Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B) (2024)

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B)

Jul 21, 2024 638 6 0

Listen Read

First Reading

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 shepherds 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 given him: "The Lord our justice."

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

(R) 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)

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)

You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. (R)

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)

Second Reading

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.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

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.

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

Jesus had sent his twelve closest disciples as apostles with power on a short-term mission trip; to preach repentance, heal the sick, and cast out demons. After an unspecified time, they returned and eagerly reported back to Jesus everything that had happened. Although Mark provides no further details, we can assume that it could not have been an easy task for the apostles. First of all, they were not scholars or rabbis. They had no extraordinary skills. They were ordinary people, like you and me. They were uneducated fishermen, craftsmen, and tax-collectors. Secondly, they were forbidden to take any sort of provision for their journey. Rather, they were to depend on the provision of God and Christ-given power. Under these circ*mstances, they could have certainly faced many pressures and challenges. Using the special power given by Jesus, they could have healed the sick and worked wonders and miracles and, at the same time, they could have also faced ridicule and rejection just as Jesus did. Regardless of their experiences, they were real, valuable, and important for the apostles.

Now, you can imagine as they were sharing their experiences with Jesus, people were constantly milling about and seeking Jesus' help and that of the apostles, so much so that they had no time to attend to their own physical needs, not even to spare a few minutes to eat. Sensing he and his apostles needed a break and rest, Jesus told them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while," Mark (6:31). From his personal experience, Jesus knew the value and importance of taking time away from the people and the pressures that surrounded him. Throughout the Gospels we read instances of him going off himself to some quiet place to rest and to pray. For instance, Jesus was alone in the desert for forty days to prepare for his public ministry, Luke (4:1-15). After the beheading and death of his cousin John the Baptist, he withdrew to be alone, Matthew (14:13). He spent the whole night alone in prayer before choosing his twelve disciples, Luke (6:12-13). Sometimes he went off to a quiet place very early in the morning while it was still dark, Mark (1:35). After feeding a crowd, he went up on a mountain by himself to pray, Mark (6:46). Hours before his arrest he went off alone to the Mount of Olives, Luke (22:39-44). Thus, we can see that during his earthly ministry Jesus used solitude, silence and prayer to foster intimacy with His Father, to make important decisions, to deal with troubling emotions like grief, to face time of distress, to cope with the demands of his ministry, to care for his soul and even to prepare for his death on the cross. And this time he invited his apostles to go along with him to a quiet place.

God cared for the Israelites in the wilderness, and He always met their needs. Jesus also cared for those around him and met their physical and emotional needs with compassion, but more importantly their spiritual needs, the needs of their hearts. Once he noticed the needs, he always dealt with them immediately. For instance, when he recognized Zacchaeus' desire to see him and build a personal relationship with him, he chose to spend time in his home and meet his emotional and spiritual needs. In the same way, when he recognized that his apostles were in need of rest for their bodies, minds, and souls he took them across the sea so that they could be alone and get some rest. However, this invitation did not materialize.

Mark writes that the people saw where Jesus and the apostles were going and hurried there on foot, even arriving before them. Because they too had their own needs: perhaps a cure from some illness, or deliverance from evil forces, or freedom from worries, anxieties, or fears or hunger for God's word. When Jesus saw the crowds, he didn't turn the boat around and look for another place. Instead, he forewent or delayed their time of rest to meet the people's immediate needs. Mark writes, "He took pity on the people because they were like sheep without a shepherd and he began to teach them many things," (6:34). We do not know what exactly Jesus said to the crowd that day but it demonstrates Jesus' selflessness and dedication to the central aspect of his ministry, that is, preaching God's Word. He and his apostles were tired but when he realized that the people were "like sheep without a shepherd"; that is, people who are spiritually lost and in danger and asking for directions and with no one to care for them, he imparted knowledge and wisdom to them so that by following his teaching they may have life that is meaningful, purposeful, joyful, and eternal.

What is the message for us?

• Just as he did during His earthly ministry, our Lord Jesus cares for us and meets all of our needs including all types of rest: physical rest, mental rest, emotional rest and spiritual rest, that we lack in our life. Whether we are like the apostles spreading the gospel and doing the work of the Lord, or like the sheep without a shepherd wandering about and living through life aimlessly, Jesus invites us to withdraw from others and daily life activities and go to a deserted place, or at least a relatively quiet and solitary place, and share our hopes, dreams, fears, anxieties, worries, concerns and needs with God. He wants us to join him in solitude, silence and prayer so that we may rest a while in God's presence and be truly at peace with ourselves and others.
• Remember, Jesus cares for our whole being and he reaches out to us with love, compassion and healing power. He does not restrict his salvation to our bodies or minds or spirits. So, regardless of our experiences of the positive emotions such as happiness, love, joy, and excitement and the negative emotions, such as sadness, anger, loneliness, anxiety, rejection, guilt, and regret, let us go to a quiet place to be alone with God, to let him hold us closely and to rest in His love, and come away more refreshed and with grace-filled awareness and peace.
• When it comes to choosing a place to have a quiet time or to be alone with God it would be better if we go to the same place. Going to the same place regularly has been a common practice of those who have been close to God over the ages and who have known Him most intimately. For instance, besides Jesus, Abraham, our father in faith, had a regular place where he met with God, Genesis (17:1-2; 18:1). Moses had several encounters and conversations with God on Mount Sinai, Exodus (3:1-12; 19; 24; 32; 34). For centuries Christian hermits and monks have lived alone in the desert and spent their days in silence. So, let us set aside a specific time and place where we can be alone with God daily and build a close, intimate, strong and meaningful relationship with Him. The place should be quiet, comfortable and as free from distraction as possible. There should be no interruptions from television, telephone, family member interactions or traffic noises, in other words, silence. It should be a place where we can even pray aloud, if necessary, without distractions. When we are alone with God it is also good to have a Bible or Faith Books with us so if and when necessary, we can read and ponder God's Word and its meaning, and open our hearts and our hands to the Lord. In doing so, we will not only gain renewal of physical strength, we also enjoy spiritual refuelling and refreshment.
• Churches can be good places to go even if the person is not a believer. When we speak of churches, a church can mean different things to different people. For some, it is just an assembly of people worshipping God and sharing like-minded thoughts or scriptures. For some others, it is a building used for religious ceremonies, rituals and prayers. But for many it is a sacred place to meet with God. For us Catholics a church is a combination of all these. We use our churches for religious worship and ceremonies, for fellowship and sharing of Scriptures, as well as for prayer and encounter with God. So, let us also make use of our local churches or churches around our work places, for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual rest. Let us develop the spiritual discipline of visiting and spending regular quiet time at the same place at least once and for a few minutes each day. If it is not possible, let us then make a commitment to attend Sunday Mass and make good use of the "one hour" at the church. Mass offers a unique opportunity to meet with God that is not available at any other place. We could also arrive early for Mass and stay for a while after Mass as well so as to spend some time in silent prayer and prepare our hearts for worship, express our gratitude and carry our experience of God back into our daily lives.

Regardless of the place we choose to meet with God, we must make it a special place for God and us. As the days pass, that place will be the most private, the most personal, the most intimate, the most wonderful, and the closest to our hearts. It will certainly become a sacred place, because it's where we meet the living God. Like Jesus, let us make time to go to a quiet and comfortable place close to us, and start spending time with God so as to know and learn from Him personally, to draw strength and consolation, and to find rest for our minds, bodies and souls.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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