18 July 2021
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
Our readings give us a beautiful agricultural image of God, his active love for his people, and his anger toward leaders of his people who cause harm to them. There are two aspects of these readings that rise to the top for our prayer today.
First, how active, and personal God’s love is for his people. A shepherd’s care of his flock involves tending to the whole: food, shelter, movement, and protection from danger. But his love must also be individual, for each sheep goes through its own life cycle: young to old, health to sickness, giving birth or fathering, getting lost to coming home, etc. A good shepherd sees the whole and the individual in his work. So too, God offers this care for each of us as part of his flock and as one of his sheep. Jesus, in today’s Gospel, is moved by the needs of the individuals in front of him and offers them particular care and direction in his teaching. Where have we felt cared for by our Divine Shepherd within the flock of his house? How has the Lord’s heart been moved with pity for us and responded to us in mercy?
Secondly, each Christian can understand their identity in terms of both sheep and shepherd. As Christians we will always remain sheep in Christ’s flock. No matter our status within the Church or society, God is our shepherd and we – like sheep – need to be cared for and remain close to Christ for our security and fruitfulness in our lives and ministry. However, being sheep in Christ’s flock is never passive. Our first reading reminds us that the Divine Shepherd calls others to assist him in caring for his flock. This is not just for the ordained ministers in our Church, but each of us can be called to care for parts of Christ’s flock in distinct ways. Parent’s shepherd their families, teachers their classrooms, priests their churches, medical workers their patients, etc. How do our hearts reflect Christ’s heart in noticing the sheep around us that need tending and drawing close to them in love? Is the fruit of our shepherding modeled after the Divine shepherd and leading to unity or is its fruit division and scattering? Let us pray with the image of the Divine shepherd and hear how the Lord is inviting us to draw close to and imitate his heart.