Daily Readings - Sun Jul 18 2021

¹"Woe to the shepherds who scatter and tear apart the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord²Because of this, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to the shepherds who pasture my people: You have scattered my flock, and you have driven them away, and you have not visited them. Behold, I will visit upon you because of your evil pursuits, says the Lord³And I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the entire earth, from the places to which I had cast them out. And I will return them to their own fields. And they will increase and be multiplied⁴And I will raise up shepherds over them, and they will pasture them. They will no longer dread, and they will no longer fear. And no one among their number will be seeking more, says the Lord⁵Behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch. And a king will reign, and he will be wise. And he will exercise judgment and justice upon the earth⁶In those days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in confidence. And this is the name that they will call him: ‘The Lord, our Just One.

Ephesians

Chapter 2

¹³But now, in Christ Jesus, you, who were in times past far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ¹⁴For he is our peace. He made the two into one, by dissolving the intermediate wall of separation, of opposition, by his flesh¹⁵emptying the law of commandments by decree, so that he might join these two, in himself, into one new man, making peac¹⁶and reconciling both to God, in one body, through the cross, destroying this opposition in himself¹⁷And upon arriving, he evangelized peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near¹⁸For by him, we both have access, in the one Spirit, to the Father

Mark

Chapter 6

³⁰And the Apostles, returning to Jesus, reported to him everything that they had done and taught³¹And he said to them, "Go out alone, into a deserted place, and rest for a little while." For there were so many who were coming and going, that they did not even have time to eat³²And climbing into a boat, they went away to a deserted place alone³³And they saw them going away, and many knew about it. And together they ran by foot from all the cities, and they arrived before them³⁴And Jesus, going out, saw a great multitude. And he took pity on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things

Sermon

In today's readings, we explore the theme of shepherding and leadership, highlighting God's promise of compassionate guidance and unity. The first reading from Jeremiah criticizes leaders who neglect their flock, promising instead a righteous leader from David's line—foreshadowing Jesus. This sets the stage for understanding the need for true, selfless leadership. Ephesians bridges this theme by illustrating how Christ, the ultimate shepherd, unites all people, breaking down barriers and reconciling humanity through His sacrifice. This reading emphasizes that Christ's mission is one of peace and unity, extending beyond cultural or religious divisions, inviting us to be part of this reconciled body. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus exemplifies this shepherding role. Despite the Apostles' exhaustion, Jesus' compassion leads Him to teach the crowd, demonstrating that true leadership involves caring for others' needs. This calls us to reflect on our own roles as shepherds in our communities, encouraging us to lead with empathy and kindness. As we apply these teachings to our lives, we are reminded to seek guidance from the Good Shepherd and to emulate His care in our interactions. By doing so, we become instruments of God's peace, fostering unity and compassion in our world. Let us trust in God's plan and strive to be shepherds of love and reconciliation, just as Christ has shown us.