๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซโ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ง – ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐
๐ฝ๐ธ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ท ๐๐ป๐ธ๐๐ป๐ธ๐ ๐ท
Dear Friends in Christ,
Grace and peace of Jesus Christ be with you! Todayโs first reading is a series of oracles delivered by the Prophet Jeremiah against the unworthy shepherds who had led Godโs people astray. He spoke against Judokas (22:10-12), Jehoiakim (22:13-19), and Jeconiah (22:20- 30), the next false shepherd in chronological order, would have been Zedekiah.
Ephesians 2:13-18 is called the theological core of the Letter to the Ephesians. Todayโs second reading is part of a longer section (2:1-22) in which the author expounds upon the benefits made available to both Gentiles (โyouโ) and Jews (โweโ) in Christ.
The Gospel reading today serves as an introduction to the next long section of Markโs gospel, the double version of the feeding of the multitudes. Shepherdless sheep were a frequent motif in the Old Testament signifying the needs of the people for leadership, security, sustenance, and healing.
It is the ideal of true and good shepherding to which Jesus ascribed and with which he associated his ministry and that of his apostles.
May we have the same compassion as Jesus when we look at the world around us. Let us strive to be shepherds to them, just as Jesus is to us, and help them to realize their full potential.
Have an amazing Sunday and a blessed week!
๐น๐๐. ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
