The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Like any other familiar quotation, these nine words from Psalm 23 are well-known but perhaps never fully reflected upon. What is a “Good Shepherd,” and why is this a title with which Jesus chose to identify himself?
The psalmist speaks of God as a shepherd of the people of Israel, and the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel speak of the Lord as a shepherd to the people as well. Jesus, in his public ministry, identifies with the prophetic images of the shepherd as a personification of the merciful nature of the Heavenly Father. The shepherd cares for the vulnerable sheep, and God himself becomes vulnerable to care for us who are susceptible to the powers of evil. In all the imageries of the divine in the various religious traditions, it is the strong yet tender figure of the shepherd to which the people of the Old and New Testament find consolation and hope.
The Good Shepherd is, therefore, the rightful model that Jesus puts forth for his apostles and disciples and what he seeks in those who lead and guide the church as bishops, priests, deacons and consecrated religious men and women. In recent weeks, the global public eye has been focused on Pope Leo. He has been presented by some as a political figure to be debated. However, he is not a politician but a shepherd. His role is to preach the Gospel with a partiality for the sheep. As the vicar of Christ, he has been called by the Holy Spirit to be strong, loving, wise, and faithful to his vocation. He is well-prepared to shepherd, having lived a priestly ministry that included missionary work, Prior General of the Augustine Order and as Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. As a shepherd, he has experienced not only the vulnerability of the flock but the necessary vulnerability of the Good Shepherd. He exhibits a courageous and uninhibited nature as he shepherds, simply stating that he is not afraid to “continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems.”
Let us pray for Pope Leo who will find strength in our prayer for him, a Good Shepherd for our times.
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS – This Sunday marks the 63rd Anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The purpose of World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly fulfill the Lord’s instruction to “Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2).
In his reflection on this day dedicated to praying for vocations, Pope Leo invites everyone…
…In families, parishes and religious communities, as well as bishops, priests, deacons, catechists, educators and all the faithful –– to commit themselves more fully to creating conditions that allow this gift to be embraced, nourished, protected and accompanied so that it may bear abundant fruit. Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer and enriched by fraternal accompaniment can God’s call blossom and mature, becoming a path of happiness and salvation for individuals and for the world. By embarking on the path that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, shows us, we come to know more deeply both ourselves and the God who calls us.
Support from the local faith community helps to strengthen and sustain those who are discerning a call to the vocations to priesthood and religious life. As a parish community, we are called to invite the men of our parish to consider a vocation to the priesthood. Actively inviting our young men to follow the Master’s call to “Go and Make Disciples” is a task for all of us.
75th ANNIVERSARY PLANNING – A two-page questionnaire appears again in today’s bulletin. If you have not already done so, please take the time to offer your input. The questionnaire can also be found here bit.ly/SROL75-ideas.
GOLF OUTING – As we have been publicizing over the last several weeks, our Inaugural Golf Outing is taking place Monday, May 4 at the Colonial Springs Golf Course. There are still opportunities to golf, attend the dinner, or sponsor the event. Please go to strosegolf.net for more information. We have received such an enthusiastic response so far. Don’t miss out and take advantage of the opportunity to share in this great day supporting our parish and school.
Peace!
