Daily Readings - Sun Jul 18 2021

¹"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD.²Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: "You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD.³Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.⁴I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD.⁵"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.⁶In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'

Ephesians

Chapter 2

¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility¹⁵by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,¹⁶and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.¹⁷And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.¹⁸For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Mark

Chapter 6

³⁰The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.³¹And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.³²And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.³³Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.³⁴When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion 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.