The Good Shepherd

Today is ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’ and we had a lovely sermon about how our priest feels like our shepherd and worries about us. It is so good to have guidance and support in our journey in faith and know that our priest is praying for our wellbeing and cares deeply for us.

We are all on a journey and we face many challenges in our lives, especially when we become christians. We face all sorts of temptations and can so easily give in and say: ‘why not, everyone else is doing it, nobody cares…’ Attending church can also be difficult at the moment with covid restrictions and there is a danger of falling away for many. Sadly for some it is a habit rather than something they do out of love and thankfulness. Once out of that habit, they question why they go at all and if they do, then they haven’t been viewing their attendance in the right way or the glorious gift that is given to us every time we attend Mass/a service.

Our priest/minister is our shepherd, looking after us and making sure that we stay safe spiritually. In St John’s Gospel (10:11-15, as below), we hear how a good shepherd would not abandon his sheep but would keep them safe from the wolf. Also we know that sheep will follow the shepherd they know, they won’t follow strangers. Similarly, we become used to the priests we have listened to, we trust them to lead us well and we need to stay with them no matter what. There are many wolves out there in many guises. We have to be wary of following a shepherd that hasn’t got our best interests at heart and we can only discern this when we stay close to God by praying about whatever steps we are taking and listen to his guiding voice.

God bless you and may you find the right shepherd that will lead you on your spiritual journey,

John 10:11-15

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.