Good Shepherd Sunday
“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” The voice of the Good Shepherd is a guiding voice. It is a call to trust, to surrender, and to follow with unwavering faith.
On Good Shepherd Sunday we rejoice that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calls us his own. We belong to him who protects his sheep even at the cost of his own life. The distinctive marks of Jesus’ sheep are that they hear his voice and follow him. Being part of Christ’s flock involves not only being known by him, but knowing him and heeding his call. A sheep who has not attuned its ears to the voice of its shepherd is a lost sheep!
Although the world’s fertile meadows may look inviting, If our ears are not attuned to the voice of Christ we expose ourselves to the dangers of a life apart from God. But, if we listen to His voice, we will be within the protection of His love until the day we follow him into the pastures of eternal life.
Our free will tends to get in the way of our ability to heed the Shepherd’s voice. We hear the voice of the Shepherd in different ways: in His commandments, in the teachings and tradition of His Church, in the Scriptures, in our legitimate superiors, and in prayer. These are the means He uses to show us the path He wants us to follow. But this path always involves the cross, and our human nature recoils at the sight of suffering.
But, Jesus, our Divine Shepherd, is also a lamb who has tread the difficult way of suffering and the cross. He is the Lamb of God who offered himself in a sacrifice of perfect obedience to his Father’s will. We do not walk along the way of obedience and suffering alone; Jesus walks before us to sustain and protect us along the way.
This Sunday is also Mother’s Day. On this day, we honor the incredible love, strength, and devotion Mothers bring to our lives. The unwavering love and endless compassion of all mothers inspire us daily. May God's grace bless all mothers abundantly, filling their hearts with joy and peace. Happy Mother's Day!
In the love of our Good Shepherd,
Deacon Michael Braun