Sunday 14 June 2026
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Exodus 19:2-6. We are his people: the sheep of his flock – Ps 99(100):2-3, 5. Romans 5:6-11. Matthew 9:36 – 10:8.
True pastoral care is patient guidance
In the Gospels, compassion is never abstract. When Jesus looks on the crowd, he sees people ‘harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd’. The image is pastoral, but the insight is deeply spiritual. If a sheep becomes isolated from the flock, it can display neurotic patterns of anxiety when distressed or disoriented. Without guidance, people wander through life without a sense of direction, purpose or peace. The shepherd’s staff offers a rich symbol for the Church. The crook gathers the sheep close, drawing the stray back into the fold, while the staff steadies the shepherd and protects the flock. It is no accident that a bishop carries a crosier, shaped like a shepherd’s crook, as a sign of his responsibility to guide and care for the people entrusted to him. True pastoral care is more than sympathy or protection, it is patient guidance. The Church’s mission follows Jesus’ example of accompanying restless hearts and gently leading them home.
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