16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B 2021 (’00)

Sunday 18 July 2021 (’00): 16thSUNinORDINARY : B

1. JER23:1-6

  • Read 23:1-40! Yahweh’s fierce tirade against the ‘falseness’ of ProphetPriestKing!
  • Does our claim to be the ‘true church’ exonerate us from earning these reproaches?
  • How compelling is the ‘shepherd&sheep’ imagery nowadays, as a vehicle to convey the richness&complexity of the engagement  between ‘Yahweh’ & ‘ThePeople’?
  • Which ‘shepherds’ in my local church are fulfilling ‘Yahweh’sExpectations’?
  • How do I hear the promises by ‘Yahweh’ of ‘restoration&reintegration’?
  • What has to change in our religious totality for Yahweh to be our  ‘Righteousness’?
  • Has persistant&meretricious use of the term ‘God’ possibly blunted ‘conscience’?
  • What 7BasicFears are still typically consuming IrishAdults (‘religion an’  all!’)?

I   2. THE PSALM: 22:1-6

  • Which is better? TheSheep’s welfare (1-4)? Or  TheFavouredGuest’s welfare (5-6)?
  • What is special about ‘Yahweh-as-Shepherd’, rather than say, Zeus or Balor?
  • ‘HisName!’. Yahweh’sDetermination to protect&deliver&vindicate ‘ThePoor’!
  • What’s significant about being at TheHost’sTablein ThePresence of one’sEnemies?
  • ‘Yahweh’sOwnHouse!’ : TheTemple? TheChurch, maybe? But I it’s ‘ThePoor’?
  • What makes this psalm so attractive to so many of us, as a prayer or a song?

3. EPHl:13-18                                                      

  • Read 2:122!Christ is the principle that unites&reconciles! ‘InHim’ all may dwell!
  • Why do Christians-at-loggerheads find ‘reconciliation’ to be so demanding?
  • Will ‘peace’ be created by economic&political strategies&deployments, essentially?
  • Or is there a biblical-christian factor both as Origin&asHealing of the TheWound?
  • Or does the ‘privatisation_of religion’ enable a ‘ ChristlessPeace’ to be projected?
  • Or is ‘ChristianWitnessInSociety’ increasingly regarded as effete&fuddyduddy?
  • How is ‘ancesteralhostility’ being addressed&redressed in my local church?
  • But how convincing is Paul’s depiction of Jesus as ‘Unifier&Reconciler’?

4. MK6:30-34  

  • Read 6·30-44 Will the   shepherd’s priority be himself, or the flock?
  • Lonely Place&Rest! :  Exodus motifs but also more&more desirable&scarce!
  • Whatt was ‘the crowd’ seeking from Jesus&TheApostles/Twelve/Disciples?
  • As-Jesus, how might I reckon ‘a  large crowd’ were like ‘sheep without a shepherd’?
  • Read again EZEK34! Could He have been inspired by this outpouring-of-Yahweh?
  • Can I imagine how Jesus set about ‘teaching a large crowd at some length’?
  • Where can I get soul-sathisfying&mind-nourishing ‘teaching’ in my milieu?
  • The presence&action of the BlessedOne, is it like this?

Aw, why do I bother goin’ up at all!’ ‘What?’ ‘Y’heard me sayin’ it often! th’oul’ Canon, the don’t make them like that any more!’ ‘Y’re dead right! isn’t that why I don’t… ‘ ‘Given out the pay about the  man-above lovin’  the  sheep, carryin’ them in ‘his arms! had us all in tears, that we’d never swally a poor lamb’s liver never again!’ ‘Th’oul’ Canon had none o’ that millarkey… ‘ ‘Aw, I loved that man!’ ‘Remember ‘is great spake! “The poor an’ downtrodden, them’s the man-above! G’out there inta the highways an’ byeways, an’ raise them up! cantja- hear ‘im callin’ an’ weepin’!” No whimperin’ there!’ ‘Aw, boys a’ boys! what’ve we come til, at-all at-all!!’

  • RIDDLE        Which is the most crucial? TheShepherd,

TheIndividualSheep, or TheFlock?

Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie