SATURDAY, FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Heb 13: 15-17, 20-21 Ps 23: 1-6 Mk 6: 30-34
JESUS, THE SHEPHERD-PRIEST
The first reading from the letter to the Hebrews speaks of the priesthood of Jesus. As the perfect High Priest, He offered the perfect sacrifice of Himself for the atonement of our sins and opened the way for us to approach God directly through Him. Reconciled to God, we are now asked to make the priesthood of Christ our own. Living the priesthood is to offer the sacrifice of praise. We are called to praise God, acknowledging Him as our Lord and Saviour. However, a sacrifice of praise is given to God even when He does not act according to our will. We are called to praise God not just in good times but also in bad times. Sometimes, we cannot see where God is leading us, but we are called to trust Him.
There are times when we need to go beyond our duty. We are called to help even when we are exhausted and need to rest. The same was with Jesus and the disciples. Our Lord spent most of His time and effort caring for all the people who had come looking for Him, reaching out to them, and showing them His mercy and kindness. He saw all of them like sheep who were without a shepherd and guide. Thus, He Himself took up their role as the shepherd of all the people of God.
Yet. Jesus was not just a shepherd but a priest who sacrificed Himself, His rest, and His time to be with the people. He took pity on them because they were hungry physically and spiritually. The responsorial psalm of the day reaffirms this theme of Jesus as the Shepherd-Priest. “The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want” says the psalmist. In the first two stanzas highlight the qualities of the Good Shepherd – he gives rest, nourishment, protection and comfort. In the following couple of stanzas, the focus is on Jesus the High Priest who anoints the faithful with the oil of salvation. May the words of the psalmist reign in our hearts as we embrace Jesus as our Shepherd and Priest.
Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
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