Mons. Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with Exaudi readers his reflection on the Gospel of this Sunday, July 21, 2024, titled: “Compassion, coexistence”
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Jeremiah 23, 1-6: “I will gather the rest of my sheep and make them shepherds”
Psalm 22: “The Lord is my shepherd, I will not want”
Ephesians 2, 13-18: “Christ is our peace; He has made the Jews and the non-Jews one people”
Saint Mark 6, 30-34: “They walked like sheep without a shepherd”
For a thought to change the world, it must first change the life of the person who proposes it. We live in an impressive emptiness to such a degree that some believe that the first thing we need is to have ideals and thoughts and for them to be effective when acting, creating, and loving. Only then will they be projects that give life. The complaint is that currently there is a lack of leaders who attract and are an example not only through their words, but above all through their lives. We are like sheep without a shepherd, not knowing what to do, where we are going and how to live to feel fulfilled and happy. Here the attitude assumed by Jesus and everyone who wants to be his disciple appears to be fundamental: having a heart of mercy, not building walls against those in need and being willing to share, to serve, to live for others. Today, Jesus presents himself to us like this: “He had compassion on them because they walked like sheep without a shepherd.”
Happy and enthusiastic, the Twelve return from the mission. They were days of activity, of preaching, of healing the sick, and now they return euphoric, wanting to continue the mission. There are so many things to do that time should not be wasted. Once the apostolic work has begun, one enters a kind of whirlwind that leads them to seek more and more activity. Their joy and enthusiasm is immense. However, Jesus calls them and invites them to a moment of intimacy and closeness, a moment of rest and sharing. The work and the mission are very important, but the person is more important. It is necessary to return to the sources that give energy; If not, it will end up drying out, exhausting itself and will be a hollow bell, which only continues to resonate, but has no life. The availability to give one’s life does not nullify the right and obligation to take care that one’s own source is not spent in soulless activism that, instead of releasing energy, consumes and exhausts it. Jesus’ proposal is silence, close company, dialogue. Being in the presence of Jesus, prayer, encountering Him, restores our strength, encourages us and restores us. Prayer is not wasted time!
This closeness and humanity of Jesus should make all of us who in some way have the office of pastor reflect: priests, teachers, leaders, authorities, parents, group leaders. Let us admire and imitate the closeness that He has with His disciples. He does not shy away from work, he is not irresponsible, but he knows that he is in relationship with people and not with machines. It is sad to look at the way we live and coexist: juxtaposed but not related; everyone immersed in his world. Television, cell phones, computers, networks, everything is for relating and ends up isolating us. At work, in the family, in the offices, in all places, we have become depersonalized and do not count as individuals. I remember one wife’s words to her tormented and frantic husband: What’s wrong with you? It’s okay to worry about things, but they are not the things that make us happy. Get it into your head that we need you, not things. Why would we want them if you are not with us? But we have given so much importance to things that it seems they have more value than people. We live together but alone. I greatly admire those people who are capable of establishing a very personal relationship with those who are by their side, who take them into account, who make them feel valuable. This is how Jesus does it. We are always in a hurry, we run without knowing where and “we don’t have time” to calmly care for others.
Christ does not have a hard and insensitive heart, although he had wanted to be alone with his disciples, his heart is compassionate to care for the multitudes who seek him like sheep without a shepherd. It is the other teaching of Jesus: we cannot and should not live with a closed heart. We need to open the windows, those of the senses and those of the heart, those of the mind and those of the spirit, the personal ones and the communal ones, to realize the pain and suffering from others, to see that there are hungry and battered people. . It is the fundamental attitude of Jesus and of everyone who wants to be his disciple. It requires compassion and a heart of mercy. Do not build walls to defend yourself, isolate yourself and remain looking at yourself narcissistically. It is truly shared with Jesus when he begins to welcome and share with his brother. Of course there is risk in loving and giving friendship, but it is always preferable to get hurt for loving, than to end up with a numb and hardened heart because he never took a risk in love. Love always makes us weak and fragile, but that is when we are strongest in life.
Today let us listen to the words of Jesus also addressed to us: “Come with me.” Today let us seek to feel wrapped in the loving gaze of Jesus, full of tenderness and in open arms despite our miseries. He accepts us as we are, as we have come from the path, as life has left us: mistreated, hurt, distrustful. His love and his compassion are capable of remaking us and restoring our dignity. This will be a special day to feel his protection and care. Also, in this prayer, together with Jesus, it will be an occasion to look at our relationships with others and our ability to open and engage with them. How and with whom do I share the gift of life? Who do I live with, and how do I interact? Is there someone close to me who feels alone and I haven’t realized it? Today we let ourselves be loved by Jesus and we open our hearts to our brothers.
Lord Jesus, look at us with love, today we are the ones who wander like sheep without a shepherd, make us feel your loving care, and touch our minds and our eyes so that we feel compassion and open our hearts to our brothers. Amen
