SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Sunday - July 18, 2021

Sunday - July 18, 2021

"Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection"

~~ St. Benedict

July 18, 2021

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 107

 

Reading 1                                                     Ex 12:37-42

Woe to the shepherds

who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,

says the LORD.

Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,

against the shepherds who shepherd my people:

You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.

You have not cared for them,

but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.

I myself will gather the remnant of my flock

from all the lands to which I have driven them

and bring them back to their meadow;

there they shall increase and multiply.

I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them

so that they need no longer fear and tremble;

and none shall be missing, says the LORD.

 

    Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,

        when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;

    as king he shall reign and govern wisely,

        he shall do what is just and right in the land.

    In his days Judah shall be saved,

        Israel shall dwell in security.

    This is the name they give him:

        “The LORD our justice.”

 

Responsorial Psalm                                              Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 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.

 

Reading 2                                                     Eph 2:13-18

Brothers and sisters:

In Christ Jesus you who once were far off

have become near by the blood of Christ.

 

For he is our peace, he who made both one

and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,

abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,

that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,

thus establishing peace,

and might reconcile both with God,

in one body, through the cross,

putting that enmity to death by it.

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.

 

Alleluia                                                                      Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;

I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel                                                                       Mk 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 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.

 

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FINDING ENERGY TO DO WHAT WE'RE CALLED TO DO

Everyone in ministry feels overwhelmed by their calling from time to time. Whether it's the ministry of raising children, or caring for an elderly spouse or parent, or working a job in a way that reveals Christ, or volunteering at a church or pastoring a parish, it's necessary to take time out for ourselves -- a vacation, a holiday -- for nourishment and rest and recuperation. Jesus says so in this Sunday's Gospel reading.

 

If we don't obey this commandment, we become cranky. We make selfish or poor decisions. We become like the evil shepherds of the first reading, who misled and scattered those whom they were called to serve. Why? Because we become vulnerable to temptations when we try to give what we do not have.

 

It takes energy to reveal God's love. It takes energy to remain enthusiastic in serving others. But how can we get recharged with new energy if we don't take time to sit still, rest, and pray? How can we care about others when we don't take good care of ourselves? Jesus lives within us, but before we can give him to others, we must first let him give himself to us.

 

Daily we encounter people who are like sheep without a shepherd; they are seeking Jesus whether they realize it or not. They want the unconditional love that he has to give. They want the healing and peace that he offers. He wants to help them, but if we who are his hands and feet and voice are too weak and worn out from our hardships, what then?

 

We need to go to a deserted place with Jesus and rest awhile in his nourishing love. If we go away on a retreat or vacation and come back to our work and ministries still cranky (i.e., if the people we shepherd wish we'd go take a longer trip), we haven't rested enough. We've cut short the restoration process. Never-mind the pile-up of work. Jesus is inviting us to "Come away by yourself and rest awhile longer with Me until you become more like Me."

 

Today's Prayer 

Thank you Lord, because when my strength declines, You call me to rest, strengthen me in my weakness and walk ahead of me, working Your plan of salvation. Amen.

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God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”