In an April 2013 homily given at Mass at which several priests were ordained, Pope Francis exhorted those men to pursue unity with Christ so that unity within the Church will grow:
Finally, dear sons, exercising for your part the office of Christ, Head and Shepherd, while united with the Bishop and subject to him, strive to bring the faithful together into one family, so that you may lead them to God the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit.
A year later, speaking to another group of men being ordained as priests, he said:
The Good Shepherd enters through the door, and the doors of mercy are the wounds of the Lord: if you do not enter into your ministry through the Lord’s wounds, you will not be good shepherds.
A good shepherd does several things well: he tends to his sheep, feeding and watching over them; he defends the sheep from danger; he leads the sheep to good pastures and water. Most importantly, he is willing to sacrifice himself for the sheep, putting them ahead of his own comfort and safety. We see this demonstrated in various ways by several famous shepherds in Scripture: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Amos, and the young David. And, of course, those shepherds didn’t just care for sheep but for people: families, tribes, nations, and empires.
Sheep and shepherds are mentioned many times in the Old Testament, often regarding those significant relationships between the people and their leaders, and sometimes to the relationship between the people and God. In Genesis, for instance, God is called “the Shepherd” (Gen. 49:24); on the negative side, there are several places where the Israelites are described as sheep without a shepherd or master (1 Kng. 22:17; 2 Chr. 18:16). This theme is taken up by many of the prophets, especially Ezekiel and Jeremiah.
Today’s reading from Jeremiah is a harsh condemnation of those who do not really protect and care for the people: “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture … You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.” Ezekiel 34 contains equally withering words in a lengthy condemnation of corrupt and sinful leaders—both religious and political—who proved to be unworthy shepherds.
Jeremiah pointed to a coming time when God would gather “a remnant” of his flock, appointing good and holy men “who will “shepherd them.”
The twelve apostles were the beginning of that flock. But they had to learn from the Good Shepherd how to withstand the temptations and challenges that come with being shepherds. After the apostles had spent time preaching and witnessing, Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” This rest was not only physical in nature, but deeply spiritual as well. Although the wilderness was often a place of testing and trial, it was a place of respite and revival when accompanied by God (cf. Ex 33:14; Heb 4:9-11).
In Christ, as the Apostle Paul told the Christians in Ephesus, lasting peace will be realized and granted between the Jews and Gentiles. This peace is not the mere absence of conflict, but a real and lasting reconciliation. And that relationship is found only in the presence of God.
As King David expressed so beautifully in his most famous Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. … He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake.”
And so the good and divine shepherd, Jesus Christ, guides, protects, and feeds us. And gives us peace. But this is only possible because of his work of reconciliation “through the cross”. Only by dying does the shepherd fulfill his ultimate work of mercy, love, and reconciliation.
(This “Opening the Word” column originally appeared in a slightly different form in the July 8, 2018 edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)
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Carl E. Olson is editor of Catholic World Report and Ignatius Insight. He is the author of Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?, Will Catholics Be "Left Behind"?, co-editor/contributor to Called To Be the Children of God, co-author of The Da Vinci Hoax (Ignatius), and author of the "Catholicism" and "Priest Prophet King" Study Guides for Bishop Robert Barron/Word on Fire. His recent books on Lent and Advent—Praying the Our Father in Lent (2021) and Prepare the Way of the Lord (2021)—are published by Catholic Truth Society. He is also a contributor to "Our Sunday Visitor" newspaper, "The Catholic Answer" magazine, "The Imaginative Conservative", "The Catholic Herald", "National Catholic Register", "Chronicles", and other publications. Follow him on Twitter @carleolson.
Pope Francis with Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery of Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments, at the consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica, Aug. 27, 2022 / Daniel Ibáñez / CNA
Rome Newsroom, Aug 27, 2022 / 08:31 am (CNA).
Pope Francis created 20 new cardinals for the Catholic Church during a liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica Saturday.
“Jesus calls us by name; he looks us in the eye and he asks: Can I count on you?” Pope Francis said in a homily addressed to the College of Cardinals and its new members on Aug. 27.
