The return of the twelve
Published Jul 18, 2021 12:13 am
REFLECTIONS TODAY
Mk 6:30-34
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
FIRST READING • Jer 23:1-6
Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. Myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they shall increase and multiply. I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the Lord. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: “The Lord our justice.”
With a heart of a true Shepherd
During these difficult times, when killings and kidnappings are still rampant, when due process to secure justice moves on a turtle pace, and justice is even denied, we need godly leaders, true shepherds, to guide and protect the people. In the First Reading from Jeremiah, God condemns abusive and uncaring shepherds who scatter the sheep. The Lord himself will appoint shepherds who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and none shall be missing. The Lord then points to a descendant of King David who shall reign and govern wisely.
Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of this promise. He is “son of David,” being of the royal line of David through Joseph. The Gospel of John presents him as the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them (10:14). In today’s Gospel, he invites the Apostles to come away to a deserted place and rest for a while. They have just returned from their mission of preaching repentance, driving out demons, and curing the sick. The Apostles need to recover their strength and renew their intimacy with Jesus and with the heavenly Father.
Refreshed, they and Jesus face the busy days ahead. When they return, they see a vast crowd waiting for their Teacher. The people hasten to them by foot, bringing along the sick. Tired and hungry not just for food but also for the assurance of God’s care, the people are like sheep without a shepherd, and Jesus, who has the heart of a shepherd, is moved with pity for them. He teaches them “many things”: surely, about how the heavenly Father cares for them. After satisfying their mind and spirit, Jesus will also multiply loaves of bread to satisfy their physical hunger.
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
Mk 6:30-34
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
FIRST READING • Jer 23:1-6
Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. Myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they shall increase and multiply. I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the Lord. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: “The Lord our justice.”
With a heart of a true Shepherd
During these difficult times, when killings and kidnappings are still rampant, when due process to secure justice moves on a turtle pace, and justice is even denied, we need godly leaders, true shepherds, to guide and protect the people. In the First Reading from Jeremiah, God condemns abusive and uncaring shepherds who scatter the sheep. The Lord himself will appoint shepherds who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and none shall be missing. The Lord then points to a descendant of King David who shall reign and govern wisely.
Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of this promise. He is “son of David,” being of the royal line of David through Joseph. The Gospel of John presents him as the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them (10:14). In today’s Gospel, he invites the Apostles to come away to a deserted place and rest for a while. They have just returned from their mission of preaching repentance, driving out demons, and curing the sick. The Apostles need to recover their strength and renew their intimacy with Jesus and with the heavenly Father.
Refreshed, they and Jesus face the busy days ahead. When they return, they see a vast crowd waiting for their Teacher. The people hasten to them by foot, bringing along the sick. Tired and hungry not just for food but also for the assurance of God’s care, the people are like sheep without a shepherd, and Jesus, who has the heart of a shepherd, is moved with pity for them. He teaches them “many things”: surely, about how the heavenly Father cares for them. After satisfying their mind and spirit, Jesus will also multiply loaves of bread to satisfy their physical hunger.
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.