Discussion Questions
First Reading
Jeremiah 23:1-6
F1. In this reading the Lord speaks to the bad shepherds, i.e., leaders of his people. What are some of the “just and right” values today to which the “Lord our Justice” needs to attend so that the sheep can stop trembling in fear? Care for creation? Racial justice? Homelessness?
F2. Imagine being a caretaker of people in a way that a shepherd is for sheep. What can you do about the fear people experience all over the world due to injustice? Can you do anything to remedy any of the injustice? Is there anything you can do about unfair situations in your own living area?
Second Reading
Ephesians 2:13-18
S1. “In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.” If we are one in the body of Christ, is the Eucharist an important means for breaking down dividing walls among us?
S2. Are there dividing walls today that seem impenetrable to you? Using this reading from Ephesians as a guide, how might people resolve their differences? Or in other words break down walls that divide them? On June 17, 2015, a white man killed 9 black people in a Bible study group in a church in Charleston, SC. The families of the victims forgave the killer. Does this kind of action help break down a dividing wall?
Gospel
Mark 6:30-34
G1. What does Jesus do in this Gospel story that is an example of good shepherding? Doesn’t he have pity and teach? Discuss compassion versus power as attributes of leadership.
G2. Why does Pope Francis say we need an “ecology of the heart,” that is made up of rest, contemplation and compassion
Jesus’s attitude that we observe in the Gospel of today’s liturgy (Mk 6:30-34) helps us to grasp two important aspects of life. The first is rest. …
How many times this happens in the Church: we are busy, we run around, we think that everything depends on us and, in the end, we risk neglecting Jesus. … This is why he invites his disciples to rest a bit with him on their own. It is not only physical rest, but also rest for the heart. …
The people find them and flock to them from all sides. At which point, he is moved with compassion. This is the second aspect: compassion, which is God’s style. … How many times we find this phrase in the Gospel … : “He had compassion on them.” … This seems to be a contradiction, but in reality, it is not. In fact, only a heart that does not allow itself to be taken over by hastiness is capable of being moved; that is, of not allowing itself to be caught up in itself and by things to do, and is aware of others, of their wounds, their needs. … If we stay in touch with the Lord and do not anesthetize the deepest part of ourselves, the things to do will not have the power to cause us to get winded or devour us.
Pope Francis Angelus for 16 Ord B
July 18, 2021
Anne Osdieck
**From Saint Louis University