Refreshing Our Souls ~ by Mary Ann Allen
In our Gospel reading today, Jesus saw the exhaustion of His apostles after they had returned from the missionary journey He had sent them on.
"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile," He said to them. and so they set off by boat for a place where they could be alone.
Jesus recognized that it was important for people to take time for themselves. To give our best, we need to take care of ourselves so that we can renew our strength to do our work effectively.
But what often happens when we have made our plans, real life intervenes...
The people who had gathered around Jesus had such a need for His loving and tender concern for them and they so yearned for the power of His words, that they decided to follow the boat along the shore and even reached the place before Jesus and the apostles did.
As we know, Jesus saw this multitude of people and was moved to compassion for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd; so leaving the apostles to recuperate on the boat, Jesus disembarked and began to teach the people.
Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, is in sharp contrast to the evil shepherds that Jeremiah condemns in the First Reading. Those shepherds misled and scattered the people and God would punish them because of it. God promised that He Himself would gather together the remnant from every land and lead them back to their own land.
God promised them that someday He would raise up a "righteous shoot to David" - someone who would reign and govern wisely and "do what is just and right in the land."
This someone, of course, was Jesus. As the Psalmist tells us, this Good Shepherd would give us rest. He would provide for us and guide us. He would refresh our souls. Even if fearsome events took place, He would be at our side, giving us courage.
Jesus was continually drawn to those in need; and in Him, these multitudes saw their hope; that He would break down the walls of enmity and would bring them peace.
~ Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~
Graphics by Hermano Leon
"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile," He said to them. and so they set off by boat for a place where they could be alone.
Jesus recognized that it was important for people to take time for themselves. To give our best, we need to take care of ourselves so that we can renew our strength to do our work effectively.
But what often happens when we have made our plans, real life intervenes...
The people who had gathered around Jesus had such a need for His loving and tender concern for them and they so yearned for the power of His words, that they decided to follow the boat along the shore and even reached the place before Jesus and the apostles did.
As we know, Jesus saw this multitude of people and was moved to compassion for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd; so leaving the apostles to recuperate on the boat, Jesus disembarked and began to teach the people.
Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, is in sharp contrast to the evil shepherds that Jeremiah condemns in the First Reading. Those shepherds misled and scattered the people and God would punish them because of it. God promised that He Himself would gather together the remnant from every land and lead them back to their own land.
God promised them that someday He would raise up a "righteous shoot to David" - someone who would reign and govern wisely and "do what is just and right in the land."
This someone, of course, was Jesus. As the Psalmist tells us, this Good Shepherd would give us rest. He would provide for us and guide us. He would refresh our souls. Even if fearsome events took place, He would be at our side, giving us courage.
Jesus was continually drawn to those in need; and in Him, these multitudes saw their hope; that He would break down the walls of enmity and would bring them peace.
~ Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~
Graphics by Hermano Leon
Labels: ordinary time, sundayreflection
posted by mary ann @ Sunday, July 19, 2009
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