Gospel – Mark 6: 30-34
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.
Reflection on the Gospel
Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.
A most important image for Christians and certainly our Lasallian Community is shepherding in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. Too often, however, people in “Shepherding Roles” become misled by daily demands of urgency, hurry, and quickness to judgement. Striking to me in the Gospel reading is Jesus setting aside the apostles retelling their accomplishments. Rather he directs them to, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” This invitation/directive is a most important first step in becoming authentic genuine Christ-like Shepherds.
The Lasallian Prayer, “Let us remember, that we are in the Holy Presence of God,” calls for coming away from urgency, hurry, and being judgmental. The prayer invites focusing on God providing and bringing us repose, refreshment, right paths, and courage even in dark valley times. Current social norms beckon us to replace paced effectiveness with fast efficiency. Rushing ignores the “come away by yourselves” invitation of Jesus. Urgent rushing devolves into caring more about self-conceived solutions and answers rather than shepherding in the way of Jesus. This misdirected focus risks shepherding as those of the first reading who mislead and scatter the flock because they focus on their own whims rather than the will of the Lord God!
Shepherding Roles are better fulfilled when recalling more clearly within daily activity the words of the Gospel Alleluia Acclamation, “My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them and they follow me.” Jesus knows us, but we do not fully know Jesus unless we accept the invitation to come away from our busyness to the dessert place that is free of our self-conceived solutions and answers to allow Jesus to lead us in the ways outlined in the second reading toward being Authentic Credible Shepherds.
Brother Brian Henderson, FSC
Jeremy House – Accompaniment of Young Lasallian Professionals
Saint John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts – Forever.