Ignatian Meditation: One Flock, One Shepherd

According to Ignatius, we don’t listen to scripture in order to break open its’ meaning. We listen to scripture to break open our meaning. God meets us where we are, individually, in the moment. A moment in scripture can lead us. It can fill our hearts with more love and fill our lives with more light.

In the moments of today’s Gospel, I hear the echo of both John 10 and Psalm 23. I see images of the Good Shepherd who leads his flock. He hears they need to eat and “get some rest.” So they follow him, into a boat and over still waters to a ”quiet place.” His voice is intimate and tender. “Come with me,” he says, “by yourselves.” And they follow him to the “solitary place.”

In the next moment, Jesus sees a crowd, lost like sheep. They, too, have heard his voice and have followed him. When he sees them, his heart fills with compassion and he brings them close. It is one flock, one shepherd, who holds and heals them, who teaches and loves them.

How does the voice of Jesus console me today? What needs do I bring to the shores of God’s love?

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 Jesus 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.

Mark 6:30-34