“The Lord,” he said, “wants to bestow on us his own apostolic courage, his zeal for the salvation of every human being, without exception. He wants to share with us his magnanimity, his boundless and unconditional love, for his heart is afire with the mercy of the Father.”
The pope’s reflection followed a reading from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12, verses 49-50: “In that time, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!’”
“The words of Jesus, in the very middle of the Gospel of Luke, pierce us like an arrow,” Francis said.
“The Lord calls us once more to follow him along the path of his mission,” he said. “A fiery mission – like that of Elijah – not only for what he came to accomplish but also for how he accomplished it. And to us who in the Church have been chosen from among the people for a ministry of particular service, it is as if Jesus is handing us a lighted torch and telling us: ‘Take this; as the Father has sent me so I now send you.’”
The pope ended his homily mentioning that one cardinal-elect, Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa (Ghana), was not present. Francis asked for prayers for the African prelate, explaining Baawobr had been taken ill.
At the beginning of the consistory, Pope Francis pronounced the opening prayer of the ceremony in Latin.
During the ceremony, the new cardinals made a profession of faith by reciting the Creed. They then pronounced an oath of fidelity and obedience to the pope and his successors.
Each cardinal then approached Pope Francis, kneeling before him to receive the red birretta, the cardinal’s ring, and a document naming the titular church he has been assigned.
Pope Francis embraced each new cardinal, saying to him: “Pax Domini sit semper tecum,” which is Latin for “the peace of the Lord be with you always.” Each cardinal responded: “Amen.”
The new cardinals also exchanged a sign of peace with a number of the members of the College of Cardinals, representative of the whole college.
While placing the red biretta on the head of each cardinal, the pope recited these words: “To the glory of almighty God and the honor of the Apostolic See, receive the scarlet biretta as a sign of the dignity of the cardinalate, signifying your readiness to act with courage, even to the shedding of your blood, for the increase of the Christian faith, for the peace and tranquility of the people of God and for the freedom and growth of the Holy Roman Church.”
As he gave each new cardinal the ring, Francis said: “Receive this ring from the hand of Peter and know that, with the love of the Prince of the Apostles, your love for the Church is strengthened.”
In his homily, the pope said: “The Lord wants to bestow on us his own apostolic courage, his zeal for the salvation of every human being, without exception. He wants to share with us his magnanimity, his boundless and unconditional love, for his heart is afire with the mercy of the Father.”
He also recalled another kind of fire, that of charcoal. “This fire,” he said, “burns in a particular way in the prayer of adoration, when we silently stand before the Eucharist and bask in the humble, discreet and hidden presence of the Lord. Like that charcoal fire, his presence becomes warmth and nourishment for our daily life.”
“A Cardinal loves the Church, always with that same spiritual fire, whether dealing with great questions or handling everyday problems, with the powerful of this world or those ordinary people who are great in God’s eyes,” he said.
The pope named three men as examples for the cardinals to follow: Saint Charles de Foucauld, Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, and Cardinal Van Thuân.
The consistory to create cardinals also included a greeting and thank you to Pope Francis, expressed by Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the liturgy dicastery, on behalf of all the new cardinals.
Cardinal Arthur Roche speaking on behalf of the new cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica, Aug. 27. 2022. Daniel Ibáñez / CNA
“All of us, coming from different parts of the world, with our personal stories and different life situations, carry out our ministry in the vineyard of the Lord. As diocesan and religious priests, we are at the service of preaching the Gospel in many different ways and in different cultures, but always united in the one faith and the one Church,” Roche said.
“Now, in manifesting your trust in us, you call us to this new service, in an even closer collaboration with your ministry, within the broad horizon of the universal Church,” he continued. “God knows the dust of which we are all made, and we know well that without Him we are capable of falling short.”
Roche quoted Saint Gregory the Great, who once wrote to a bishop: “We are all weak, but he is weakest of all who ignores his own weakness.”
