Reflections on the readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 22, 2018): JER 23:1-6; PS 23:1-3,3-4,5-6; EPH 2:13-18; MK 6:30-34
MISSIO offers “Preaching Mission,” as a homily help, providing connections to mission from the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
Today’s readings speak of the great care and concern that Jesus had for His people.
He had sent the Twelve out to preach and heal in various villages. On their return, “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’” (Mark 6:30-31). Our Lord asked a lot of His closest followers. He wanted them out to share Him message of mercy with all who would hear it, without taking money or food or other items we would consider necessities for such a trip. Now Christ wanted them to have time to rest in His company as well as to contemplate what they had done and what they had learned.
God knows that when people work hard we need to refresh ourselves in order to resume our efforts with even greater zeal. But we also see that when the crowd followed Him Jesus had to balance His attention to the physical needs of the Apostles with the spiritual needs of the crowd. We, too, must keep our priorities straight. We must know when the well being of others comes before our own preferences, even when that is sometimes difficult. God will guide us, if we put our decisions into His hands and trust His wisdom.