Father Rick Bolte's Homily

B:16th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

The cultural foundation for the Israelites was pastoral.  That is to say that the patriarchs and Hebrews as they inhabited the land of Canaan were primarily shepherds.  And so deeply rooted in their religious experience was the image of God as their shepherd while they were the sheep.  Those who God had chosen to rule and guide them, the kings and religious leaders, shared in God’s work as shepherds.  Thus Jeremiah, in today’s first reading, condemns the shepherds of his time who are not doing the work of the true shepherd.  The kings and religious leaders are working, not for the good of the sheep as God would, but for their own gain.  Jeremiah says that God will replace these bad shepherds and will put good and faithful shepherds in their place.  He goes on to predict the coming messiah and king.

At our baptism we are each anointed to be priest, prophet and king as Jesus was.  But in what way are we shepherds or kings?  We may imagine that people in positions of power might fit that description: politicians, business owners, managers, and maybe somewhat as parents.  But our power is much more than we usually imagine.  Think for a moment about the people who have power in your life.  Not just the people who have power to make you do things but those who have strong influence in your life.  Think of family members.  Even children’s attitudes when they get up in the morning have a powerful influence.  Spouses, even though they have no official power over you, have a lot to say about how our day goes just by a few words that are exchanged.  The people we work with, whether they are our boss or we theirs, can also have a lot to say about how our day goes.  Too often we don’t stop to realize that just as all these people affect our day, we in turn affect theirs. 

Without our awareness we play an important role in the lives of many people every day.  We are shepherds and kings for each other.  But are we good shepherds?  In our society we are considered smart, clever, and enterprising if we are able to manipulate a situation to our benefit.  If we can persuade another, whether openly or subtly, to do things in a way that is to our advantage, we are considered to have done well.  We are inclined to brag about such prowess and expect other to compliment us for what we achieve.  Such shepherds were condemned by Jeremiah.

We are called to be shepherds/kings(queens) in one another’s lives.  Yes we do have power, power we don’t always acknowledge but regularly use.  Today’s readings call us to be good shepherds.  Jesus in today’s gospel calls his disciples, who are tired from missionary activity, to have some reflective time away from the crowd.  As we seek to serve one another, we have to realize that this doesn’t mean just doing what others want as some sort of doormat.  We need to care for ourselves as the valuable gift we offer.  Like Jesus who responds to the needs of the crowd, we seek to care for others in need.  Let us respect ourselves by valuing the gift we are and respect their value by giving ourselves as a gift.