Homily for the week of July 19, 2009

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time B 2009

Jer 23:1-6; Ps 23:1-6; Eph 2:13-18; Mark 6: 30-34

Few scenes in the bible are more moving, more touching than today's reading from St. Mark's gospel. Jesus and his apostles are exhausted. They tried to get away from the crowd to find some rest. They could not even find time to eat since the people kept coming and going in such great numbers. So they went off in a boat to a deserted place. They tried to get away from it all. But the crowds walked about the Lake of Galilee and were waiting as they landed. They walked a good distance under the blazing Israel sun. They were motivated by the miracles of Jesus. They were looking for help and guidance. Who were they? They were the poor; the broken hearted, the downtrodden from all walks of life. They were human beings whose hearts were restless. They were looking for something more than they had. They are hungry for a leader who speaks sense, someone who feeds the deep hunger of their souls. So eager are they to find Jesus. They are looking for someone who cares about them, and one who can protect them.

In the world of the Bible sheep and shepherds were common sights. Many rulers and kings adopted the image of sheep and shepherd. Sheep were precious and the shepherd an important person. Shepherds existed when and where there were no fences, in places where sheep roam free. Shepherds were necessary to guide, protect and to find food and water for the sheep. The Responsorial Psalm to which you just responded is Psalm 23. It is the most beloved and famous of all 150 psalms. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. This psalm has brought confidence and hope to fearful and suffering people for thousands of years.

But as we have seen in the other readings today the idea of comparing leaders and Jesus to shepherds did not begin with Jesus. It goes back nearly 600 years before Jesus when Jeremiah uses the image to condemn the religious and civil leaders of his day. He mentions that the leaders who scatter and mislead the people will be taken away and God will replace them by others who will not scatter the flock.

Actually, a leader who was a good shepherd never came. There was no need for such a one. The people were guided and fenced in by the 613 laws found in the first five books of the Bible known as the Torah.

Today we have examples of sheep without a shepherd such as the sick without a doctor; children without parents; a team without a coach; a choir without a director, crowds without a leader, a community without a fire department. Jesus was caught up in seeing so many people who didn't seem to know where they were going, or had no religious commitment. They were people without purpose in life. As he looked at all the people along the beach he took pity on them. They came as lost who search for a better life. Shepherds were LEADERS. Being a leader does not depend on your age, or your education. Whether we know it or not, all of us are leaders. We can lead others to make the most of themselves, or lead others to destroy themselves. And how well we lead others depends on how well we take control of ourselves. We make a difference in the life others if we have made a difference in our own life.

But most of us don't think we make a difference. I recently was told about a school teacher who decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by telling them about the difference each of them had made. She called each student to the front of the class one at a time and told each of them how they had made a difference to her and to the class. She then presented each of them with a blue ribbon on which was written in gold letters: WHO I AM MAKES A DIFFERENCE. She then made it a class project by giving each student three more blue ribbons and asked each student to go out and give a ribbon to someone who made a difference in their life. They would then leave other ribbons with them and asked them to do the same. The students were to report to the class in a week. One student gave a ribbon to a person who had helped him apply for college. He left him with two blue ribbons and told him to give it someone who had made a difference. He gave it to his boss, and left him with the last ribbon and told him to give it someone. As this man was driving home that night he wondered who he would honor with the last ribbon. He thought of his 14 year old son. That evening he sat down with his son. He told his son that he hasn't paid much attention to him; he yells at him for not getting good grades or for his messy bedroom. But he told his son that tonight he wanted to let him know that he makes a difference to his father. Your a great kid. Your mother and I love you. He gave him the blue ribbon. The boy starting crying. He told his Dad that earlier that evening he sat in his room and wrote a letter to his dad and mom explaining why he had taken his life. I didn't think you cared for me. Who you are DOES make a difference.

Jesus always told persons that they made a difference. Jesus did something about their situation. He gave them a purpose, a new way of looking at life and their situation. The Good Shepherd is given to us as an example of how we are to lead others. Jesus is telling us that he wants to lead us. We can't be led by Jesus unless we invite him into our lives on good days as well as bad days.

Don't ever be afraid to let Jesus lead you and teach you. Let each of put ourselves as close to Jesus as is possible and we hope that something rubs off. We live and how we live in Jesus is revealed in our smallest actions and most public gestures. You are here in this church today because Jesus does make a difference in your life. First of all, be sure you realize that you do make a difference. And this week be tell someone that they have made a difference in our life.