“However, we draw strength from you, Holy Father,” he said, “from your witness, your spirit of service and your call to the entire Church to follow the Lord with greater fidelity; living the joy of the Gospel with discernment, courage and, above all, with an openness of heart that manifests itself in welcoming everyone, especially those who suffer the injustice of poverty that marginalizes, the suffering of pain that seeks a response of meaning, the violence of wars that turn brothers into enemies. We share with you the desire and commitment for communion in the Church.”
At the end of the consistory to create cardinals, Pope Francis convened a consistory for the cardinals to give their approval to the canonizations of Blessed Artemide Zatti and Giovanni Battista Scalabrini.
The new cardinals are:
— Cardinal Arthur Roche, 72, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and former Bishop of Leeds (England);
— Lazarus You Heung-sik, 70, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy and former Bishop of Daejeon (South Korea);
— Jean-Marc Noël Aveline, 63, Archbishop of Marseille, the first French diocesan bishop to get the honor during Pope Francis’ pontificate;
— Peter Ebere Okpaleke, 59, Bishop of Ekwulobia in the central region of Nigeria, who was created bishop in 2012 by Benedict XVI;
— Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, 77, Archbishop of Manaus, in Brazil’s Amazon region, a Franciscan who played a leading role during the Amazon Synod and as Vice President of the recently created Amazonian Bishops’ Conference;
— Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão, 69, Archbishop of Goa (India), appointed bishop by St. John Paul II in 1993;
— Robert McElroy, 68, Bishop of San Diego (United States), whose diocese is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, led by the President of the USCCB, Archbishop José Gomez;
— Virgilio do Carmo Da Silva, 68, a Salesian, since 2019 the Archbishop of Dili (East Timor);
— Oscar Cantoni, 71, Bishop of Como (Italy), appointed in January 2005 by St. John Paul II, who is suffragan to Milan;
— Archbishop Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, L.C., 77, president of the Governorate of the Vatican City State and of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State; the Spaniard is the first Legionary of Christ to become a cardinal;
— Anthony Poola, 60, Archbishop of Hyderabad (India), a bishop since 2008 and the first dalit to become a cardinal;
–Paulo Cezar Costa, 54, Archbishop of Brasilia (Brazil), the fourth archbishop of the Brazilian capital to become a cardinal;
— Richard Kuuia Baawobr, 62, Bishop of Wa (Ghana), former Superior General of the White Fathers, and bishop since 2016;
— William Goh Seng Chye, 65, Archbishop of Singapore since 2013;
— Adalberto Martinez Flores, 71, Archbishop of Asunción (Paraguay) and the first Paraguayan cardinal;
— Giorgio Marengo, 47, Italian Missionary of the Consolata and Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator in Mongolia, the youngest cardinal in recent history, along with Karol Wojtyla, who also was created a cardinal at 47, during the consistory of June 26, 1967.
Furthermore, Pope Francis appointed the following prelates over the age of 80, who are therefore excluded from attending a future conclave.
Jorge Enrique Jiménez Carvajal, 80, Archbishop Emeritus of Cartagena (Colombia); Arrigo Miglio, 80, Archbishop Emeritus of Cagliari (Italy); Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, a Jesuit and former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, who extensively collaborated in the drafting of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium; and Fortunato Frezza, 80, (Italy) currently a Canon at the Basilica of St. Peter, who collaborated for several years at the Secretariat General for the Synod of the Bishops.
Pope Francis had originally also nominated Ghent Bishop Luc Van Looy, 80, who later declined to accept the post because of criticism of his response to clergy abuse cases.
Vatican City, Jul 21, 2022 / 07:25 am (CNA).
The Vatican has issued another warning of a new schism from Germany coming out of the “Synodal Way.”“The ‘Synodal Way’ in Germany does not have the power to compel b… […]
Pope Francis waves to people in St. Peter’s Square during his Regina caeli address May 2, 2021. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Vatican City, May 2, 2021 / 05:30 am (CNA).
It is our task as Christians to proclaim the good news of the Gospel and to bear the good fruit of love in the world, Pope Francis said at his Regina caeli address on Sunday.
“The fruit that, like the branches, we must give, bears witness to our Christian life,” the pope said May 2.
“After Jesus ascended to the Father, it is the task of the disciples – it is our task – to continue to proclaim the Gospel in words and in deeds,” he added. “And they and us, disciples of Jesus, do so by bearing witness to his love: the fruit to be borne is love.”
