Scripture:
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Ephesians 2:13-18
Mark 6:30-34
Reflection:
The Lord is my Shepherd there is nothing I shall want…
This verse from Psalm 23 and the entire Psalm 23 will forever be with me. This is the Psalm prayer that my father had us as a family recite together as he died of lung cancer. This psalm was hopeful and soothing. It is understandable why Psalm 23 is prayed often by many people.
Today’s readings focus on the meaning of Jesus as Shepherd. “His heart was moved with pity for them, they were like sheep without a shepherd”.(6:34) The Greek used here is “splagchnizomai”, a great word denoting sympathy, mercy, and loving concern. (Working Preacher, Mark G. Vitalis Hoffman, 1Eva ngelical Lutheran Worship, (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2006), #612.
What gives us peace, joy, and rest to our hearts? Have we been too busy, like the apostles, to take time to rest and eat. Some of us sprint from one task to the next with no time to catch our breath and relax our tense muscles. What does it mean to have Jesus as our Shepherd? For me it means to slow down, take moments to savor the compassion and love that Jesus as our shepherd has for each of us. (Joe Egan, Living with Christ, July 21, 2024, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, p. 150).
Please call time out in your busy life today and pray slowly and meaningfully Psalm 23. “The Lord is my Shepherd and there is nothing I shall want.”
Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.