About 37 years ago, shortly after we were married my beloved and I had one of our first arguments. I don’t remember what the argument was about but I do remember Lucia coming up to me with her hands on her hips; she looked up at me and said: Why you, you sheep in wolf’s clothing! Of course what she meant to call me, but I’d like to think that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let her, was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. These are the persons whom Jeremiah blasts with the famous Woe to in today’s 1st Reading: the religious, political and, by extension, the economic leaders, all of whom were wolves in sheep’s clothing. He spoke first of all to King Zedekiah who was both a political and religious leader, but also to all the shepherds and leaders
WHO MISLEAD . . . SCATTER . . . DRIVE AWAY . . . NOT CARE NOT FOR THE FLOCK, AND WHO DO EVIL DEEDS Mislead literally means to destroy: One of the chief ways that happens is when leaders call evil good and good evil (Is 5:20). Some examples would be those who say things like: every woman has a right to a legal and safe abortion or to reproductive health services; some in the Church say contraception is OK; premarital sex is OK; and there are those who say same gender marriage is a right and those who speak against it commit a hate crime! Some in the church practice communal penance and absolution and others say to miss Mass on Sundays is OK! Sheep scatter when they are fearful or confused. Woe to the shepherds who scatter the flock! Despite all that the false shepherds do, Jeremiah closes with God’s promise to raise up a King who Shall reign and govern wisely, who shall do what is just and right in the land.
Dear parishioners, Jesus Christ is the One who God has raised up as your Good Shepherd, as your King, as your Savior, as your Redeemer and as your LORD! And the purpose of today’s homily is to urge you to be like the great numbers of people mentioned in today’s Gospel, be like the vast crowds of those who . . .
HASTENED THERE ON FOOT FROM ALL THE TOWNS AND ARRIVED AT THE PLACE BEFORE THEM. That is, be like those who hastened to Jesus. If you are trying to live your life without Christ, or without listening to and following His teaching, then you are like a sheep without a Shepherd! If that’s the case then I have some sad news for you – you are in danger! WHY? Because you don’t know where to find verdant pastures; you can’t find those restful waters on your own. You’re not discerning enough to know the sheep in wolf’s clothing from the wolf in sheep’s clothing and you are not fast enough to run away from the wolves nor strong enough to fight them.
Without Christ as your Shepherd you don’t stand a chance! I’ll say it again: Hasten to Him and run to Him because in that is the Good News:
HIS HEART WAS MOVED WITH PITY, WITH COMPASSION FOR THEM And His heart is moved with compassion for you too. He desires to feed you, protect you and teach you, in other words to Shepherd you even more than you desire to be shepherded. Finally, the Gospel closes with these encouraging words:
AND HE BEGAN TO TEACH THEM MANY THINGS. The things that you need, the answers to your deepest questions, the hopes you have for yourselves and your children; the hunger you have for the real food that satisfies, as well as your desire for beauty and truth and goodness – all of these things and more are yours in the teachings of Jesus Christ. And Jesus is still teaching you, directly, through the Scriptures, the living Tradition of the Church and the Teaching Authority, or Magisterium, who is the Bishop of Rome and those Bishops in communion with him.
16th Sunday in OT + Year B ‘09
July 24, 2009 by deaconsteve
A-men!