Francis gave his weekly Sunday reflection from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square. Afterward, he led the recitation of the Regina caeli, a Marian prayer said during the Easter season.
The pope explained the importance of being attached to Christ, the vine, so that “we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and in this way we can do good to our neighbor and do good to society, to the Church.”
“We recognize the tree by its fruits,” he stated. “A truly Christian life bears witness to Christ.”
Pope Francis’ meditation centered on the day’s Gospel reading from St. John, in which Jesus tells his disciples “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”
“The Lord presents himself as the true vine, and speaks of us as the branches that cannot live without being united to him,” the pope said, noting that Jesus used the verb “to abide,” also sometimes translated as “to remain,” seven times in the Gospel reading.
Francis said to abide or remain in Jesus is not a passive activity, “letting oneself be lulled by life,” but an active and reciprocal action: “We abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in us.”
“How can we do this?” he said. “Jesus says to us: ‘If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.'”
“The fruitfulness of our life depends on prayer,” he stated, explaining that in prayer we can ask Jesus for the gift of seeing the world with his eyes.
This way, he said, we can “love our brothers and sisters, starting from the poorest and those who suffer the most, as he did, and to love them with his heart and to bring to the world fruits of goodness, fruits of charity, and fruits of peace.”
Pope Francis explained that first of all, we need the Lord. Before we can follow God’s commandments, before we can live the beatitudes, and perform works of mercy, “it is necessary to be joined to him, to abide in him.”
“We cannot be good Christians if we do not abide in Jesus. And yet with him, we can do everything,” he underlined. “With him we can do everything.”
“Let us entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary,” he concluded. “She remained fully united to Jesus and bore much fruit. May she help us abide in Christ, in his love, in his word, to bear witness in the world to the Risen Lord.”
At the end of the Regina caeli, Pope Francis sent his good wishes to Christians of the Orthodox Church and Eastern and Latin Catholic Churches, who celebrate Easter according to the Julian calendar, which falls this year on May 2.
“May the risen Lord fill them with light and peace, and comfort the communities living in particularly difficult situations. Happy Easter to them!” he said.
The pope also referenced the ongoing situation in Burma, where security forces have opened fire on people protesting the military coup, resulting in injuries and deaths.
He said the Church in Burma is encouraging everyone to devote one Hail Mary of their daily rosary during the month of May for peace in Burma.
“Each of us turns to our mother when he or she is in need or in difficulty,” he said. “We, this month, ask our Heavenly Mother to speak to the hearts of all those responsible in Myanmar, so that they may find the courage to walk the path of encounter, reconciliation and peace.”
Pope Francis also expressed his closeness to the people of Israel, where crowds at a Jewish religious festival on Mount Maron led to a crush of people resulting in 45 deaths and some 150 injuries the night of April 29 to April 30.
“I assure my remembrance in prayer for the victims of this tragedy and their families,” he said.
“He was a doctor, rich in science and faith. He was able to recognize the face of Christ in the sick and, as a good Samaritan, he helped them with evangelical charity. May his example help us to take care of those who suffer in body and spirit,” he said, encouraging a round of applause for the new blessed.
Amen!
In Jeremiah and Jesus The Christ’s own words in The Word Of GOD,
each of us needs to strive by non cajoling GOD’s Grace Led compassion.
After, almost imperceptible each year and decades as the intellectual material needs focused happened, Ven. Fulton J. Sheen in a radio address before 1950, the Catechism of The Catholic Church paragraphs 670-680 describe a time of a so called new humanitarianism gradualism approach even in the Holy Name Of Jesus The Christ.
Each of us knows, that GOD, never leaving us orphaned, does not ask to win friends and influence people by striving for ‘lack of conflict,’ but GOD’s Sent True Peace, not as the world gives, Peace, for true compassion, finding by Grace creative resolute dialogue. There is nothing new under the sun. Peace and heartfelt completeness in Joy Of The Lord Strengthening fiber of Being.
