Jeremiah 23: 1-6; Psalm 22(23); Eph 2: 13-18; Mark 6: 30-34
Jeremiah was preaching around 600 BC. For forty years before the exile he reminded Judah’s rulers how they had broken the covenant, worshipping other gods and taking advantage of the poor. His warnings were ignored, Jerusalem was destroyed, and the people taken into exile in Babylon.
But the Lord promises to rescue his people. He will make a new covenant and send a descendant of David to rule with truth, integrity and honesty.
The psalm celebrates God’s loving care for his people, like a shepherd guarding and guiding his flock, and looking forward to his generous end-time feast.
Paul tells the Ephesians that Gentiles and Jews, previously separated by the Law, have now become one “by the blood of Christ”. The Law’s barriers have been broken down, and God’s covenant now extends to Gentiles. Early proposals for Christians to ignore the Jewish Scriptures were rejected, and the Old Testament readings now included at Mass can help our faith.
Mark’s Gospel has described the death of John the Baptist while the apostles were away on their mission. On their return Jesus takes them away ‘on retreat’. But the crowds follow, setting the scene for the feeding miracles. For the next five weeks we switch to John’s Gospel for a fuller account of Eucharistic feeding.
Psalm Response: The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.