Sunday 21 July 2024
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 23:1-6. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want – Psalm 22(23). Ephesians 2:13-18. Mark 6:30-34.
God has come to gather his people
How terrible it is, as a leader of any kind, to read today’s first reading. To examine one’s self and ask whether you have used your power to protect those you are responsible for. As a teacher, parent, employer or manager etc, we can be seared by this examination. Of course, it speaks most directly to our bishops. Certainly, there have been plenty who have ‘not taken care of them’, and God’s flock has both suffered and scattered. It is comforting however to live in the knowledge that in Jesus, true shepherd and king, God has come to gather his people. He has taken pity on us, broken down the barrier between Jew and Gentile and taught us by word and example. While we wait for his return, may he have mercy on all of us who share in his authority, and also grant that we may share in his integrity.
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