16th Sunday of the Year (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 16th Sunday of the Year (B), July 22, 2012

Liturgical readings

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 23
Ephesians 2:13-18
Mark 6:30-34

"Like sheep without a shepherd."

Because of the hard work the apostles did in their preaching and mission work, Jesus invited them to go to a deserted place to rest from their labors. The mission was fruitful, for many believed in their words and deeds. Such was the success of their mission work that crowds of people continued to stay close to the apostles - making it difficult for the Twelve to even rest and eat. So Jesus led the apostles to a boat where they could go far. The people however were so eager to follow them, that they arrived at the place even before Jesus and the Twelve embarked from their boat. When Jesus saw the crowd, He was moved with compassion, for the people were "like sheep without a shepherd".

Since the time of Jesus, the missionary spirit of the Church has left us with many "landmarks". These basic landmarks are what we can find in our Creed, the moral teachings of the Church, and the traditional prayers (both individual and Sacramental) that have guided all the faithful since the day of each one's baptism. As long as the faithful believe, follow and continuously pray within these landmarks, all will be kept within the sheepfold of Christ, our Good Shepherd. But if these these landmarks were removed from one's way of life, and the faithful follow other philosophies, trends or ways of thinking (especially anti-Catholic ones), we may end up losing our way in the world.

Our present times appears to be neglectful of these landmarks. And humility and vigilance are important virtues to practice in these times. Humility predisposes our minds and our hearts to listen and to obey. Vigilance on the other hand keeps our minds and our hearts watchful against anything that can lead our souls astray. Prayers help a lot, but the Sacraments (especially the Eucharist) can continually guide us in the right path. And as long as we keep within the thinking and the practice of the Church (as St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Thomas of Aquinas counsels in their writings), then we can make our way through all the confusion, uncertainties and anxieties of our times.