The great Italian poet Dante Alighieri begins the Inferno, the first part of his masterpiece the Divine Comedy, with the image of being lost in a dark wood. Somewhere along the way, he lost sight of his true destination. Like Dante, we are all travelers on a journey which will end in either Heaven or Hell. We all long to see God in Heaven, but we encounter so many distractions, as well as legitimate needs and desires, along the way. If we aren’t careful, these things can make us lose our way and forget the greatness of our calling.

When that happens, we end up living an empty life that pales in comparison to the things we are made for. Our true hunger and loneliness can’t be filled by this world. But God hasn’t left us alone to wander in the dark wood—he sent us his only Son to lead us home to him. Jesus is our true compass. He is our Good Shepherd. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

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First Reading Reflection

I shall gather the remnant of my flock and bring them back to their meadow (Jeremiah 23:1-6)

Jeremiah was a prophet in Jerusalem during the city’s final years before its destruction by Babylonian forces. The passage speaks judgment upon the kings of Judah, the “bad shepherds.” After King Solomon, most of the kings of Judah were disastrous for the Jewish people, whether instigating crippling taxes or promoting idolatry. Many prophets denounce these activities, but their warnings go unheeded. Then, in Jeremiah’s lifetime, judgment day comes. Babylon conquers Jerusalem, and the people are scattered.

In his mercy, God promises that he himself will “gather the remnant” of his ϐlock, and appoint good shepherds for them. In particular, there will be a new king after the likes of David, the good shepherd who later became the great king of Israel. All this is fulϐilled in Jesus, who is both the successor to David and the Son of God. He is the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep, and through the ministry of his Church, he trains shepherds to carry on his work of salvation.

 

Second Reading Reflection

In Christ Jesus you who were once far off have become near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13-18)

This passage reflects the transforming power of the New Covenant. The Ephesians have just been reminded that, as Gentiles, they were without “Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).

But through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ has done everything for them. In his Person, he has both fulfilled and abolished the legal demands of the Old Covenant. He has atoned for sin and won back union with God for all mankind. He has united himself with humanity, so “that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace.”

This new creation is the Mystical Body of Christ, the fruit of the New Covenant. Christ Jesus, the Good Shepherd, brings about true peace for his flock by offering union with God through himself to all, whether Jew or Gentile. By uniting ourselves more closely to him, we are able to experience his peace that the world cannot give.

 

Gospel Reflection

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he began to teach them many things (Mark 6:30-34)

In this week’s Gospel Reading, Jesus invites the Apostles to a time of retreat after they return from their first mission. But no sooner than they set off “in the boat by themselves to a deserted place,” the crowds begin to arrive. Let’s take a closer look at Jesus’s response to them.

Despite his desire for a time of rest and quiet both for himself and his closest companions, he does not chase the people away. Instead, “his heart was moved with pity for them.” Why does Jesus take pity on this crowd? Mark tells us that “they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus loves these people and wants to share his own life with them, so he cannot abandon them to wander by themselves. Rather, he teaches them many things, addressing the heart of their need. If we continue reading the chapter, we also find Jesus feeding the entire group, and then sending the Apostles off by themselves again while he dismisses the crowd (see verses 35–45)

In the First Reading. Jeremiah condemned the selfish leaders of the Israelite people. Here, in contrast, Jesus is training the new shepherds in a life of unselfish service. As the Good Shepherd, he will give you the strength to follow in his steps.

 

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DIGGING DEEPER:
Evangelization and Catechesis

These are two words that have been used in many different ways but should be defined well so that we understand our role as Christian leaders. Evangelization must include a moment when we explicitly proclaim the Gospel with a call to conversion. Catechesis educates beyond that first proclamation and continually nourishes and matures the Christian. In many churches, there has been a lot of catechesis without actually evangelizing the parishioners— they have not had a conversion moment when they’ve said “no” to the world and “yes” to Christ.

If we never evangelize people and definitively invite them into relationship with Jesus, then the truths they do learn are outside of the relationship they are intended for. As we teach, it’s very important to constantly pray for our participants’ conversions and look for moments to invite them into relationship with Jesus so that the teaching truly takes hold.

PRAYER:

Let’s return to the Gospel for this week. Although Jesus and the Apostles are trying to fi nd somewhere they can rest, the crowds won’t let them. Put yourself in this scene and consider who you relate to the most. The Apostles are probably tired and hungry after their long journey, and most likely want nothing more than some peace and quiet. The crowds, however, are consumed with a desire to hear the Good Shepherd’s message, They have been following false shepherds and cannot wait any longer to encounter the truth. Jesus takes pity on them, and begins to guide them, for “they were like sheep without a shepherd.”

Take a word that comes to mind and refl ect on what it means to you personally. For example, the phrase “his heart was moved with pity for them” might have stuck out to you. Ask yourself what this means in your own life. Are you afraid to get in touch with your desire for Jesus and to truly seek him? Could he be trying to console you and reveal how he longs to be with you?

 

RESOLUTION: 

Saint Ignatius of Loyola taught extensively on how to hear God’s voice and follow the Good Shepherd. In his Spiritual Exercises he said, “It is necessary to keep as my objective the end for which I am created, to praise God our Lord and save my soul. Furthermore, I ought to fi nd myself indiff erent, that is, without any disordered aff ection, to such an extent that I am not more inclined or emotionally disposed toward taking the matter proposed rather than relinquishing it” (179-180). In other words, we have to be detached from everything so that we can actually hear God’s voice. If we love something more than God and are attached to it, then we won’t follow him.

Growing in detachment takes growing in self-awareness and intentionally letting go.

What can you do this week to become more detached from created things so that you can follow the Good Shepherd more easily?
 

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Reprinted from  Opening the Word at Formed.org .
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