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Our Sunday Reflection - July 21, 2024
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"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want."
Psalm 23
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Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day
Today we hear Jesus invite his disciples, who have just returned from their mission, to travel with him to a deserted place to rest a while. Sounds like the perfect thing for us to do at this time of year! Even Jesus realized the need to rest and recharge. But then Jesus sees the crowds that sought him out, so he changes his plans and begins to teach them, for they were “sheep without a shepherd.” May it comfort us to know that Jesus always has time for us. We need never feel lost or forsaken.Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
Most of today’s selections from scripture speak of sheep and shep herds. Jeremiah denounces the shepherds of Israel, who have driven the faithful away. He prophesies that the LORD will raise up a succes sor to David who will shepherd wisely and justly. We believe that this prophecy points to none other than Jesus, who takes on that role in today’s Gospel. So may we sing in our responsorial psalm, ”The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”Reflections
- Jesus is not like the shepherds whom Jeremiah decries in the first reading, misleading and scattering God’s flock. Just the opposite. Even when he has other plans, he will not turn his back on the people who flock to him. No, he brings them together to teach them “many things” (Mark 6:34), no doubt about God and love and justice and God’s kingdom and repentance and other things besides. Paul too points out that Jesus brings all people together, in that he broke down the wall between Jews and Gentiles and united them in one body. Jesus is the one foreseen by Jeremiah, who proclaimed a “righteous shoot to David” (23:5) who would reunite Judah and Israel, which had split and would soon fall to Babylon.
- If you recall, the apostles were returning from their mission from last week, where they were paired off and sent out with virtually nothing but authority over unclean spirits. By taking them to a quiet place, Jesus was giving them all an opportunity to reflect and pray. This is what he calls us to do as well after we have completed a task on our own mission. He encourages us to take some time with him—as we do in prayer—to reflect on what we have done and what he calls us to do.
- We are called to be disciples, certainly, but we can also put ourselves in the shoes of the people who had heard about Jesus and pursued him across the sea. It is likely that many of them were eager to see him heal the sick or drive out demons, but Mark says that Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach. As we will hear next week (from John’s Gospel), Jesus taught for so long that day that eventually he faced a multitude of hungry people. But this implies that the people stayed, not to see him work miracles (at least not the ones they expected), but just to learn. May we be willing to take the time to learn from him as well.
Question of the Week
How can I put aside a half hour a week to reflect on how I am living as a disciple and pray for God’s assistance? Can I face the Lord honestly with my shortcomings and failures?
-from Pastoral Patterns
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readings of the mass
LISTEN HERE to the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, July 21, 2024
SELECT HERE for the Readings of Sunday, July 21, 2024
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Offerings
The Sunday offerings are a portion of our blessings that we give to God (Church) in gratitude to what God has done for us...ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS -
Reflections on the readings
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