Vol. 36 No. 41                                                                       Cycle B                                    16th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR                            They were like sheep without a shepherd. ENTRANCE ANTIPHON  God himself is my help. The Lord upholds my life. I will offer you a willing sacrifice; I will praise your name, O Lord, for its goodness. PENITENTIAL RITE St Paul tells us in today’s Second Reading that Jesus preached the Gospel of peace between all races and made peace possible between all people and God. As the chosen people of the New Covenant, gathered together to offer the sacrifice of love and unity, let us humbly ask pardon from God and from one another for the hatred and hostility we keep in our hearts, so that we may experience his forgiving-love and peace. I confess... Glory to God... OPENING PRAYER Let us pray: Lord, be merciful to your people. Fill us with your gifts and make us always eager to serve you in faith, hope, and love. Grant this… FIRST READING (Through their disloyalty to God, the king, courtiers, nobles and priests of the temple had brought terrible distress and misfortune on God’s chosen people. Prophet Jeremiah instils hope in the people announcing that the messianic king, a good shepherd, would soon come.) A reading from the Book of Jeremiah (23:1-6) “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, says the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness’.”                                                                                             This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (22) Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. R./ He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff; with these you give me comfort. R./ You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing. R./ Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever. R./ SECOND READING (St Paul reminds Ephesians that Christ has brought unity of brotherhood to Jews and Gentiles. Christ united all and brought peace to all people who acknowledged him as their Saviour.) A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Ephesians (2:13-18) In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And 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.                                                                                                 This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION (1 Sam 3:9, Jn 6:68) Alleluia! Alleluia! Speak, Lord, your servant hears; you have the words of eternal life. Alleluia! GOSPEL (St Mark tells us of the Apostles’ return after their mission tour. Jesus listened to their stories and then suggested that they should go to a quiet place away from the crowds to rest a while.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark (6:30-34) The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. As he landed he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. This is the Gospel of the Lord I believe in God,/the Father almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he rose again./He ascended into heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the Holy Spirit,/the holy catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness of sins,/the resurrection of the body,/and the life everlasting./ Amen. PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, our God is a compassionate Father, who understands all our needs and problems. With confidence in His providence and goodness, we shall bring before Him all our petitions, saying: Response: Loving Father, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 1. We pray for our Pope and all the pastors; that guided by your Holy Spirit, may they show your compassion and concern to the people entrusted to their care. R./ 2. We pray for all men and women of every race in every kind of need; make your ways known to them, and reveal your salvation to them. R./ 3. We pray for all who are afflicted or distressed; comfort and relieve them from their pain, and grant them consolation of your Spirit. R./ 4. We pray for a compassionate and a generous heart; may we bring joy to our homes, to our co-workers, and to all whom we meet. R./ (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: Almighty Father, give your people knowledge of salvation, so that, freed from fear and from the power of Satan, we may serve you faithfully and follow your Son’s example of love and compassion. We ask this… PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Lord, bring us closer to salvation through these gifts which we bring in your honour. Accept the perfect sacrifice you have given us, bless it as you blessed the gifts of Abel. We ask this… PREFACE (P 29) Father, all-powerful and ever living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. Through his cross and resurrection he freed us from sin and death and called us to the glory that has made us a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart. Everywhere we proclaim your mighty works for you have called us out of darkness into your own wonderful light. And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven we proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise: All: Holy, holy, holy... COMMUNION ANTIPHON The Lord keeps in our minds the wonderful things he has done. He is compassion and love; he always provides for his faithful. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Merciful Father, may these mysteries give us new purpose and bring us to a new life in you. We ask this…                                                                 Liturgy & Life Images from the world of shepherds characterize today’s readings. The gospel recounts the return of the disciples from their missionary journey, and Jesus invites them to come away to a ‘deserted’ place for rest, which ends up being short-lived as crowds stream out and arrive before them. Jesus then is moved with compassion for them, for they were ‘like sheep without a shepherd’, and he then teaches them. This brief description is dense with biblical allusions. Like the people of Israel, the crowds are in the desert, where they will receive not only miraculous food but guidance and instruction, just as the Law (Torah) was given in the desert of Sinai. The text from Jeremiah (First Reading) shows us God rejecting the shepherds who scatter instead of uniting the people, who show no concern for the needs of those who are under their care. They have the responsibility of shepherds but they are not fulfilling their mission (Jer 23:2). Turning their backs on the people to whom they are sent, the shepherds enjoy the privileges and honours which accompany their task of shepherding the flock. Busy with ‘their evil doings’, their schemings, they forget who they are, where they are, and they would not dream of shortening their rest to attend to the ‘poor of the land’. Sheep need a shepherd to be put to pasture. In Jesus, our good shepherd, we have the living bread. A sheep needs guidance, alone it cannot find its way. Left to ourselves we too cannot find the right path. Jesus is the way. A sheep is helpless in the presence of wild beasts and robbers. Only in Jesus’ company we have safety and security. He is our strength, our unfailing friend. We are the sheep of Jesus’ fold. He, with a shepherd’s compassion, guides, feeds and protects us. Every shepherd—pastors, religious, church leaders, teachers and parents—is called to share in the pastoral mission of Christ. All those who take their pastoral work seriously know, there is no “deserted place” (v. 32) for people who have to bear witness to the gospel. St Mark presents Jesus’ deeply human reaction. When he sees the crowds approaching, eager to hear the word, the Lord ‘had compassion for them’(v. 33). Sensitive to the people who are ‘like sheep without a shepherd’, the Lord ‘began to teach them many things’ (v.34). Giving up his legitimate rest, Jesus pays attention to them. There is a lesson for all of us here: as followers of Christ we have to sacrifice at times our own interests and comforts and our primary concern must be the well-being of others. The pastor/leader must be a person of compassion, which is the ability to feel deeply the suffering of others, to understand why they fear and tremble. And yet pastors/leaders are called to lead and “govern wisely” (Jer 23:5), living the teaching they communicate. They are to guide people in right paths and to be concerned about what is right and just in the land. Here is the continuing mandate to the Church to be a voice for justice in the world. —Fr Sebastian Kattackal, ssp July 2009 READINGS OF THE WEEK  Psalter Week 4 20 Mon (G) Ex 14:5-18; Ps Ex 15:1-2,3-4,5-6; Mt 12:38-42 21 Tue (G) Ex 14:21-15:1; Ps Ex 15:8-9,10&12,17; Mt 12:46-50 22 Wed (W) St Mary Magdalene – mem Ct 3:1-4a or 2 Cor 5:14-17; Ps 62:2,3-4,5-6,8-9; Jn 20:1-2,11-18 23 Thu (W) St Bridget, Ex 19:1-2,9-11,16-20b; Ps Dan 3:52,53-54,55-56; Mt 13:10-17 24 Fri (G) Ex 20:1-17; Ps 18:8,9,10,11; Mt 13:18-23 25 Sat (R) St JAMES – Fst 2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 125:1-2ab,2cd-3,4-5,6; Mt 20:20-28