Our Gospel points us to the truth that no one could care for us as deeply, eternally or passionately as God does. If we trust in ourselves alone, we will eventually find a limit to our knowledge, our strength, or our health. Our Gospel tells us that God and God alone is in whom we place our trust. Today’s second reading tells us that God loves us as His own daughters and sons. In the Gospel Jesus the good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for us. We must believe in that love. We must believe it when we are discouraged and frightened, when we’ve failed or lost our way, when we’re struggling with loss or sickness or bitterness. God will not forget us. God will not abandon us. God loves us. That is our hope and our salvation.

Jesus does not want to push us. He wants to lead us. If his purpose was to force us to the place we need to go, we would be cows and he would be the herdsman. But he says that he is the shepherd and we are the sheep. He calls us sheep because he wants to attract us by the sound of his voice, so that trusting him we might follow him into the Kingdom of God.

Jesus is saying that He is the good shepherd and that He cares for His sheep. He knows us by name. He takes a personal interest in us. He does not see us as someone else’s business, and Jesus tells us that He is willing to lay down His life for his sheep. As He said, “Greater love has no person than to lay down His life for another.”

A young boy at a parish school was given a month to memorize Psalm 23. He was to recite it at a school assembly, with the pastor and all the parents attending. When the big night came, he stood up and began, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then his mind went blank. The whole crowd was just waiting to hear his next sentence. Poor boy, he completely forgot. Finally, he started again, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” He paused, and then said, “And that is all I need to know.” After a few moments of silence, the whole crowd applauded because the child was right. The Lord is our shepherd, and that is all we need to know.

Yes, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, that’s all we need to know and to understand. Jesus is our Good Shepherd who understands us much more than anybody else in this whole world, who loves us more than anyone in this whole entire world.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley