Trust the Shepherd's Love

~~~ Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ~~~

~~~ Ezekiel 34:11-16 ~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~ 

~~~ Romans 5:5B-11 ~~~ Luke 15:3-7 ~~~

The Lord is my shepherd; 

there is nothing I shall want.

Jesus is the good shepherd even though 

he was never a shepherd himself.

He did not even single out a shepherd to follow him.

Yet he views himself as a good shepherd.

A good shepherd we learn would leave

 his entire flock in search of one lost sheep.

This would be counter-intuitive to our initial reaction.

We might be inclined to focus

 on the rest of the flock thinking one lost

 out of the whole would not be too bad. 

That would be us reasoning with our head...our intellect.

But God gives a different perspective...

God values the one lost sheep 

just as much as he values the whole flock.

God proves his love for us

in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

The actions of Jesus give proof 

that he lets his heart guide his actions.

The one lost sheep is just as important

 to Jesus as the rest of the flock.

He leaves in search of the one who wandered away

 while the rest of the flock gets support from the whole flock.

The good shepherd does not abandon

 the whole flock for the one who is lost.

The flock stays together because the shepherd 

has led them to a lush green pasture.

The shepherd sees that they are safe

 before leaving in search of the lost one.

Today I invite you to look at your 

reflection in the mirror...

reminding yourself that if you 

are ever the one who is lost 

Jesus is out there looking for you.

I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

We are cared for, gathered, rescued,

 fed, led, protected, and most 

of all cherished by the 

Sacred Heart of Jesus.

How can we ask for anything more?

Trusting in the Lord to Bless us as part of his flock.

...he refreshes my soul.

~~~Peace~~~

Soul Accounting

~~~ Romans 14:7-12 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ Luke 15:1-10 ~~~

...there will be rejoicing among the angels of God

over one sinner who repents.

It is never too late to come back to the Lord.
Jesus chose to mingle with sinners.
Pope Francis chose to wash the feet of those in prison.

The shepherd goes in search of the lost sheep
even if they may not realize they are lost.
Jesus is the way for sinners to receive forgiveness.

None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.

Jesus is the living truth that you do not live for yourself alone.
Life would be too simple if your priority was only 'you'.

The lost sheep is found because the shepherd
knew one was missing.
Jesus is seeking you every moment of your life.
Jesus seeks you now for the times when you may be lost.
He knows you. You are so precious to him.

So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.

What will God ask of you on your final day?
Will you be given the opportunity to admit your failings?

How will you balance the ledger?
Will your acts of love, kindness, and forgiveness
be greater than your failings?

It does not matter how many or how severe
your sins may be Jesus restores life to your soul.

He is the only one who can restore your soul
to its original beauty.

...every knee shall bend before me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.

The soul, when restored to its beauty,
spontaneously bows before God;
praising him for his great mercy.

Giving an account before God
is the result of understanding and humility.
There will be no denial on your part
when you stand face to face with God.

God cannot be anything but transparent with you.
He is transparent through his desire
 to love you in spite of your sins.

He will bring you back amidst great heavenly rejoicing.

He knows the original unblemished
beauty of your soul; just as he created it.

May you be Blessed to believe
you are as precious as the one found sheep.

~~~Peace~~~

His Breath of Comfort

~~~ Isaiah 40:1-11~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Matthew 18:12-14 ~~~

 

 

At the beginning of chapter 40 in the book of Isaiah

the people of Judah were in exile.

They had failed to listen to the word of God.

They just could not get their act together.

So what was their future?

Would God move on to another group of people and leave these

people to suffer their own consequences?

 

The first few verses we have today is God's response.

"Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated..."

 

God is speaking words of forgiveness for their past offenses.

Just as he speaks words of forgiveness to us for our offenses today.

God will never abandon his chosen ones.

 

The wonderful thing about God is that he grants pardon

and forgiveness whether or not you may deserve it.

The question of deserving is not part of the relationship where

God is concerned. Here again we are reminded that

the ways of God are not like our ways.

 

Children often feel their punishment

is out of proportion for their offenses;

so it is not surprising that this community

felt God had punished them long enough.

"...Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins."

 

Repenting for our past offenses may mean retreating to the desert for a time.

Alone in the desert one can better focus on the hear God's voice.

 

"...In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!"

 

The verses go on to provide proof that with God

nothing is viewed as an obstacle.
Whether it is mountains or valleys, rugged or flat plains

the glory of the Lord will be revealed.

 

 

God, like a good shepherd, nurtures and cares for his sheep.

A good shepherd counts his sheep and knows if even one is missing.

He goes out in search of the solitary lost sheep;

he gives him comfort upon finding him.

 

This is a comforting image of God as the good shepherd

rather than unapproachable royalty,

such as a king or queen.

As we have seen in the media royalty

rarely interacts with the general public.

When the royal family ventures out among the common people

they are surrounded by security.

Jesus moved freely mingling with the 'common' people of the area.

Jesus felt most comfortable among the poor and the lowly.

He sought out the lost lonely sheep.

He reached out to them drawing them into his loving care...

just as good shepherd.

 

Is there an area of your heart that would benefit

from the comfort of the good shepherd?

Be patient he will come with his breath of comfort,

as he gathers you to his 'bosom'.

 

We wait on the Lord with anticipation.

Comfort, give comfort to my people...

how sweet the sound of these words of the Lord.