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TODAY’S WORD…

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“I am the Good Shepherd.”

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– John 10:11 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus came into the world to gather God’s flock

– He is the Good Shepherd.

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The Good Shepherd comes to return the lost sheep to its flock,

to guide it,

to defend it,

to feed it,

to judge it,

and to lead it finally to the eternal pastures irrigated by springs of the water of life (Rev 7:17).

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Jesus is the Good Shepherd proclaimed by the prophets.

He knows each one of His sheep and calls it by its name (Jn 10:3).

Yes, Jesus knows us personally.

He calls us, seeks us and heals us.

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There is no need for us to feel lost, submerged in a huge mass of nameless humanity.

To Him each one of us is unique.

We can say with perfect accuracy: He loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal 2:20).

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Jesus distinguishes my voice among many others.

No Christian has the right to say he or she is alone. Jesus is there, with him, with her.

If we are lost in the by-ways of wrongdoing,

the Good Shepherd is already out searching for us.

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Only the perverse will and obstinacy of each individual sheep

can bring to naught the vigilance of the Shepherd

– in other words, a plain refusal to return to the sheepfold.

That, and that alone.

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QUOTE…

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“In the same way that a ship with a good pilot arrives safely in port,

so also will the soul that has a good shepherd safely reach its destination

even though it may many times have gone astray.”

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– St. John Climacus

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, my Good Shepherd, I entrust myself to You.

Protect me, O Lord. Lead me, O Lord.

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[*] Today’s reflection is sourced from the seven-volume work “In Conversation with God” by Padre Francisco Fernández Carvajal.