Christ Our Light Catholic Church - Loudonville, NY

July 20 and 21, 2024
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From Deacon Dick ~ 

Evangelii Gaudium ("The Joy of the Gospel")

In today’s Gospel, Jesus' lesson for the disciples is to see how he identified with the needs that appeared before him. He was showing his followers that if they wanted to carry forth his mission, they had to feel the real needs of the people. Only then would they know what they had to offer.

Pope Francis explains this in Evangelii Gaudium ("The Joy of the Gospel") when he says that an evangelizing community gets involved in people's daily lives, it bridges difference and is even willing to abase itself if necessary. In case are too concerned for efficiency and our free time, Francis also reminds us that something lovers understand instinctively applies to our mission as well: "Evangelization consists mostly of patience and disregard for constraints of time."

Jesus went off to rest with his disciples and, although he may not have planned it that way, their lost retreat turned into one of the most important and memorable times they spent with him. Jesus' response to this crowd would lead to the great communion among the crowd, and it all began because Jesus saw that the people needed a shepherd.

Francis puts the call clearly when he says in Evangelii Gaudium, "I hope that all communities will devote the necessary effort to advancing along the path of a pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they presently are". As the saying goes, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."