Texts taken from the “On Your Word” Missal July-August 2024
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
4th week of the psalter.
FIRST READING
From the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer 23:1-6)
Thus says the Lord: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of my pasture. Oracle of the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep, driven them away, and have not cared for them; behold, I will punish you for the evil of your deeds. Oracle of the Lord. I myself will gather the remnant of my sheep from all the regions where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their pastures; they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will appoint shepherds over them who will shepherd them, so that they need no longer fear or be dismayed; not one shall be missing. Oracle of the Lord. Behold, the days are coming - oracle of the Lord - when I will raise up a righteous branch for David, who shall reign as king and be wise and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell in safety, and this is the name by which he shall be called: The Lord our justice.” - The Word of the Lord.
Commentary on the first reading
We are often surprised when listening to the prophets, because at times they utter harsh and biting words, even words of condemnation, difficult for our overly indulgent mentality to accept; at other times, however, they offer gentle words of encouragement and consolation. Why does this happen? We must understand that the prophets act as mediators between God and human beings, offering words that concern not only human actions that are more or less accepted by God, but also divine action, which not only expresses what God desires but also accomplishes what he wills. This is why we often hear words that are certainly unpleasant when referring to human actions, and, conversely, messages full of hope concerning divine action, as in Jeremiah’s passage about the shepherds. Those who are entrusted with guiding the people often fail to fulfill their duty, unlike God, who cares about the affairs of his people, whom he has chosen and loved. Yet God, precisely because he is a great sovereign, uses mediators who represent him among us, especially the Messiah, descendant of David. He is Jesus, “The Lord our justice.”
SECOND READING
From the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians (Eph 2:13-18)
Brothers and sisters, now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who has made the two one, breaking down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh. Thus he abolished the law with its commandments and decrees, that he might create in himself one new person from the two, making peace, and might reconcile both with God in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death in himself. 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. - The Word of the Lord.
Commentary on the second reading
The divine plan is to reunite all things through Christ, the one head. But how can this be accomplished if we are divided by tensions of every kind and, above all, are not in harmony with God because of ways of life that oppose his will? There is also a type of division that continually reappears, between those who are “far off,” insofar as they do not follow God’s laws, and those who are “near” to him. How can harmony arise, divisions be overcome, and tensions be contained? One wrong approach is to seek peace at any cost, removing every kind of truth and every dogma that separates us. This is not the path suggested by Paul. Certainly, divine precepts help us understand how our way of life pleases God, but they do not offer us salvation, which is given to us by Christ through his saving death and his shed blood. Only united with Christ, grafted into him, and made new creatures, can we feel like brothers and sisters, loved by him, accompanied on life’s journey, and guided in discovering the one heavenly Father, the one revealed to us by Christ, his only Son.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Mark (Mk 6:30-34)
At that time, the apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. Many, however, saw them leaving and recognized them, and they hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived 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. - The Word of the Lord.
Commentary on the Gospel of the day
The Twelve are apostles even when they return to their Master. Theophylact, an ancient author, writes: “Let us also learn, when we are sent out in ministry, not to linger too long or go beyond the duty entrusted to us, but to return to the one who sent us and report to him what we have done and taught.” Jesus now takes care of his assistants and lets them rest, since their mission had been demanding but also fruitful. However, Jesus’ plan is not carried out because of the crowds, who have no one to guide them. Jesus takes on this role as shepherd, and his first action is to offer them the nourishment of his wise and true words. His teaching is offered to everyone, because the people need clear criteria, values, and goals shared by all, so that a community can find its direction without being thrown into crisis by the multiplicity of opinions and interpretations. The teaching that comes from Jesus, the one divine Teacher, enables the many to find themselves united in the one truth of Christ, without going astray by following the many subjective points of view. Jesus’ Word makes that mass of people one people, rather than a gathering of individuals.
