Tag: shepherd

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 9:32-38)

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. . . . Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

In today’s Gospel, Matthew portrays Jesus’ ministry of healing and proclaiming the kingdom, highlighting his power over evil, his compassion for the suffering, and his desire to bring salvation to all. It also emphasizes the need for more laborers in the mission of the Church and the importance of prayer. He says to the disciples: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” As Jesus surveys the crowd, his compassion for them is a model for each of us for how to respond to those in everyday encounters who are troubled and abandoned.

God, help me recognize your Son’s compassion as an invitation to go to him at all times for all things but especially when I feel troubled and abandoned. In response to his heart moved with pity, what greater act of faith is there but in complete trust to receive his mercy? As Saint Paul says of your Son: “So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your lovingkindness and mercy. Give me the grace today to come to you without hesitation when I am troubled about even the smallest thing. Saint Benedict, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus sees the crowds and has compassion for them because they are troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He says to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Jesus then sends out his twelve disciples, giving them authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons.

God, the sending out of the disciples reminds me of the divine authority your Son gave the them—power to cure illnesses, rebuke evil spirits, and even power over death itself. How can I possibly measure up to the Twelve? Yet, if I look at the encounters I experience in daily life with those closest to me, I have opportunities similar to those of his disciples. Within my family and among those I meet, I have the choice to cultivate illness or well being; I have the means of evoking evil or rebuking it; and I have the power to give life or take it away—all with the words that I allow to pass between my lips. God, help me have the same compassion Jesus had for the troubled and abandoned. Give me the grace to know how to be attentive to your word and bring them to you.

Lord, help me recognize today how to show compassion and be a good shepherd according to your will. Stay with me today as I strive to hear your voice.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

When Jesus 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.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to the Apostles, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” So they go off by boat to a deserted place, but so many people were coming that Jesus and the Apostles had no opportunity to eat. When people saw them leaving for a deserted place, Mark tells us that people hurried there on foot to meet them there beforehand. When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity, “for they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus began teaching them many things. What was going through the minds of the Apostles as they arrived at the deserted place to rest only to find a crowd waiting for them? By teaching the crowd, Jesus showed the Apostles love of the Father’s will and obedience to it.

God, help me understand your ways. Because you are all loving, people seek you tirelessly. Jesus must have felt exhausted, needing rest and nourishment, but at the same time was moved with pity by the sheep without a shepherd. They sought him to satisfy what food and nourishment could not satisfy: to hear God’s voice, to be in his presence. As the psalmist says, “And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.”

Lord, teach me to be satisfied in you alone. Jesus sought to provide rest for the Apostles, but the needs of others moved his heart to pity. Teach me to be patient today when I have to put aside my own needs to provide for the needs of others. Nourish me with your love, God, to bring your love to others through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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