My thoughts on Sunday 22nd July’s Sermon

1. Arise Catholic Faithful – Rejoice & Renew – Slogan of 120th Anniversary of the Catholic Church in Accra.
2. Installment of Father Minta as Parish Priest, on his 17th Anniversary of Ordination. Today’s reading is about Shepherd, the Greatest Shepherd, Christ & the expectation of us as Leaders.
3. The 1st reading talks about us as Leaders if we do not take care of the sheep Christ as given us, we stand accursed.
4. The 1st reading foretells of Christ coming & Israel will be restored
5. FIRST 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.”

5. The promise was fulfilled in today’s Gopel where when He was even tired, He was moved with pity towards them.

1. 6. GOSPEL Mark 6:30–34

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 he 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.

1. Because of Jesus we as Gentiles have also come to share in the heritage of the Israel. Today is a message of Hope. There is no cause for fear.
2. SECOND READING Ephesians 2:13–18

Brothers and sisters:

In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

1. Christ has come to establish His Physical presence on earth, His Church.
2. But can we see ourselves in our world today see ourselves like sheep. Obedient & heed the voice of Shepherd. Or are we goats now. Note the goat will break the fence & go destroy the crops of people. While a sheep will only go into the garden when the gate is open, or there is a break in the fence.
3. Note we cannot have the excuse of the sheep in Jeremiah where the Shepherds were bad. Our Shepherd the unblemished Shepherd is here so it is us the followers who have become goats. Let’s remember quality of the sheep & heed the voice of Christ the good Shepherd.
4. Let us pray for the Shepherds of Christ folk to be able to heed to the calling of Christ and in a Christ like manner
5. Our prayer is that even as Christ has chosen to install Rev. Fr. Mintah today he will make him of the stock of the latter Shepherds of the order of Christ.

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