16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

19/07/2015 09:00

In our reading, the prophet Jeremiah expresses anger that the recent kings of Israel have not fulfilled their responsibility of looking after the needs of the people.  They have turned the people away from God and scattered them.  The people are like sheep without a shepherd.  God promises a future king/shepherd who will do what is right.

 

In our gospel, the disciples had been out teaching and then they told Jesus what they had been doing.  So many people came to see Jesus and his disciples that they did not have time to eat.  They decided to take a boat to a place where they could be alone but the people still followed them.  Jesus felt sorry for the people because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  He stayed with them and taught them many things.

 

Special Saint/Feast Day: - St. James the Greater – July 25

 

James was a fisherman like his father Zebedee and his brother John.  James was on his father’s boat mending his nets when Jesus passed by.  Jesus asked James and John to become fishers of people and join him in spreading the Good News.

We hear about James many times in the bible.  Three weeks ago, we heard how James was there when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus to life.  James was on the mountain during the Transfiguration of Jesus.  He was there when Jesus appeared to the Apostles after his resurrection.

James began his ministry as an impulsive, outspoken man.  He asked Jesus for a seat of honor in his kingdom.  Eventually, James learned to become humble and gentle.  He did become “first” in a way he could never imagine.  He was the first apostle to die for Jesus when King Herod Agrippa had him put to death by the sword.

We can ask St. James for the humility and honesty to recognize our weaknesses.  He’ll help us to learn from Jesus what we need to change about ourselves in order to improve.


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