Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 107
18 JULY 2021 A.D.


Reading I
Jer 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds
who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,
says the LORD.
Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
against the shepherds who shepherd my people:
You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.
You have not cared for them,
but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.
I myself will gather the remnant of my flock
from all the lands to which I have driven them
and bring them back to their meadow;
there they shall increase and multiply.
I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them
so that they need no longer fear and tremble;
and none shall be missing, says the LORD.

   Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
       when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
   as king he shall reign and govern wisely,
       he shall do what is just and right in the land.
   In his days Judah shall be saved,
       Israel shall dwell in security.
   This is the name they give him:
       “The LORD our justice.”


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
   In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
   he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths
   for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
   I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
   that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
   in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
   all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
   for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.


Reading II
Eph 2:13-18

Brothers and sisters:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he who made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
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.


Alleluia
Jn 10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel
Mk 6:30-34

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.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

Overview of the Gospel:

~ In last Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus sent out his twelve apostles to perform in his name all
that he himself had been doing (Mark 6:7-13).

~ After a brief interlude in Mark’s gospel where he relates the martyrdom of John the Baptist
(verses14-29), the apostles return from their missionary journey. Recognizing that those that
labor for the kingdom of God need times of rest and recollection, Jesus attempts to take them
to a remote location where they can be refreshed.

~ The crowds who are following Jesus, however, find out where they are going and meet them
as they disembark. Rather than becoming peeved at having his plans for rest spoiled, Jesus’
“heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd” (verse 34).

~ In this they were like the people described in the Old Testament (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings
22:17; Judith 11:19; Jeremiah 23:1-6 [our first reading]; Zechariah 10:2). In that same Old
Testament, God promised he himself would supplant the evil shepherds and shepherd his
sheep through the Messiah (Ezekiel 34:23; John 10:11-16).
[courtesy: Vince Contreras--"Sunday Scripture Study for Catholics"]


"However softly we speak, He is near enough to hear us. Neither is there any need for wings to go to find Him. All one need do is go into solitude and look at Him within oneself." ~ St. Teresa of Avila

Thanks!