Mark 6:30-34, 53-56, 9 Pentecost

Then I will gather my flock out of all the lands, and I will bring them back totheir fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply, and they shall not fear anylonger, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.In this passage from Jeremiah (23:3-4), the Lord God, through the prophet,assures his people that after the hardship of their long exile in Babyloniancaptivity, they will be restored, their suffering ended, and they will prosper.Today’s readings are about encouragement and reassurance and comfort.They are restorative. Other Sundays are more challenging, with lessonsfrom the prophets to the Beatitudes to the Crucifixion which teach us thatthe highest Christian calling is to be persecuted for his sake. But today theemphasis is different. Today, the words are […]