The Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, July 18, 2021

Jeremiah 23:1–6

Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they shall increase and multiply. I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the Lord.  Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: “The Lord our justice.”

Throughout the last twenty years we have learned of the wickedness of many of the bishops all over the world.  The shock, the disgust, and the horror we experience from the news that bishops and priests have committed terrible crimes and covered up for others who have done so will continue as more of the truth comes out.  We may feel that never before in history has the Church been so rocked by sin in high places, but it has always been this way. About 2,500 years ago, Jeremiah spoke the words used for the first reading of today’s Mass.  Even that long ago the shepherds scattered and misled the flock of God’s pasture.  The priests of the Temple and the official prophets told the people that Babylon could not destroy Jerusalem because of the presence of the Temple within it and so they need not repent.  They permitted the people to live immoral lives and encouraged them in this by their own scandalous example.  And then the Babylonians broke through the walls of the city and destroyed it entirely, carrying off much of the wealth of the Temple before burning the empty structure.

At the end of today’s Gospel reading, we hear, “When he [Jesus] disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6, 34).  Five hundred years after Jeremiah, the situation remains the same.  The Pharisees, with their warped interpretation of the Scriptures, are instructing the people, but they themselves are hardly examples of piety and learnedness.  In fact, the Lord Jesus charges them with rapaciousness, envy, and self-righteousness, among other things.  Unwilling to bear the slightest criticism, they, as well as the chief priests, seek the death of anyone who presumes to challenge them.  

We wonder why God allows his people to be abused by such wretched shepherds.  We understand the need for shepherds, but why does he allow or choose false prophets and Pharisees?  For two basic reasons.  First, to try the perseverance of the faithful.  It is one thing to be persecuted by pagans and unbelievers.  That is relatively easy because it is straightforward.  Of course they are persecuting us.  That is what pagans and unbelievers do.  However, it is another thing to be persecuted by one’s own shepherds.  This persecution may be direct, as when bad laws are made, good priests are silenced, flourishing parishes are closed, or public Mass is suspended throughout a diocese; or it may be indirect, as in the case of the effects of scandals, which grieve our hearts and bring shame upon us and the Church we love.  This interior persecution, if you will, is much more difficult because of the confusion and betrayal involved.  The Lord has said, “Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24, 11-13).  Perseverance in the Lord leads to salvation.  But there can be no perseverance unless there is tribulation and persecution.  And so we persevere in bad times, remembering the words of St. Paul, who knew his share of suffering for Christ: “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want.  I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4, 12-13).  And even in the worst times, we have saints and a few good shepherds to help us, for the Lord does not abandon us.  The second reason the Lord permits this persecution is to give us examples of what we are not to do.  And this is as much needed as good examples.  The wicked person sickens us and causes us to resolve not to act like he does.  This results in our examining ourselves for anything remotely like what we see in the wicked.  Thus, God’s purpose is served.

In the meantime, let us persevere, knowing that eternal bliss with the angels and saints awaits those who succeed, with the grace of God.  And let us pray for the conversion of the wolves who seek to savage the flock of the Good Shepherd.