'He had compassion on them.' Sunday Reflections, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Prophet Jeremiah and ChristReadings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland)
Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)
Gospel Mark 6:30-34 (English Standard Version, Anglicised: India)
The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
In 2018 I attended a meeting of a Catholic movement I have been involved in for many years in a country in western mainland Europe. The local bishop came to visit us and spoke at one of our sessions. His talk utterly disgusted me. He was boasting about the fact that the diocese employed people in pastoral work and administration who were living in situations that were objectively gravely sinful: adulterous relationships, same-sex relationships - I don't mean normal and healthy friendships - and so on. He spoke of how 'welcoming' the diocese was to everyone. To me he showed no concern whatever of someone who wanted the people God had called him to serve to know Jesus Christ and to follow him according to the Gospel, to take up their cross and to be with him for ever in heaven.
There was no mention of the true welcome that the Church of Jesus Christ gives to sinners, especially through the sacrament of confession, no mention of the first words of Jesus in St Mark's Gospel, the first gospel to be written, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).
I have friends who lived in that same diocese with whom I stayed for a couple of days before the meeting. They told me that they were planning to emigrate to North America because of their concern that they were not getting any spiritual nourishment from the Church and were not getting the teaching of the Church in their local parish. They were particularly anxious that their teenage daughter get the Catholic formation at home, in school and in the parish that she ought to have. The family have since left that country.
Continue on Bangor to Bobbio.
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