Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In this Sunday’s gospel, we see one of the great images of not just the gospels but of the whole Scriptures; the image of the Shepherd. In the Old Testament, God himself is represented as the shepherd of his people. Psalm 23 begins with "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." The prophet Isaiah in speaking of the coming messiah says: "Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care." (Isaiah 40:11). This ideal image of the shepherd finds its complete realization in Christ. In the gospels, Jesus declares “I am the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.” In many countries, sheep are raised for their meat, but in Israel at the time of Jesus, they would have been mainly raised for their wool and for milk. Therefore, they would have stayed for many years with the shepherd who would have known well each of the sheep in his flock. The image of Christ, as the good Shepherd, is one of the most ancient images of the Christian faith. It is a common image to see Christ, the good shepherd, carrying a lamb on his shoulders.
In our life of faith, it is a great gift to know that Jesus wants to be our Shepherd - to lead us and guide us where he wants us to go. The challenge for us is to let him lead and for us to follow. May God give us the grace we need to see Him, to hear Him, and to follow Him.
This past Thursday at the Basilica, our young people received the sacrament of Confirmation. A special thank you to all of the parents who have diligently led your children to these important milestones. A special thank you also goes to Michelle Boris for her hard work in preparing our young people for Confirmation.
God bless,
Fr. Tony