Today, we hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us through the prophets, the apostle Paul, and through his very own voice in the Gospel of Mark. And what a powerful message it is! A message that speaks to us about what it means to be a good shepherd, a true pastor of souls.
In the first reading from Jeremiah, we hear God's complaint against the shepherds who mislead and scatter his flock. The Lord accuses them of not caring for his people, of not feeding them, of abandoning them. But God promises that he will take care of his people, and he will gather them back to their rightful place. And he will appoint new shepherds who will care for them and lead them to safety.
This reading reminds us that as pastors, we are called to be good shepherds, just like Jesus. We are called to care for our people, to feed them spiritually, to guide them on their journey of faith and so this obviously entails preaching sound doctrine and safeguarding the truth that God has made known to us. We call it “Divine Revelation”. The shepherd is called to be humble and selfless, putting the needs of others before his own, just as Jesus himself came into the world to serve, and not to be served—laying down his life as a ransom for many.
A shepherd also gathers his flock into a single unity. We are strong when we journey together. In the second reading from Ephesians, we hear about how Christ has broken down the dividing wall of enmity between Jews and Gentiles.
He has created one new person in himself, and has reconciled us all to God through his death on the cross. This reading reminds us that as pastors, we are called to be agents of reconciliation, so that like our Lord, we too will bring people together in unity and harmony. This is a beautiful aspect of our Catholic Mass. Everywhere you go in the world, if it is a true Catholic church and you are attending a valid Mass, you will always, without fail, receive the splendour of the sacraments and in particular at Holy Mass, the precious Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a unity of doctrine and faith, and the one hope to which we were called – eternity with our loving God and all the angels and saints.
And finally, in the Gospel reading from Mark, we see Jesus calling his disciples together to rest and recharge. He sees the vast crowd that has gathered around him, and his heart is moved with pity for them because they are like sheep without a shepherd. And so he begins to teach them many things, starting off with what perhaps is one of the most fundamental lessons of all – spending down time with Jesus. Resting in the Lord. Resting with the Lord. If you are a fellow religious and priest, you will know immediately how important this is. But to all of us, I say this: make sure you are well rested. You will need your energy. But try to rest in the Lord. A lot of people end up needing a vacation after their vacation. There’s a huge difference between a holiday and slacking when it comes to your relationship with God, and getting away to spend some quiet, restful moments with him. The latter gives you life. The former sucks it out of you. So, let us be wise and strategize.
This reading reminds us that like our Lord, we are called to have compassion for those around us, to see their needs and respond with kindness and mercy. The ideal priest will excel in his service to others. It is an ideal that all of us priests, I am sure, tend towards. We see the glowing heart of our Saviour, and know how much he wishes us to imitate him in his generosity. Pray for your priests and religious. And by religious, we also include all the female congregations out there, all the consecrated sisters who continually live this spirit of service, and who also need to rest well with the Lord and get their energy from him. Keep them also in your daily prayers, as they keep us in their prayers.
As we reflect on these readings today, if you are a priest or religious like myself, or if we have a vocation which involves looking after others as God would wish from us and bringing others closer to him, let us ask ourselves: Am I a good shepherd? Am I caring for my people? Am I leading them closer to God? Or am I more concerned with my own interests than with the needs of those around me?
Let us continue to extend our gaze outwards towards the other, just as Jesus was so invested in the good of all his followers and even those who were not yet understanding who he was, and what he was doing and saying. Our Lord continued to be patient with people such as these, and hoped that one day they would arrive at a state of mind and soul in their lives, where embracing God’s ways, everything else around them would become so much more beautiful, meaningful, productive, bearing much fruit for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Our Lady, Mother of the Church, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen.
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