16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

1“Woe to the shepherds who scatter and tear apart the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord. 2Because of this, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to the shepherds who pasture my people: You have scattered my flock, and you have driven them away, and you have not visited them. Behold, I will visit upon you because of your evil pursuits, says the Lord. 3And I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the entire earth, from the places to which I had cast them out. And I will return them to their own fields. And they will increase and be multiplied. 4And I will raise up shepherds over them, and they will pasture them. They will no longer dread, and they will no longer fear. And no one among their number will be seeking more, says the Lord. 5Behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch. And a king will reign, and he will be wise. And he will exercise judgment and justice upon the earth. 6In those days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in confidence. And this is the name that they will call him: ‘The Lord, our Just One.’

1A Psalm of David. The Lord directs me, and nothing will be lacking to me.

2He has settled me here, in a place of pasture. He has led me out to the water of refreshment.

3He has converted my soul. He has led me away on the paths of justice, for the sake of his name.

4For, even if I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they have given me consolation.

5You have prepared a table in my sight, opposite those who trouble me. You have anointed my head with oil, and my cup, which inebriates me, how brilliant it is!

6And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and so may I dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days.

13But now, in Christ Jesus, you, who were in times past far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace. He made the two into one, by dissolving the intermediate wall of separation, of opposition, by his flesh, 15emptying the law of commandments by decree, so that he might join these two, in himself, into one new man, making peace 16and reconciling both to God, in one body, through the cross, destroying this opposition in himself. 17And upon arriving, he evangelized peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near. 18For by him, we both have access, in the one Spirit, to the Father.

30And the Apostles, returning to Jesus, reported to him everything that they had done and taught. 31And he said to them, “Go out alone, into a deserted place, and rest for a little while.” For there were so many who were coming and going, that they did not even have time to eat. 32And climbing into a boat, they went away to a deserted place alone. 33And they saw them going away, and many knew about it. And together they ran by foot from all the cities, and they arrived before them. 34And Jesus, going out, saw a great multitude. And he took pity on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.