Shepherd and Sheep Dogs
Much has been written about the Good Shepherd, Shepherds, and Sheep Dogs.
I doubt that a single Good Shepherd would leave the flock to search for one lost sheep. What if half of the flock, without leadership, would fall off a cliff?
I like the idea of a Shepherd and Sheep Dogs. The Shepherd is the leader and the Sheep Dogs are the managers/soldiers.
I attended a sheep dog demonstration in Ireland many years ago. It was very impressive. The human shepherd trained the sheep dogs to respond to specific whistle signal commands. The shepherd gave commands, like 2 tweets to move the flock to a certain location, 4 tweets to come home for dinner. The dogs lead the flock to move around to respond to these commands. It was fascinating. It appeared to be a successful system.
Is there an application of the concept of well-trained Sheep Dogs to modern religion? Maybe. It might give a fresh perspective in the current era of foggy thinking.
Patrick S.
Yes, as an actual shepherd I frequently look for the lost lamb or sheep, esp if it has been ill.
Man needs guidance in this world of temptation, just as a sheep has no defense against a predator, except to snort and stomp its feet, and try to butt it with its head, or run. In other words, the ovine needs someone looking out for them.
Another important comment, in the closing part of the Gospel: Jesus arrives on the other shore of the Sea of Galilee, where His followers already preceded Him. They are hungry (and we’ll see that next week) first and foremost for what He has to offer, “because He taught with authority, and not like the scribes.” People still are, and we have an unparalleled Good News. Why are we diluting it?
“…we have an unparalleled Good News. Why are we diluting it?”
Amen! Amen!
It is so sad to see that Catholic faith and morals have been so pathetically watered down the last few generations—a far cry from the sound and unapologetic orthodoxy my generation learned from bold, faithful teachers!
In reading “He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake,” does this line relate also to the problematic line in Lord’s Prayer: “Lead us not into temptation”?
Of the second line, because God knows that in our weakened state each of us might almost certainly fall for certain temptations, does he earlier nudge us away from these cliffs—while at the same time (therefore) not overriding our gifted, weakened, and sometimes reflexive “free will”? Apart from our petition, would He ever “lead us” into temptation?
The guiding and well-timed touch of grace can be as light as the almost unnoticed whispering sound for Isaiah.
“Jeremiah pointed to a coming time when God would gather ‘a remnant’ of his flock, appointing good and holy men ‘who will “shepherd them.’”
With the closing of parishes, the loss of so many young Catholics, and the rise of so much heterodoxy among clergy and laity, I think we are down to the “remnant” of His flock now.
So I pray that the next step will soon follow: that God will appoint those good and holy men “who will shepherd them.” We have a few brave shepherds who have spoken the truth to power at great personal cost, but not nearly enough.
Concerning imagery, Jesus let the pigs be driven off the cliff by the demons after he rescued the demoniac. And the people there got so upset and outraged.
The parable of the lost sheep suggests that the flock is not abandoned but that the shepherd leaves them well cared for while he is on errands. Alike to the prodigal son’s father telling the elder brother not to be envious or downcast since “you have been with me all this time”.
Jesus’ parables together have a holy consonance among them and with reality.
Or consider the BVM. Some parents make it a point to keep charge of their children with an excessive family and parent authority. But in the Cana wedding situation the BVM instructed the stewards who approached her to do as Jesus would tell them.
Um…okay. Well, I cannot take your remark seriously when I quote Jeremiah and then quote a pope making good points about what it means to be a shepherd. If you thought about it for a moment or two, you might catch the possible ironies involved. Also: this column was originally penned in 2013. So…
Fine words by His Holiness, would that there were evidence of that within our Church. Except for the few there’s a sense of languish. Or seemingly moreso a larger percentage of faithful priests, who remain faithful to the Gospels presuming the rationale that if we keep out of the contested issues we can’t do wrong. These are often very hard working clergy serving what were three or four parishes to pastor God’s sheep.
Although is that rationale sufficient if we’re serving Christ? We hear quite frequently comments by laity that they rarely if ever hear about abortion, and never regarding contraception and homosexuality in all its myriad forms. One can find justification in keeping our head below the parapet and line of fire. Priests, bishops who are defenders of the faith who address the issues suddenly disappear. And there are many, especially in Italy and Spain.
