16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

FIRST READING
Jeremiah 23:1—6

SECOND READING
Ephesians 2:13—18

GOSPEL
Mark 6:30—34

THEME: SHEPHERD’S WORKS.

There are things expected from a good shepherd, if any is lacking, that may make the shepherd a bad one.  A shepherd is known to be taking care of his sheep both physically, spiritually, psychologically, morally and so on. 

Some of these vital duties of a good shepherd were lacking in the people that God entrusted his people to and that made the Prophet Jeremiah to talk about those shepherds who have left their duties to doing another thing.  This same thing can be found in our own world and situation these days. It did not end with the people of old and God is talking about us today because of that. Continue Reading................................

What type of shepherds are we talking about?  We are talking about people who are incharge of others in this world created by God.  Fathers, mothers, priests, kings, chairmen, chairladies, governors, presidents and all who are in the position of authority in any form. All of us are shepherds and we must do our works according to the mind of the one who called us to the work, anything apart from that comes from the evil one.  When talk about shepherd, people will always like to face those who are in the public service of others, but I am taking my own ground or side that we all are shepherds and these words are directed to us so that we watch the way we shepherd the flock entrusted to us.

Jesus Christ being a good shepherd according to the second reading showed us one of the principal parts of the work of a good shepherd.  He brought peace to those who were far and those who were near.  We were very far due to our sins but through baptism and other sacraments, we are brought closer to him.  We are now in peace with him through his death on the cross and resurrection from the death. We are expected to bring that peace to people around us and those far from us in order to extend the good work Jesus has started.

A good shepherd will always have a kind and merciful heart to notice and have compassion on those in trouble and need of shepherd’s care.  This was practicalized by Jesus in today’s gospel.  He had compassion on those who were like sheep without a shepherd and decided to be there shepherd.  Through his teachings, he gain for himself many shepherds who took after him.  If we do not have hearts like that of our master Jesus, it means we are doing our own work instead of his. We must have hearts that recognize those in need of our shepherd’s care.

We shepherds of these days and generation should learn how to understand our sheep when they are in trouble and be able to help them.  We should know that their spiritual and temporal needs are our tasks to provide them.  There is this ugly trend in the Catholic Church.  The sick are being taken care of temporarily, spiritual care of the sick is very rare in our church especially this part of the world.  When we have a sick person or old person, we should make effort to see that that person is being taken care of both spiritually and physically.  Call the attention of the church’s authority to administer the necessary sacraments for the person.  We are their shepherds and we must do our works on them for us to be good shepherds.

Let us today pray the good Lord to give us necessary grace to be good shepherds so that those punishments meant for bad shepherds will not befall us.  That the blessings of a good shepherd will be upon us and our sheep, so that at the last calling, we shall join the heavenly bodies to sing Hosanna to the Lord our God.  THANKS AND HAPPY SUNDAY