SUNDAY -  Good Shepherd Sunday

For me the description in today's gospel that caught me attention was something that many may not recall often or may now know:  sheep do follow a shepherd but if several "herds" are mixed together in a holding situation, they know the voice of their shepherd.  They ignore the other shepherds.  Their shepherd's voice is not just a call to move out of the mixed group, it is a signal to follow the leader who cares and nourishes them.

Today's gospel reminds us that each one of us has a shepherd who calls us to follow him especially at difficult times.  Jesus, our shepherd is our guide who care for and nourishes us, the sheep of his flock.  The wonderful gift of this image of the Good Shepherd is this:  understanding this reality does not demand a PhD or years of theological study.  All we need is a heart and a soul mixed together with a little understanding.

What is before us is both extraordinarily easy to understand and extraordinarily easy to overlook or bypass.  It is easy to understand when we hear words like these spoken to us by our Good Shepherd: (1)  there is nothing you shall want; (2) I am with you at all times; (3) I am your bread of life; and (4) if you are lost, I will not give up trying to find you.  It is easy to overlook or bypass when we confront challenges and have these thoughts in our minds:  (1) I cannot turn from a certain temptation; (2) I don't need God right now; (3) I cannot believe God really cares when I relatives or friends dying a slow death from illnesses, especially young ones; and (4) I cannot believe all that Jesus said about caring for me -- I have not been able to get a job for two years.  And it could go on and on.

Even to us who regularly gather around the altar to pray and receive the Eucharist , immunity from temptations has not been given.  We know, or at least we should know and remember, that Original Sin is as much a part of our lives as is breathing.  Regardless of the level of personal holiness --and most of us are truly holy to some degree-- the Evil Spirit is like a wolf that will pursue the lamb that breaks away from the flock.  BUT, BUT, BUT our grace-filled gift is that we have the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation that God has given to us to provide the strength, the grace-filled  powers, especially the Eucharist, to stand up against the temptations that Satan puts before us.

So today, look at the image of the Good Shepherd.  Talk to him.  Pray to him.  Let him know the challenges that seem to cause you difficulties in your spiritual life.  Ask for the reinforcements you need to be as strong as possible.  Let him lift you up on his shoulder, just as a shepherd does for the lamb that broke away from the fold.  He will carry you but only on one condition:  you have to allow him to do so!

Photo:  Dreamstime