16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me. JN 10:27

JEREMIAH 23:1-6

My Soul's Beloved,

There will always be wolves and wolves dressed in sheep's clothing in the Church and among her consecrated and anointed priests and religious - it has always been so from the beginning. The Twelve were imperfect men - one betrayed You, one denied You not once but thrice, they slept instead of keeping watch with You and praying on the night of Your agony, and they fled when You needed them most. So let us not be surprised when we find those in leadership positions in the Church who have systematically, callously, and shamelessly abused their authority, and the trust placed in them.

While nothing is more heartbreaking when God's littlest ones are robbed of their innocence and unspeakably violated we are also aware that we live in a world that is fallen and broken by original sin. The first sin of our parents has made us all weak and susceptible to the snares and wiles of the Enemy. But that does not mean that we are not also redeemed by Your Blood. The innocent Victim sacrificed on the Wood of the Cross and who bled and died so we may live.

While the wicked shepherds will be punished Your sheep will be protected, nourished, and safe for You are the Good Shepherd. 

Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds – it is the Lord who speaks! But the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them, and will bring them back to their pastures: they shall be fruitful and increase in numbers. I will raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them; no fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost – it is the Lord who speaks!

PSALM 22(23)

The Lord is my shepherd;

  there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

  where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

  to revive my drooping spirit.

THe guides me along the right path;

  he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

  no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

  with these you give me comfort.

You have prepared a banquet for me

  in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

  my cup is overflowing.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

  all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

  for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

EPHESIANS 2:13-18

Without humility, we will never be able to admit that we are wrong. Pride makes us willful, stubborn, hard-hearted, and blind. Pride makes us deaf and withered in spirit. The Holy Spirit will work in those who believe sincerely that they love You but when we even one foot departs from the Way we are quickly led down the path of error and away from the fullness of Truth and Life.

Humility is the ability to admit that one is wrong and submit in obedience to the Truth no matter how difficult it may be for us to understand and how unpalatable to admit that we were in error. 

It is glorious O Lord, Jesus Christ, to see so many souls rejoicing that they finally were able to admit their prejudices, their false way of thinking, and to exult in the knowledge of coming home to the Church You founded. All division comes from the devil the many many churches that keep fragmenting ad infinium ad nauseam are a delight to the evil spirits and they actively promote, aid, and encourage disunity. 

Your Word today is crystal clear - You have broken down the barriers between God and human beings and have made us One in Your Body, the Church. God wills that we all be one. This was Your prayer to Your Father on the night You were betrayed and it is a prayer that is answered for God always hears and answers You. While we wait for the fulfillment of unity O Lord, we too must pray and work that ultimately there will be but one flock and one Shepherd. 

In Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. 

This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single Body and reconcile them with God: in his own person he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.

MARK  6:30-34

My Soul's Beloved,

You got tired, You were weary and sapped of all energy and when You did, You went away either by Yourself or with Your disciples, away from the crowd to be quiet, to recollect, and rest. You spent whole nights in prayer and when You returned You were refreshed, renewed, and recharged to take up Your mission anew.

Crowds came in droves and their needs were insatiable. They clamored to touch You, to be healed by You, to hear You preach and teach, and to be filled with hope for they were under the yoke of the Romans. They dreamed of a new dawn when they would be free from slavery to Rome. 

On one such occasion You said to Your apostles, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while.’

Our priests and religious must also feel wearied often. They must feel the constant demands of their flock pressing on them and they must feel inadequate and ill-equipped sometimes to take care of all their needs. In addition, they face personal difficulties - perhaps health issues, age-related issues, lack of funds, or help, they struggle with loneliness and with dealing with all their problems alone and being completely overwhelmed. And yet they are called to keep giving from their meager resources. Beloved, let us pray for our priests, bishops, our Holy Father, and all religious who work tirelessly for Your Kingdom.

The Church cares for us more tenderly than any earthly mother ever could. You are the Head of the Church You founded and we are the members of Your mystical body. We receive all from You and we are commanded to share what we have received with the whole world. Give the shepherds in the Church a heart and a spirit like Your own so she may reach out to the whole world with the same pity and compassion You had on the crowds that came to You and may she minister to all trusting in Your providence to satisfy their needs.

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.