establishes himself as the true shepherd of the Kingdom of
God.
Jesus was never tired of being a
shepherd to the sick and the needy. This kind act of Jesus, as revealed in the
first reading of today, points to the fact that both in the Old Testament and
later Jewish literature, both God and human leaders are pictured as shepherds
who should lead and care for their flock. In fact, King David in the Old
Testament was a shepherd boy when the Lord called him. He was called by God to shepherd
Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance, with the integrity of His heart
(Ps 78:71-72). The Old Testament often pictured
God as the Shepherd of his people Israel (Ps 80:1).
The little flock of Galilee felt
awkward and helpless as they were sidelined by the religious authorities based
on their strict adherence to the Law. But in Jesus, they found a good shepherd,
a Messiah, who teaches, heals, and guides. They felt that Jesus cared about
them and their pains. Though they had no time to rest from a hectic ministry,
Jesus immediately attended to their needs and preached the good news of the
kingdom of God. Jesus brought indispensable salvation to all: children, women,
the neglected, sinners, and the sick, to all those who turned to him
confidently in their physical, social, or spiritual disgrace.
Sheep without a shepherd
The phrase “sheep without a
shepherd,” which has a connotation to Moses’ words in Numbers 27:17, stands as
a proverbial metaphor for people lacking spiritual and political leaders, as is
the case in the first reading of today (Num 27:17; 1Kgs 22:17; 2 Chr 18:16;
Jdt 11:19; Ezek 34:8; Zech 10:2). In Numbers 27:17, it is Moses’ prayer for a
good shepherd for which the Lord told him to take Joshua, a man in whom is the
spirit: "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man
over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will
lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be
like sheep which have no shepherd" (Num 27:16-17). Sheep without a
shepherd would be dispersed and ruined. The image of the good shepherd tells us
that God cares for us, just as the good shepherd cares for his sheep.
The Lord is my Shepherd
Psalm 23 in today’s liturgy also
stresses that the good shepherd, Jesus, would lead us to find water, pasture,
and abundant life: "He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me
beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his
name's sake" (Ps 23:2-3). In the second reading, St. Paul writes to the
Ephesians that Jesus Christ is our peace because he has bridged the gap between
the chosen people and the Gentiles by shedding his precious blood: "For he
is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down
the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us" (Eph 2:14). Thus,
Jesus becomes the real shepherd, the promised Messiah, who has gathered the
scattered sheep of Israel and has brought us peace, reconciling us to God.
Points for Personal Reflection
The disciples were very busy, just
like Jesus. Even our lives are filled with many activities related to vocation,
family, work, relationships, pastoral ministry, and personal matters. But Jesus
taught His twelve chosen men a lesson for life: to rest in God from time to
time despite our busy schedules. I am very inspired by Jesus’ example of
finding quiet time with God. It is these moments of quietness that help us grow
in knowing God and ourselves. Am I convinced that, just as I need
physical rest, I also need spiritual rest?
Do I take time to be alone with God
and in prayer? Do I realize that the only thing needed is to sit at the feet of
Jesus and listen to Him (Lk 10:42)? Do I follow the good shepherd, Jesus? As
one in charge of the flock, do I care about their physical, social, and
spiritual well-being? How much of the good example of the good shepherd becomes
part of my life? Meditating on Psalm 23, Have I recognised Jesus as the good
shepherd of my life?
