May Jesus Christ be
praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. The message of our readings and the focus of
our prayers is that the Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd calls
us by name. In the waters of baptism
each of us was called by name. We were
called into a relationship of love with God the Father, God the Son and God the
Holy Spirit. We were washed clean of
original sin. We became members of the
Holy Church of God, and we were marked forever as children of God. In the sacrament of Confirmation, we were
called by name and sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus is our Good Shepherd and he
calls us by name.
The Good Shepherd walks
ahead of us. The Good Shepherd walks
ahead of us because he alone knows the way.
He knows the way because he is the way. He is the one who is sent from
the Father. He was sent to us so that he
might lead us to the house of the Father. The Lord Jesus is our Good Shepherd and he
walks ahead of us.
The Good Shepherd
suffers for the flock. Every shepherd
suffers for the flock entrusted to his care. Every mother and every father suffers for
their children. The Lord Jesus was
insulted, beaten, and crucified for the flock. The Lord Jesus was insulted, beaten, and
crucified by the flock. The sheep bit
the hand of the Shepherd, yet from his wounded hands we receive the gift of
life. The Lord Jesus is our Good
Shepherd and he suffers for the flock.
The Good Shepherd leads
us to green pastures. He leads us to
feed us. Each week we gather for the
celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the Lord Jesus feeds us with his Holy Word. As the Scriptures are proclaimed to us each
week, we are fed by the Good Shepherd who feeds us with his Word and with his
own precious Body and Blood in Holy Communion.
The Church is the green pasture where Jesus our Good Shepherd leads
us. The Church is the green pasture
where the Good Shepherd feeds us.
The Good Shepherd
guards us as members of the flock. He
guards us with his teaching in the Holy Scriptures. He guards us and protects us with the
teachings of his Holy Church. He guards
us from the wolves of the errors of the world. He guards us from the wolves of idolatry. He guards us from the wolves that seek to
separate us from the flock. The Good
Shepherd has shared his role and his mission with the bishops and the priests. He is the Good Shepherd. Every shepherd in the Church shares in his
ministry and his mission, because ultimately, the flock belongs to Him. The Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd who
guards the members of his flock.
As we celebrate this Eucharist
today, we remember that the Good Shepherd has called us by name. We ask for the grace to follow the Good
Shepherd to the green pastures and to be fed by his Word and His Body. And we ask for the protection of the Good
Shepherd, the one who has suffered for us, to guard us from all harm and lead
us to eternal life. Amen.
Preached
at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