It’s a terrible time for shepherds who in their hearts remain faithful to Apostolic tradition. There is a response. We can address the truth about the errors mentioned. Be critical, yes, including the pontiff, but desist from personal castigation of the Roman pontiff in respect for the Chair. To remain within the Church where the spiritual battleground is. To Shepherd with prophetic faith, warning, herding away from poisonous meadows. We likely will lose favor with many and gain with some. But then what price purchases integrity? Far better we finish our priesthood in complete and faithful witness to Christ.
The time grows closer. Along with the winds of war, (now a hurricane), political and economic instability grow while any semblance of peace seems now to be a long forgotten dream. After this brief but terrible conflict looming on our horizon, the antichrist will declare himself as the great peacemaker. From that moment, there will be only three groups of people, (largest to smallest) –
– The damned (followers of antichrist)
– The martyrs (as described in Revelation)
– The Remnant (God’s select few who will actually live through the chastisements and help build God’s full and righteous Kingdom on earth.)
Unfortunately I can appreciate the ironies in this your rebooted column from 2013. (Therefore I shall begin another Rosary this morning for both Clergy and world leaders).
Thank you, Editor/author Mr. Carl Olson🙏
Woe to the shepherds who destroyed the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.
some could be falling off a cliff and i wonder who would be there to lift them back up i wonder if that would be the surprising thing to see.
Oh, my… Please don’t tell me something happened to them!
Shepherds – they are human and fragile. We need to pray for the well-being of our flock of shepherds.
Amen!
In Jeremiah and Jesus The Christ’s own words in The Word Of GOD,
each of us needs to strive by non cajoling GOD’s Grace Led compassion.
After, almost imperceptible each year and decades as the intellectual material needs focused happened, Ven. Fulton J. Sheen in a radio address before 1950, the Catechism of The Catholic Church paragraphs 670-680 describe a time of a so called new humanitarianism gradualism approach even in the Holy Name Of Jesus The Christ.
Each of us knows, that GOD, never leaving us orphaned, does not ask to win friends and influence people by striving for ‘lack of conflict,’ but GOD’s Sent True Peace, not as the world gives, Peace, for true compassion, finding by Grace creative resolute dialogue. There is nothing new under the sun. Peace and heartfelt completeness in Joy Of The Lord Strengthening fiber of Being.
Shepherd and Sheep Dogs
Much has been written about the Good Shepherd, Shepherds, and Sheep Dogs.
I doubt that a single Good Shepherd would leave the flock to search for one lost sheep. What if half of the flock, without leadership, would fall off a cliff?
I like the idea of a Shepherd and Sheep Dogs. The Shepherd is the leader and the Sheep Dogs are the managers/soldiers.
I attended a sheep dog demonstration in Ireland many years ago. It was very impressive. The human shepherd trained the sheep dogs to respond to specific whistle signal commands. The shepherd gave commands, like 2 tweets to move the flock to a certain location, 4 tweets to come home for dinner. The dogs lead the flock to move around to respond to these commands. It was fascinating. It appeared to be a successful system.
Is there an application of the concept of well-trained Sheep Dogs to modern religion? Maybe. It might give a fresh perspective in the current era of foggy thinking.
Patrick S.
May I suggest that the parable of the lost sheep suggests that Jesus does not reckon his flock by utilitarian calculus.
Yes, as an actual shepherd I frequently look for the lost lamb or sheep, esp if it has been ill.
Man needs guidance in this world of temptation, just as a sheep has no defense against a predator, except to snort and stomp its feet, and try to butt it with its head, or run. In other words, the ovine needs someone looking out for them.
Another important comment, in the closing part of the Gospel: Jesus arrives on the other shore of the Sea of Galilee, where His followers already preceded Him. They are hungry (and we’ll see that next week) first and foremost for what He has to offer, “because He taught with authority, and not like the scribes.” People still are, and we have an unparalleled Good News. Why are we diluting it?
“…we have an unparalleled Good News. Why are we diluting it?”
