A Shepherd Full of Compassion
Introduction In a final exhortation, the author of Hebrews sums up what he had said for the practical living of Christians. This is the blessing he wishes to his people.
What a pity if our world would become so heartless as to do away with compassion? We hear in today’s good news that God shows in Jesus that he cares for us with a love deeper and more tender than that of a mother for her child. He is particularly close to those who need him most: the weak, those who suffer, the abandoned, and those who count for nothing. That is the love he showed us in Jesus; that is the love he invites us to have for one another: deep, tender, lasting, and not afraid of showing itself.
1 Reading: Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21
Brothers and sisters:
Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,
that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.
Obey your leaders and defer to them,
for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account,
that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow,
for that would be of no advantage to you.
May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead
the great shepherd of the sheep
by the Blood of the eternal covenant,
furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will.
May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Alleluia: John 10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 6:30-34
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When Jesus 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.
Commentary
Ordinarily we direct our prayers to Christ himself. Yet, in the liturgy, the official prayer of the Church, our prayer is directed to God the Father through Christ. Today’s reading from Hebrews speaks of God working in and through Jesus.
We are more inclined to pray to Christ because he shares our humanity. In him we believe we can find a ready ear that is attuned to our needs. This attitude is perfectly valid so long as we remember that God himself is the ultimate referent. The reign of Christ will ultimately come to an end when, as Corinthians states, all things have been made subject to him, when death and sin are no more. Then Christ will hand the kingdom back to the Father, Christ himself will step aside, and God himself will be all in all.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is once again overwhelmed by the crowd. His attempt to get away to a quiet place is thwarted. He cannot reach a place where the crowd does not find him. Yet, to quote Ezekiel, he sees the people as “sheep without a shepherd.” And so, with a true spirit of availability, he begins to teach them.
There are those moments when we, too, feel overwhelmed. How can we deal with every request made of us? But then we respond as Christ did. He is always our exemplar and model.
Again, Hebrews highlights God the Father as the one who acts on our behalf. He brought Jesus to the new and lasting covenant by the blood of redemption. We are in good hands: a loving Father, a Son who saves, a Spirit who makes us holy.
O God, accept our gratitude through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
In the Bible, to have compassion means literally “to feel in the depth of one’s bowels.” We would say in the depth of our heart. To be close in fidelity and compassion to others. That is God’s way with us. Let it be our way with one another, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!