Gospel for July 18 2021 – Mark 6:30-34
Gospel Reflections for July 18 2021
Do you have the cure for Covid?
If so, I hope you will share it with everyone. You will soon have a lot of friends!
Something similar happens in today’s Gospel. Jesus is meeting with His disciples after they return from preaching His message of salvation and love to the neighboring villages. Apparently, they were very successful since a large crowd follows them all the way back to Our Lord!
Jesus notices this and yet appreciates His disciples’ need for rest. He invites them to “Come away to a quiet place to rest” but the enormous crowd presses in on them. Why is that?
People recognized a good thing when they heard it …and they wanted more! Jesus notices they seem “like sheep without a shepherd” meaning their leaders had not been able to provide the answers they needed.
The people found their answers when they heard Our Lord’s disciples preach and live the virtues of the Kingdom of God. That was the “cure” they needed!
Today we are grateful for the free vaccinations so easily available that are so powerful and effective. Yet a vaccination is not a cure. It only provides strong defenses against the virus, so that even if you might get it, your symptoms are mild and not troublesome at all. That is certainly a good thing.
What the people in this Gospel want is a cure from the hopelessness they feel under the violent occupation of Roman authorities, the corruption of their own leaders, and the bad behavior of people. In short, they want a cure from sin.
What Jesus provides is not only a defense against people’s sin but a cure for yourself as well.
His message of love conquers sin. Love is seeking the authentic good of another as God wills, while sin is seeking only your own satisfaction and only as you selfishly want it.
The disciples heard this message and took it to the nearby villages and found amazing success. We can learn from them. We have our own versions of the problems they faced with rising crime rates and political dissension.
This is not the time to be silent. This is the time to be a visible example of love in your own life every day. This is the cure for yourself that lasts forever.
People may follow you as they did the disciples in this Gospel!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
very good message to learn about yourself
I am glad you liked it!
very good message to learn about yourself and God
I am glad you liked it!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee our Jesus beautiful words ” Come follow Me” !!! Love Jesus’ love!! Let’s all transform our world with our precious Jesus’ love!! One person at a time!! What a beautiful world we will have!!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it and loveeeeee you!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick
Thank you!
Dear Father Dave,
Love the truth of this message. From a personal viewpoint, I can only hope that God steers my thoughts and words the way He wants.
God bless!
Kathleen
I am sure that God will give you all the grace and wisdom you need.
Father Dave, it would be nice if not perfect time for us all to follow Jesus knowing him better through scriptures prepared to us by the Gospel authors and the Clergy, back in the day it must have been more difficult for some of the people to understand The message but nowadays we have multiple means of deepening our Faith in Jesus.
So we have a shepherd already but at times refuse to hear His voice and follow.
Joe G.
Yes, we are lucky to have the benefit of so much scholarship and historical understanding to understand the scriptures so much more.
Thank you, Fr. Dave, for setting the stage! We always appreciate your insights!
It is inspiring to hear that the disciples had such a convincing message
that the crowd wanted to hear more about Jesus.
Could that be the same message for us today?
Yes, I think people today are just as hungry for wisdom and truth as they were in the time of Our Lord.
Being available …. Sometimes it is giving just one word, which is called planting a seed. It works eventually in the hearts of others. Being there for just that phone call that someone needs help and at that moment they are like ripe fruit ad we can bring them to to that relationship to Our Lord and to continue on in Church. This is a time to stand firm in our faith. Our country is in turmoil and our focus needs to be on Our Lord. Seek Him first, He is our only hope.
I think you understood the article perfectly.
Lately I have tried Daily Mass and the readings are wonderful. Always wondered how Jewish People came to Egypt and how long they were there till Moses came along to Free them.
Found out Joseph of the colorful coat was sold by his jealous brothers into slavery, rose to
Success , forgave his brothers and started people flowing in.
430 years pass with great burdens placed on Jewish backs by Pharoh until God appoints A reluctant Moses into a leadership position to set his people free.
All this happens in a couple weeks of readings. This reminds me that the Bible is not just a book, but truly a library of books.
We are Blessed to be members of our Catholic Faith.
Nice summary of the Old Testament! You are right in that Daily Mass is treasure house of wisdom!