Today, 22nd of February, we celebrate
The Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle
Brothers and sisters:
Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,
that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.
Obey your leaders and defer to them,
for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account,
that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow,
for that would be of no advantage to you.
May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead
the great shepherd of the sheep
by the Blood of the eternal covenant,
furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will.
May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
R./ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R./ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R./ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R./ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
R./ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
Dear brothers, peace and good.
The Apostles return from their missionary journey, from the practice they had been sent to, and Jesus takes them on a «retreat,» to a quiet place, to give thanks to God for all they had accomplished. You see, every now and then, it’s good to stop, disconnect from the world, and rewind to see how we’re doing and how we should be doing. And to make any necessary adjustments, to be better and to be more focused on the things of the Father. A luxury, really, in these times of rushing, stress, and «I don’t have time for anything.»
That time, for sure, they would have wanted to spend giving thanks to God the Father for all that had gone well. And, perhaps, also for what hadn’t gone so well. But…
But Jesus was so committed to the mission that, like a good strategist, He changes the plan on the spot. Seeing the crowd that had run—no, flown—to find them, He «leaves the disciples» and starts preaching to them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Compassion first. The motto of Christ’s life. Living with open eyes, like Mary, His Mother, to detect what was most urgent, timely, and effective in each moment. If only we could detect even a small percentage of those needs, to be able to address them, within our means.
I think this moment must have been a great lesson for the Apostles. In that process of catechesis, they understood what their lifestyle should be. As the Apostle St. Paul would say elsewhere in Scripture, «preach the word in season and out of season.» They had grasped the meaning of the phrase we repeat in the psalm, «The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.» The disciples could go without eating, without sleeping, without resting, so that the Kingdom of God would not stop spreading.
Today, it’s hard for us to bear witness to our faith. Cases like my friend Pablo, who goes out on weekends to proclaim Christ on the streets all over Spain (and beyond), are very rare. But Jesus’ command is clear: «Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News.» Some of us have been called to do it in far corners of the earth. But all of us can do it wherever we are. With our words and with our actions. Even when it’s not convenient. Even when it changes our plans. Because what’s important is, like Jesus, to be compassionate and always available, to do the will of the Father.
Your brother in faith,
Alejandro Carbajo, C.M.F.Our loving God,
your Son Jesus, has revealed you to us
as more warmhearted, tender, and compassionate
than any mother could ever be.
Be near to all who are wounded in life,
care for the little people trampled upon.
Make all those who follow your Son
people who can forgive and heal,
who make themselves like nourishing bread
for all who are hungry in any way.
Make us care for one another
as you care for us through Jesus,
your Son and our Lord for ever.
First Reading Introduction: May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd, furnish you with all that is good. In a final exhortation, the author of Hebrews sums up what he had said for the practical living of Christians. This is the blessing he wishes to his people.
Gospel Introduction: They were like sheep without a shepherd. What a pity if our world would become so heartless as to do away with compassion? We hear in today’s Good News that God shows in Jesus that he cares for us with a love deeper and more tender than that of a mother for the child to which she had given life. He is particularly close to those who need him most: the weak, those who suffer, the abandoned, and those who count for nothing. That is the love he showed us in Jesus; that is the love he invites us to have for one another: deep, tender, lasting, and not afraid of showing itself.
– That we may be grateful to God for all the mercy and compassion he shows us, we pray:
– That God’s people may learn to be a compassionate community to all those who suffer and to those who are trampled upon, we pray:
– That we may be people of peace, who try to understand one another and seek reconciliation when we are divided, we pray:
Lord our God, compassionate Father,
in these signs of bread and wine,
we welcome your Son, Jesus Christ,
as our Good Shepherd who died for us,
to give direction to our life.
Let us feel how much he is familiar
with our weariness and our miseries,
that he listens when we turn to him,
that he is present when we need him.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Our loving and caring God,
we thank you with all our hearts
for giving us a sure guide,
who feels with us
and knows where he leads us,
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Keep giving to your Church today
pastors in the image of your Son.
Let them be full of compassion and vision,
sensitive to people and their needs,
open to the demands and potentials
of the Gospel and of our times.
Make them good shepherds
in the image of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
In the Bible, to have compassion means literally “to feel in the depth of one’s bowels.” We would say in the depth of our heart. To be close in fidelity and compassion to others. That is God’s way with us. Let it be our way with one another, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