Amen! Amen!
It is so sad to see that Catholic faith and morals have been so pathetically watered down the last few generations—a far cry from the sound and unapologetic orthodoxy my generation learned from bold, faithful teachers!
Amen! Bad theology is a cruel taskmaster.
Priceless illustration!
In reading “He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake,” does this line relate also to the problematic line in Lord’s Prayer: “Lead us not into temptation”?
Of the second line, because God knows that in our weakened state each of us might almost certainly fall for certain temptations, does he earlier nudge us away from these cliffs—while at the same time (therefore) not overriding our gifted, weakened, and sometimes reflexive “free will”? Apart from our petition, would He ever “lead us” into temptation?
The guiding and well-timed touch of grace can be as light as the almost unnoticed whispering sound for Isaiah.
Elijah.
“Jeremiah pointed to a coming time when God would gather ‘a remnant’ of his flock, appointing good and holy men ‘who will “shepherd them.’”
With the closing of parishes, the loss of so many young Catholics, and the rise of so much heterodoxy among clergy and laity, I think we are down to the “remnant” of His flock now.
So I pray that the next step will soon follow: that God will appoint those good and holy men “who will shepherd them.” We have a few brave shepherds who have spoken the truth to power at great personal cost, but not nearly enough.
Concerning imagery, Jesus let the pigs be driven off the cliff by the demons after he rescued the demoniac. And the people there got so upset and outraged.
The parable of the lost sheep suggests that the flock is not abandoned but that the shepherd leaves them well cared for while he is on errands. Alike to the prodigal son’s father telling the elder brother not to be envious or downcast since “you have been with me all this time”.
Jesus’ parables together have a holy consonance among them and with reality.
Or consider the BVM. Some parents make it a point to keep charge of their children with an excessive family and parent authority. But in the Cana wedding situation the BVM instructed the stewards who approached her to do as Jesus would tell them.
I just can’t take your reflection seriously when you begin with Jeremiah and then relate words of pope Francis.
Um…okay. Well, I cannot take your remark seriously when I quote Jeremiah and then quote a pope making good points about what it means to be a shepherd. If you thought about it for a moment or two, you might catch the possible ironies involved. Also: this column was originally penned in 2013. So…
Fine words by His Holiness, would that there were evidence of that within our Church. Except for the few there’s a sense of languish. Or seemingly moreso a larger percentage of faithful priests, who remain faithful to the Gospels presuming the rationale that if we keep out of the contested issues we can’t do wrong. These are often very hard working clergy serving what were three or four parishes to pastor God’s sheep.
Although is that rationale sufficient if we’re serving Christ? We hear quite frequently comments by laity that they rarely if ever hear about abortion, and never regarding contraception and homosexuality in all its myriad forms. One can find justification in keeping our head below the parapet and line of fire. Priests, bishops who are defenders of the faith who address the issues suddenly disappear. And there are many, especially in Italy and Spain.
It’s a terrible time for shepherds who in their hearts remain faithful to Apostolic tradition. There is a response. We can address the truth about the errors mentioned. Be critical, yes, including the pontiff, but desist from personal castigation of the Roman pontiff in respect for the Chair. To remain within the Church where the spiritual battleground is. To Shepherd with prophetic faith, warning, herding away from poisonous meadows. We likely will lose favor with many and gain with some. But then what price purchases integrity? Far better we finish our priesthood in complete and faithful witness to Christ.
The time grows closer. Along with the winds of war, (now a hurricane), political and economic instability grow while any semblance of peace seems now to be a long forgotten dream. After this brief but terrible conflict looming on our horizon, the antichrist will declare himself as the great peacemaker. From that moment, there will be only three groups of people, (largest to smallest) –
– The damned (followers of antichrist)
– The martyrs (as described in Revelation)
– The Remnant (God’s select few who will actually live through the chastisements and help build God’s full and righteous Kingdom on earth.)
Unfortunately I can appreciate the ironies in this your rebooted column from 2013. (Therefore I shall begin another Rosary this morning for both Clergy and world leaders).
Thank you, Editor/author Mr. Carl Olson🙏