1st Reading – 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.”

The prophet Jeremiah lived in Judah during a tumultuous period leading up to and including the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BC.

In the chapters preceding today’s reading, Jeremiah prophesied the impending Babylonian exile, attributing it to the kings’ failure to uphold God’s covenant. Their leadership was characterized by injustice, idolatry, and a disregard for the Mosaic Law, leading to national calamity.

In today’s reading, Jeremiah shifts his focus to the future, employing the familiar metaphor of shepherds to envision a new era. He condemns the unfaithful monarchs who have led their people astray and announces God’s judgment upon them. Yet, amidst this indictment, Jeremiah also offers a message of hope.

Continue reading “July 21, 2024: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)” →