Leadership, Unity, and Compassion: A Catholic Perspective

Julie South [00:00:03]:
Peace be with you. Welcome to your catholic corner. I'm your show host, Julie south, and I'm so glad you're joining me today as we delve into the word of God and its relevance to our lives. Today, your catholic corner is here to help Catholics spiritually prepare for each Sunday's mass starting mid week. Each week you can listen to your catholic corner@yourcatholiccorner.com did you know that your catholic corner is listened to in 34 countries and over 150 cities around the world? Wherever you are in one of those places, I'd love you to say hi to me in New Zealand. Please. All you have to do is just visit your catholiccorner.com and let me know where you're from and what you enjoy most about this show. Thank you.

Julie South [00:01:00]:
Heaps. In today's episode, we'll be focusing on the catholic readings for the 16th Sunday in ordinary time in year B. Here's what we'll be covering. We'll start by exploring passages from the book of Jeremiah, Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and the Gospel of Mark. Our main focus will be on exploring the typological connection between the Old Testament reading from Jeremiah and the gospel passage to help you understand why the church chose these specific texts for this specific Sunday. If you're not familiar with the term typology, don't worry, I'll explain what it means and how it relates to these readings in a bit. Our readings and our prayers today shine God's light on leadership, unity and compassion. God's reminding us of his promise that he'll care for us and the importance of us being good shepherds in our own lives.

Julie South [00:02:00]:
Remember that when we gather in Jesus name, like we are right here, right now with you and me, he's here with us. So let's dive in. The readings for this Sunday are Jeremiah, chapter 23, verses one through six Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter two, verses 13 through 18 in mark, chapter six, verses 30 through 34.

Julie South [00:02:24]:
But before that, a quick word about your catholic corner, just in case this is your first time here, regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, whether you've only just heard of that man called Jesus, you're new to Catholicism, or you're a cradle Catholic, my prayer is that your catholic corner will help bring God's word to life in your heart through insights, reflections, and practical applications that help deepen your relationship with God. Every Thursday we'll start preparing for mass by uncovering the richness hidden in each Sunday's Bible readings from Old Testament prophecies to gospel parables, I invite you to join me and the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton, New Zealand, sponsors of your catholic corner so that together we can hear God's word and echo. Samuel, speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Now let's get back to today's show.

Julie South [00:03:36]:
Let's take a closer look at the typological link between the Old Testament reading from Jeremiah and the gospel passage from Mark, and why the Catholic Church paired these two for the 16th Sunday in ordinary time. If typology is a new word for you, it refers to the idea that certain people, events, or things in the Old Testament serve as types or foreshadowing of someone or something in the New Testament. Think of it as a bit like God dropping hints or leaving clues in the earliest scriptures that point to the fulfilment we find in Christ and the New Testament. The typological connection between Jeremiah, chapter 23, verses one through six in Mark, chapter six, verses 30 through 34, lies in the themes of shepherding, compassion and God's promise to care for his people. In Jeremiah we have Jeremiah speaking against the leaders of Israel who have failed to care for their people. Likening them to bad shepherds, God promises to gather the remnant of his flock and raise up the righteous leaders who will truly care for them. We have this passage, also containing a messianic prophecy foretelling the coming of a righteous branch from David's line, who will reign wisely and justly. And then in Mark we have Jesus inviting his apostles to rest after their missionary work, showing his care for their wellbeing.

Julie South [00:05:23]:
When Jesus sees the large crowd that follows him, he's moved with compassion because they are like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus begins to teach them many things, acting as the good shepherd, I who cares for his flock. So what's the connection? Well, both passages emphasise the role of a shepherd and the importance of caring for the flock. Jeremiah's prophecy points to the coming of a righteous leader, which christians see fulfilled in Jesus, who's the good shepherd? And then we have Jesus compassion for the crowd and his role as a shepherd, reflecting God's promise to care for his people for us and provide them, provide us with true leadership. In simple terms, it means that these passages remind us that God is our ultimate shepherd, who cares deeply for us and provides us with the guidance and the leadership we need. Whether it's through the promise of a righteous leader in Jeremiah or the compassionate actions of Jesus in the gospel, we see God's unwavering commitment to us, his people. Now let's pray together. As we reflect on these readings together, let's be inspired by God's call to each of us, strengthened by his blessings, encouraged to share his message and love and healing with others.

Julie South [00:07:13]:
Let's pray together. We have a reading from the prophet Jeremiah. Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered. It is the Lord who. This, therefore, is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds in charge of my people. You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them right? I will take care of you for your misdeeds. It is the Lord who speaks, but the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them and will bring them back to their pastures. They shall be fruitful and increase in numbers.

