The Lord is our ideal Shepherd

: Jer. 23:1-6, Eph. 2:13-18, Mk 6:30-34. On this Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, the Church invites us to imitate the leadership qualities of Christ. In many areas of life there is a crisis of authority. The simple fact of holding a leadership position no longer ensures loyalty and unquestioning obedience. The ideal leader is one who can win respect and generate trust, one with a clear sense of responsibility, who can get things done while respecting people’s dignity and feelings. In today’s reading, shepherds are people of integrity who care for others; people who help us follow the right path and show compassion toward others in their weakness. The shepherds condemned by Jeremiah were the leaders who neglected their responsibilities and let abuses thrive. The message of today’s first reading might be to political figures, ministers and government officials at all levels, who have the task of keeping public order, defending the rights of citizens and promoting fairness for all, insofar as possible.

The shepherd image in today’s Gospel suggests that authority is not mainly the power to impose rules. The shepherding role is one of service more than dominion. Its goal is to set a good direction and enable a community to live together in peace, where each individual has dignity and an equal chance of personal fulfilment. If the first part of the Gospel proclaims that value of coming away from our everyday cares, in order to be present to the Lord, the second part proclaims another value. The lonely place suddenly became a crowded place, even before Jesus and His disciples had reached the place. Jesus and His disciples stepped out of the boat not into quietness and peace but into human need and demand. The silence can be an opportunity to share with the Lord what has been going on in our lives, just as the disciples shared with Jesus all they had been doing and teaching. We can have that desert moment by being alone with God. We need to come away to some lonely place by ourselves and rest for a while so that as to allow the Lord to be in a deeper communion with us. Jesus had the habit of spending time alone with God; it was those times of presence to God in prayer that enabled Him to be present to others, no matter who they were or how they turned up. Our coming away to be with the Lord will help us to be present to those who come into our lives. Our contemplative moments, our desert times, help us to be contemplative, attentive, in our way of relating to those who cross our path in life.

May the Lord strengthen us in our resolve to do His will and take care of us when nobody cares about us! Amen!! Good morning and happy Sunday!!!