Year B
Sixteenth Ordinary Sunday
Images
Resting
Protection
Points to note
This reading is specifically the introduction to the
miracle of the loaves from Mk. This
miracle is important in the Catholic Church as it forms the base to our
sacrament to the Eucharist. The Missal,
therefore, takes time out in the Ordinary Sunday cycle of readings to deal with
this a little more in depth. As the
doctrinal explanation of this miracle in Mk, however, is rather skimpy, the
readings from Jn are used from next week onwards to explain the significance of
this miracle.
I have, consequently, decided to decouple this
introduction from the miracle of the loaves.
It can, fortunately, stand by itself in that the concern that Jesus has
for his sheep is highlighted, and thus, continue the theme of protection and
Jesus’ help that runs through the last two Sundays.
Liturgy
Acclamation before
the Gospel
Alleluia! Alleluia!
The sheep that
belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
Gospel
In last week’s reading, Jesus just sent out the
disciples to preach in the towns around Galilee.
A
Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark
(Mk 6: 30-34)
The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had
done and taught. Then he said to them,
“You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a
while”; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time
even to eat. So they went off in a boat
to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people saw them going and many could
guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place and reached it
before them. So, as he stepped ashore he
saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep
without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Discussion
What does a shepherd do? Discuss specifically what a shepherd does
for the sheep. Let them graze and rest;
make them comfortable, including taking them into shelter at night; protect
them.
What qualities should a shepherd have? Being sensitive to the needs of the sheep;
courage when needed to protect the sheep.
Discuss how Jesus was sensitive to the apostles in
the reading. What did he think they
needed? Rest, a little food, some place
to be alone. Did he provide them with
it? Discuss stories in the Bible where
God was sensitive to the needs of his people and provided for them: feeding with manna, etc.
Discuss how Jesus was sensitive to the people in the
reading. What did he think they
needed? A little bit of direction, a bit
of leadership, a bit of comfort, a lot of teaching. Did he provide them with it? Discuss times when God promised to care for
us. (Is 49:15-16 I have carved you on the
palms of my hands; Ps 23 the Lord is my Shepherd)
Discuss how we can be like Jesus and be sensitive to
others and care for others and see to it that they are comfortable. Give concrete examples. Start with the family and go on to school
situations. For older children, discuss
where people stand up and argue for the poor and the underprivileged.
Lead on to discuss how the
shepherd leads the sheep to food. What happens during winter when it is too
cold for the sheep to graze outside? The
shepherd prepares hay for them. What happens when there is a famine and
there is not much grass on the ground? The shepherd leads the sheep further away to
find better grazing ground.
You can then discuss how
just as the shepherd leads the flock to sustenance, Jesus also leads us to
sustenance at mass. This anticipates
next week reading so you can leave more of it to the next few weeks.
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