Deacon Tom Anthony

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 107

Reading 1 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.
I 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."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading 2 Eph 2:13-18

Brothers and sisters:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he who made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Alleluia Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 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.

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

Jesus Christ is the True Shepherd of the Flock, meaning that He is the one calling to the entire universe and inviting all to come to the Father through Him. There is pure love in His voice and He longs for everyone to respond to His call. Some have heard it and have begun their journey of truth and enlightenment through Him. Others hear His voice but choose to ignore it, preoccupied with their own thoughts and desires. Still others are still lost and hear nothing. Just as we are unique, so is our journey of faith to Jesus. It is impossible to compare one journey to another. Each of us will encounter a different experience through Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him will reflect that. Because of this, we cannot judge those around us because of how they react to the presence of Jesus Christ in their lives. Instead, we are encouraged to share, help, console, and celebrate together while we all go forward to the same destination: eternal life with God the Father.

When we start following Jesus we ourselves become shepherds and are possessors of a great responsibility. The knowledge that we have received through Divine Revelation and the Deposit of Faith must be shared with everyone that we interact with. This does not mean that we have to actively preach the Gospels and attempt to convert all those we come in contact with, but rather we must let what has been given to us freely and what we have received readily do its work within us. When we do this, our whole lives will change. Our conduct will change. The way we treat other people will change. Other people will be witness to this transformation and react to it. Those who find themselves seeking will be naturally attracted it us while those who reject the Living Word will also reject us. Those who embrace Jesus will all go forward together while those who do not will eventually be scattered.

There will be challenges on the way but these can be faced with joy and a knowledge that God is on our side. The only fears and anxieties that will be present are those that are put there by our own pride and by Satan who is like a wolf stalking us in the forest along the road. The way to eliminate these is through prayer and a more committed relationship with Jesus. Yes, prayers do work. All are answered through the infinite wisdom of God that our own wisdom can never compare to.

God sends us a message through the Prophet Jeremiah. We do indeed have a responsibility to those around us who just might not know and understand their faith as deeply as we do. There will always be those who know more and those who know less. We are responsible for each other. Everyone is just as important as us and no one is another person’s master. We are all slaves to Jesus and must act accordingly. When one is to lead he or she must also follow. This is done through all of our actions, thoughts, and deeds. If we are to truly follow Jesus Christ then we need to insure that we do it correctly. Just as we follow the example of others, there will be those who follow us.

In the Gospel Reading today, Jesus and His apostles were tired and hungry. They needed time for them to relax and rest. Yet, these plans changed as Jesus witnessed the crowds still coming to listen to Him. He has pity for them and was moved, so He began to teach them. At times, we may feel tired and in need of rest. It is human to feel that way. As shepherds, we should choose the times when we are to withdraw. There are others who rely on us because of the Light of Christ within us. Our own needs and wants should always be weighed in comparison to the needs and wants of others. As Christians, the needs and wants of others have become our own and our community’s. This may seem unfair at times but it is truly the Christian Way and the key to a joyful life with Jesus.

Everything is better with Jesus Christ. Every joyful moment becomes more joyful while the struggles and challenges also turn into joy. There is joy in everything. Leading and following is the same thing when it comes to Jesus. When we do these things consistently then there will always be joy. When we follow Jesus as our personal shepherd, we then become shepherds to all those around us and behind us; all going forward to Jesus Christ.

Deacon Tom