Breaking Open the Word - 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
You Are Wanted
What’s happening
Most of us want to know that we matter.
We want to know that we are valued, accepted, and loved. Whether we realise it or not, much of our lives are spent looking for signs that we belong. Sometimes we look for them in our achievements. We work hard, do our best, and hope that our success will prove our worth.
Sometimes we look for them in the approval of others. A kind word, an invitation, a message, a compliment—these small things can brighten our day because they remind us that we are seen.
Yet there are moments when we wonder.
Have I done enough?
Am I good enough?
Do I really matter?
Those questions can become even louder when we make mistakes, disappoint ourselves, or fall short of our own expectations. We may begin to think that we need to earn acceptance, prove our value, or somehow become "better" before we can truly belong.
What it means to me
The readings this Sunday paint a very different picture.
In the Gospel, Jesus looks upon the crowds and sees people who are "harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd." I find that image deeply comforting. Jesus does not see a crowd of failures. He does not see people who should have tried harder. He sees people who are tired, lost, confused, and in need of care.
And His heart is moved with compassion. Perhaps that is how He sees us too.
He sees us when we feel lost.
He sees us when life feels overwhelming.
He sees us when we struggle with our weaknesses.
He sees us when we wonder whether we are enough.
He sees us when we carry burdens that no one else can see.
And He does not turn away.
Instead, He looks upon us with the same compassion He showed the crowds in today's Gospel.
That same love runs through the other readings this Sunday.
In the first reading, God reminds the Israelites how He carried them "on eagle's wings" and brought them to Himself. Before He speaks of commandments or covenant, He reminds them of His love and care. Then He says something extraordinary:
"You shall be my very own."
God's relationship with His people does not begin with what they have done for Him. It begins with what He has done for them.
The second reading reveals the same truth. St Paul tells us that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Not after we had changed our lives. Not after we had become holy. Not after we had finally got everything right.
While we were still sinners.
That is how much we are loved.
The message running through all three readings is simple but powerful:
before God asks anything of us, He wants us.
Before we prove ourselves, He chooses us. Before we take a single step towards Him, He is already reaching out to us.
We do not belong because we have earned our place. We belong because God has made us His own.
Today
This week, take a moment to be still and reflect on this question:
What am I relying on to tell me that I matter?
Success?
Recognition?
The approval of others?
Then spend a few moments with these words:
"I am loved by God."
"I belong to Him."
"I am wanted."
Not because of what you have achieved.
Not because of what others think of you.
Not because you have earned it.
Simply because God has chosen you and calls you His own.
As you sit with this truth, take a moment to thank God for the ways He has been present in your life. Perhaps it is through your family, a friend who cares for you, a challenge that helped you grow, or simply the gift of another day.
Gratitude has a way of opening our eyes to God's love. The more we recognise His gifts, the more we begin to see that we have never been walking alone.
This week, make it a habit to thank God for one thing each day. It need not be something extraordinary. Often, it is in the ordinary blessings of life that we discover just how much we are loved.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
So often I look for my worth in the wrong places. I rely on what I achieve, what others think of me, or how well I am doing. Help me to remember that my value comes from being loved by You.
When I feel inadequate, remind me that You chose me before I could ever earn Your love. When I feel lost, help me to trust that You are my shepherd. When I feel alone, help me to remember that I belong to You.
Open my eyes to the many ways You have blessed me and teach me to live with a grateful heart. May gratitude help me recognise Your presence in my life and trust more deeply in Your love.
Help me to live each day with the confidence of knowing that I am seen, loved, and wanted by You.
Amen.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
On Friday, the Church celebrated the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Sacred Heart is a symbol of Jesus' love for us. It reminds us that God's love is not distant or abstract, but personal, compassionate, and faithful.
In the Gospels, we often see Jesus moved by the needs of others. He welcomes sinners, comforts the suffering, forgives those who have fallen, and seeks out those who are lost. The Sacred Heart reminds us that this same love continues today.
When Catholics honour the Sacred Heart, they are responding to the love of Christ and placing their trust in the One who knows them completely and loves them unconditionally.
The Sacred Heart invites us to remember a simple truth: we are deeply loved by God.
Breaking Open the Word connects God's Word with the realities of everyday life. Produced by the Catechetical Ministry.
Readings: https://universalis.com/Asia.Singapore/20260614/mass.htm
