16th Sunday 2024 - Year B

The following are prayerful resources rather than a liturgy.

Mark 6:30-34 'They were like sheep without a shepherd'.

The apostles returned and met with Jesus, and told him all they had done and taught. There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat. So he said to them, "Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest for a while". So they started out in a boat by themselves for a lonely place.

Many people, however, saw them leave and knew at once who they were; so they went from all the towns and ran ahead by land and arrived at the place ahead of Jesus and his disciples. When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw this large crowd, and his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.

This is the gospel of the Lord. Commentary of the readings.

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Having used our prayer resources, you might want simply to reflect yourself on them and how that might flow into your coming week. Some people have found it very helpful to meet with others and share their thoughts.
If you are interested in joining a small group to share your thoughts and feelings about God's Word from any of the resources you have watched please email us. cluster.alpha@outlook.com

Questions for reflection (framed for a group discussion)

As his boat nears the shore Jesus looks out on a crowd of people who are without a shepherd (pastor-less) and looking for spiritual nourishment (pasture-less). In our own faith journey there are probably times when we seem lost in some ways and look around for something or someone to guide us.

Have you ever felt “pastorless” or “pastureless”? Where or from whom did you seek support?
What do you do to rest so that you can return to work refreshed? *

* All second questions © The Pastoral Center

Prayers of Intercession

Today we celebrate the Shepherd who leads all men to the Father, however far apart they may be in race or culture.

We pray for Pope Francis and the church throughout the world; that it may be a place of welcome and safety for all people in need.

Lord Hear us.

Let us pray for peace in the world, may God open the hearts of political and religious leaders to seek common ground for all people to live in safety, harmony and peace.

Lord Hear us.

We pray for all who have to leave their homes: that God may be with them on their journeys. May they find a safe place to stay and be welcomed by those that they meet along the way.

Lord Hear us.

Let us pray for our parish communities, family & friends, that God may through the Gospel truly resonate in our hearts and minds.

Lord Hear us.

For all those who are sick, those on our prayer foundation list, and those in need of healing, May the Lord pour out his healing love on them and all those who care for them at home, in hospital and care homes.

Lord Hear us.

We pray for all those who have died we remember especially… Jeanette Mulgrew, Ethan Hunter, Mark McHugh Pratt, Helen Barrett & Anne Grieve and those who mourn them and those whose anniversaries occur at this time may they be comforted by God’s love.

Lord Hear us.

Let us now say together our prayer to be missionary disciples.

Lord continue to bless our community
in this time of transition.
Help us on our journey
to grow from a maintenance church
to a missionary church.
Give us the courage
to be missionary disciples.
Make our doors wide enough
to receive all who need
human love and fellowship;
narrow enough to shut out
all envy, pride and prejudice.
Kindle in us the fire of your love
that all who come here
will find joy, peace and love.
Make this a house of prayer
and a gateway to your kingdom.
AMEN

Preparing for next week - 17th Sunday B

John 6:1-15 'Jesus gave out as much as was wanted to all who were sitting ready.'.

After this, Jesus went across Lake Galilee (or, Lake Tiberias, as it is also called). A large crowd followed him, because they had seen his miracles of healing those who were ill. Jesus went up a hill and sat down with his disciples.
The time for the Passover Festival was near. Jesus looked round and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, so he asked Philip, "Where can we buy enough food to feed all these people?" (He said this to test Philip; actually he already knew what he would do.)
Philip answered, "For everyone to have even a little, it would take more than two hundred silver coins to buy enough bread."
Another of his disciples, Andrew, who was Simon Peter's brother, said, "There is a boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish. But they will certainly not be enough for all these people."
"Make the people sit down," Jesus told them. (There was a lot of grass there.) So all the people sat down; there were about five thousand men. Jesus took the bread, gave thanks to God, and distributed it to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, and they all had as much as they wanted. When they were all full, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces left over; let us not waste any." So they gathered them all up and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left over from the five barley loaves which the people had eaten.
Seeing this miracle that Jesus had performed, the people there said, "Surely this is the Prophet ' who was to come into the world!" Jesus knew that they were about to come and seize him in order to make him king by force; so he went off again to the hills by himself.

Questions for reflection (framed for a group discussion)

Before we go reaching for Eucharistic metaphors, consider how Jesus thinks of peoples’ basic needs – they’ve walked a long way and now they’re hungry. Again and again he demonstrates how the flame of faith is lit with the spark of compassionate concern for what people lack right there and then.

Never try to feed the gospel to people with empty stomachs.

Have you ever heard of people being "evangelised/having their faith awakened" by the kindness and compassion of others?
When has the generous gift of another offered you hope? *