Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catechism Links [1]
CCC 2302-2306: Christ our peace
CCC 2437-2442: Witnesses and workers for peace and justice

“Sermon on the Mount” (Detail)
by Cosimo Rosselli, 1481-82

Readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary:[4]
 
Reading 1: Jeremiah 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."
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Commentary on Jer 23:1-6
 
This passage is part of the “Booklet on Kings.” In it, the prophet first chastises the leaders that led the people falsely which resulted in the exile they are enduring. He then exhorts the leaders of those exiled to rule with justice, with special attention to the poor. The last two verses of this passage were probably written during the exile, while looking forward to the return to the land. We see in this passage the Prophet Jeremiah predicting the coming of the Messiah who will rule with justice for all time.
 
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Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 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.
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Commentary on Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
 
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar songs in the entire psalter. “God's loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Psalm 23:1-4) and a host's generosity toward a guest (Psalm 23:5-6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Isaiah 40:11; 49:10; Jeremiah 31:10).” [5] While the theme of shepherd is mentioned in the first strophe, the psalm really speaks to the peace given to those who follow the Lord and place their trust in him, even into the “dark valley.”
 
The reference in the third strophe above: “'You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes' occurs in an exodus context in Psalm 78:19. As my enemies watch: my enemies see that I am God's friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed ointment made from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Psalm 104:15; Matthew 26:7; Luke 7:37, 46; John 12:2).” [6]
 
CCC: Ps 23:5 1293
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Reading II: Ephesians 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.
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Commentary on Eph 2:13-18
 
In the first half of the second chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, the evangelist describes how the faithful are reconciled to God in Christ. Speaking to the Gentiles, the apostle recognizes they have not had the benefits of the Hebrew tradition and covenants with God, but through Christ, all of these disadvantages were overcome. All are united in Christ, who fulfilled the Law of Moses and superseded the old covenants.
 
“The elaborate imagery here combines pictures of Christ as our peace (Isaiah 9:5), his crucifixion, the ending of the Mosaic law (cf. Colossians 2:14), reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21), and the destruction of the dividing wall such as kept people from God in the temple or a barrier in the heavens.” [7]
 
CCC: Eph 2:14 2305; Eph 2:16 2305
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Gospel: Mark 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.
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Commentary on Mk 6:30-34
 
This passage from St. Mark’s Gospel continues the story of the disciples as they return from being sent, and give Jesus a report of their efforts. The disciples are called “apostles” for the first time, as they are gathered to give an account of what they had accomplished. They will not assume this formal title until after Pentecost, but St. Mark uses it here, perhaps because they have now become Christ’s emissaries, not just his students.
 
They go off to a deserted place to rest in a boat but are followed by a large crowd.  They did not sail far from shore, since the crowd knew where they were putting in and was there to meet them. The Lord looked at this new exodus and saw them as "sheep without a shepherd:" "A familiar simile from the Old Testament.  It generally depicts Israel's need for spiritual leadership (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Judith 11:19; Jeremiah 23:1-3; Zechariah 10:2).  Ultimately God himself promised to shepherd his sheep through the Messiah (Ezekiel 34:23; John 10:11-16)." [8] He began to teach them.
 
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Reflection:
 
Jesus, when he walked among us, was clearly a phenomenon grasped by high and low alike.  They followed him even when he took to a boat.  Did the disciples he had sent out contribute to his obvious fame?  Scripture does not say other than they (his friends) were elated with what they were able to accomplish.  What is clear is that a very large crowd needed to follow him.  To put this into modern terms, it would be like having a world cup soccer game or the world series of baseball take place near where we live, people who did not normally even necessarily follow the sport would take off from work, get their families and attend.  Perhaps that is not the best analogy but the impact is probably close to what Jesus meant to this region given the size of crowds that gathered.
 
What were they hoping to hear?  Jesus, St. Mark tells us, looked on them with pity.  They were, he said, “like sheep without a shepherd.”
 
Here is a short meditation:
 
Imagine for a moment you were there, among that crowd.  There would be people of all walks of life, some with families, some alone.  No one knew exactly where this boat they were following was going to come in but there would be an urgency about what this teacher was going to say.
 
When the boat lands we look around and see that it is not near any town or village.  The huge crowds of people with us are gathered around this teacher and his friends.  He walks up onto a hill and we all sit down around him, seeing that he is going to speak.
 
His voice comes to us in soothing tones.  Even though he does not have a PA system he is not shouting to be heard.  He speaks with a surreal sense of calm, words that we desperately need to hear.  What does he say to us?  What message does he speak that we so urgently need to hear?
 
Does he caution us to beware of the people we are following in our lives?  Have we been listening to false teachers who would bring us down paths that lead away from him, teachers like those the Prophet Jeremiah warned about?
 
Does he speak words of unity and peace as St. Paul imagined in his letter to the Ephesians?  Do we need to hear that we are all unified by our faith in Christ who is peace?  Have we been dividing ourselves through bitter rivalry, some imagined injury, or petty differences that should be of no consequence?
 
Regardless of what he tells us, it resonates in our hearts.  Like the Beatitudes that were spoken from just such a place, the Lord gives us words that we need to hear.  All we need to do is listen with our hearts and we will find the peace he offers, and the life hoped for.
 
Pax
 

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The Picture is “Sermon on the Mount” (Detail) by Cosimo Rosselli, 1481-82.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] NAB Footnote on Psalm 23.
[6] Ibid.
[7] NAB Footnote on Ephesians 2:14-16.
[8] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 76.