16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel Mark 6:30-34
“So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length”. This is one of the passages in the New Testament we can really see how Jesus sees us. How God sees us. In the beginning of this episode, we read that Jesus, and disciples decided to go to a lonely place to rest. Then they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be themselves, in their private space. But when they reached there, they found this big crowd waiting for them. By seeing them, He became compassionate. He forgot Himself and He took care of them for a long time. This is the same thing that happened in incarnation. God found us like sheep without a shepherd. God became man to be with us. This is the way God loved us, and this love is requested from us – a little bit of extra love. We often get irritated when our personal time is disturbed. We often get annoyed, when some extra love is requested, or when our personal space is invaded by someone in need. That is the moment we must remember this image of Jesus who forgot Himself when He saw the crowd. When we forget ourselves before the necessity of the other, we are continuing this love of Jesus. Let’s reflect: How do I react when my personal space is invaded by someone in necessity?
Sunday 21 July
