“His Heart Was Moved” by Jim Bayne

“His Heart Was Moved” by Jim Bayne

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary

I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have banished them and bring them back to their folds; there they shall be fruitful and multiply.  

(Jer 23:3)

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.  (Ps. 23:1)

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. 

(Ephesians 2:17-18)

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.

(Mark 6:34)

       

Piety

Lord our God, help us to love You with all our hearts

and to love all people as You love them.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Study

What consoling readings we have for today!!  At a time when so much of our world seems upended, it is very comforting to know that God is with us at every moment and in every circumstance.

In Jeremiah God tells us that He himself will gather us together.  Paul reminds us that Jesus - God Himself - came and preached peace to us and gathered us together as one in the Father.

In the gospel, we see Jesus and his disciples coming together to reflect on their evangelical activities and then trying to get away for a little rest.  But there is still so much more to do.  No time for rest for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

A commentary on today's readings from the Irish Association of Catholic Priests:

But Jesus did not just give the people His words.  He gave them himself in His way of relating with people.  Jesus was a welcoming person (Mk 6: 34).  He wanted the good of the people.  The goodness and the love which came from His words formed part of the content.  They were His temperament.  A good content without goodness and kindness would be like milk poured on the floor. 

Jesus’ teaching manifested itself in a thousand ways.  Jesus accepts as disciples not only men but also women.  He does not only teach in the synagogue but also in any place where there were people to listen to Him:  in the synagogue, in the house, on the shore, on the mountain, on the plain, in the boat, in the desert.  It was not the relationship of pupil-teacher, but of the disciple to Master.

The professor teaches and the pupil is with him during the time of the class. The Master gives witness and the disciple lives with Him 24 hours a day. It is more difficult to be a Master than a teacher! We are not pupils of Jesus, we are His disciples! The teaching of Jesus was a communication that came from the abundance of His heart in the most varied forms: like a conversation by which He tries to clarify the facts (Mk 9: 9-13), like a comparison or parable that invites people to think and to participate (Mk 4: 33), like an explanation of what He Himself thought and did (Mk 7: 17-23), like a discussion which does not necessarily avoid polemics (Mk 2: 6-12), like a criticism that denounces what is false and mistaken (Mk 12: 38-40). It was always a witness of what He Himself lived, an expression of His love! (Mt 11: 28-30).

Action

What do you do when you want to teach others something about your faith and your religion?  Do you imitate Jesus?

As one of the guys in my Tuesday group puts it, "People would much rather see a sermon than hear one."

Are you a walking, breathing sermon?  Who needs you to be a sermon for them this week?