Julie South [00:08:11]:
I will raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them. No fear, no terror for them anymore. Not one shall be lost. It is the Lord who speaks. See, the days are coming. It is the Lord who speaks when I will raise a virtuous branch for David, who will reign as true king and be wise, practicing honesty and integrity in the land. In his days, Judah will be saved, and Israel dwell in confidence. And this is the name he will be called, the Lord, our integrity, the word of the Lord.

Julie South [00:09:08]:
A reading from Paul's letter to the Ephesians in Christ Jesus, you that used to be so, so far apart from us, have been brought very close by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the law. This was to create one single new man in himself, out of the two of them, and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single body and reconcile them with God in his own person, he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace. Peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one spirit our way to come to the father the word of the Lord. A reading from the gospel of Mark. The apostles rejoined Jesus and told them all they had done and taught to.

Julie South [00:10:39]:
Then he said to them, you must come away to some lonely place all by yourself and rest for a while. For there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where. And from every town, they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore, he saw a large crowd, and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he set himself to teach them at some length the gospel of the Lord. What is God saying to you through these passages? Remember, God speaks to each of us in different ways.

Julie South [00:11:54]:
So what stands out to me might be different to how he touches and reaches your heart. Here's a couple of the nudges that I got with Jeremiah. The reflection is that Jeremiah is condemning Israel's leaders as bad shepherds for neglecting their people. God promises to gather his scatterflock and raise up righteous leaders. So what about some leadership responsibility here? If you're in a position of leadership, whether at work, in your community, or at home, you can still be a leader at home, as a parent, as the eldest sibling, as aunts, uncles, grandparents. Remember that you've got a responsibility to care for those you lead. And it's up to you to be a good shepherd and also to trust in God's promises. Even when leaders fail us, God promises to provide and care for us.

Julie South [00:12:54]:
It's time for us to trust that God really does have our backs. How can you be a better leader in your life? How can I be a better leader in my life? Am I currently praying for leaders, world leaders, industry leaders, government leaders, family people, to be guided by integrity and passion. With Ephesians, we have Paul explaining that Jesus has reconciled the Jews and the Gentiles. He's broken down the wall of his hostility and created one new humanity through Jesus. So there we have a unity in Christ. Unity in Jesus. Remember that in Christ. In Jesus, all divisions are broken down.

Julie South [00:13:42]:
We are all one family. We say that each week at Mass, one holy, catholic and apostolic church. And we say that regardless of our backgrounds. And then we have peace and reconciliation, striving to be a peacemaker in our own life. How much do you do that? Or do you go out to antagonize from time to time? So maybe we can work towards reconciling differences that promote unity and understanding. Maybe this could be reaching out to somebody that you've been in conflict with, perhaps, and seek some kind of forgiveness or reconciliation, and also to celebrate the diversity of your world, whatever that looks like, wherever you are, and find ways to bring people together. That could include sitting down at Mass and looking at the person left and right of you saying hello to them. And then finally in Mark, we have Jesus inviting his apostles to rest after their work, showing that he cares for them, he teaches them, and he sees that they, like us, are like sheep without a shepherd.

Julie South [00:14:59]:
It's important for us to follow in Jesus footsteps and to take time to rest and recharge and to pray, just as Jesus invited his apostles to do, and at the same time to do as Jesus would do. When we see others in need, and that's to take action, to help and guide them, maybe that's about us finding more time to pray, perhaps. Definitely. Perhaps also more time for some r and R, some rest and some self care in our weeks. Maybe it's also about volunteering or to find a way to help others in our community who need our guidance and support. Just as the disciples were charged and changed by their encounter with Jesus, we are called to share God's love and power. Today we're reminded to be good shepherds and to spread the joy of being catholic christians. The church needs us today, not tomorrow.

Julie South [00:16:03]:
I invite you to help grow the church today by inviting others to share in our faith and mass each week. You can start small, and you can start by sharing this podcast. Please invite three people you know, maybe even your parish priest, to listen@yourcatholiccorner.com. i'd love to hear your thoughts and you can get hold of me@yourcatholiccorner.com. i hope this episode helps your spiritual journey. My prayer is that this podcast deepens your understanding of God's word and everything that's beautiful about the catholic faith. Please share this show with your friends and family. It's free and it's a great way to help others grow in their faith and to grow the church.

Julie South [00:17:04]:
Wherever you are in your spiritual journey and wherever you are in the world, I pray that God's love fills your heart and that you'll join him at the Eucharist in your local parish. A big shout out to the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton, New Zealand for their support as well. This is Julie south signing off until next week. Peace be with you, God blessed.