In today’s Gospel, people from towns all over Galilee hurried to see and hear Jesus. His heart was moved, for they appeared to be “sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus is that shepherd. Jesus is our shepherd. He has drawn us here, from different households, from different families, perhaps even from different towns. We come to celebrate the Eucharist, this wonderful sacrament that Jesus established to be celebrated in his name until the end of time, this sacrament in which we receive our Lord, our redeemer, our shepherd.
On the weekend of July 24-25th, we celebrate the Feast of St. James, on the anniversary of the consecration of the St. James church building. We celebrate all three groups of our parish (St. James, St. Leo, and St. James Academy) at the various St. James Masses.