Welcoming the Holy
Here we invite you to take time for yourself in personal prayer. The following spiritual reflection offers words and images which we hope will evoke for you an experience of God.
By: Sister Joan Cawley
Opening Prayer
Loving God, you cared so much for us, your children, that you sent your Son to us to be our shepherd. May we hear his voice and follow.
Scripture
John 10:27-30
Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
Reflection
The image of a shepherd and sheep is a very old one in Scripture. In the Middle East, shepherds do not drive the sheep nor use dogs but walk in front of the sheep who follow freely. The sheep listen to and recognize the voice of the shepherd and that is why they follow him rather than another. At night, shepherds pool their resources to safeguard and patrol their flocks against predators. They would bring their flocks to a common pasture, set-up a campsite and each shepherd would take a turn canvassing the flock and its perimeters. At sunrise, the shepherds would separate the herds by calling out to them and hundreds of sheep would separate themselves and go in the direction of their shepherd’s voice.
Voice recognition is not uncommon today. We have family and friends whose voices we can recognize in a crowd! Then there are the distinctive voices of people who always feel they have to identify themselves as if we could ever mistake their voices! If our parents have died, we continue to hear their voices when we ponder or try to decide something.
The challenge today is to hear the voice of Jesus – to recognize it and follow it. The difficulty is that there are so many voices around us that we may feel overwhelmed. Are we listening for Jesus’ voice? Do we take time for prayer? Do we recognize the many ways the Shepherd blesses our lives – in kind words, in the generous actions of others? Jesus is also present in the blessings we extend to others.
The Good Shepherd calls us and leads us. It is up to us to respond and follow.
Reflect
Do I try to hear Jesus’ voice in the voices of those I encounter? Through whom is Jesus speaking to me?
Closing Prayer
Loving God, you sent your Son to be our Good Shepherd, to protect us from danger, to comfort us in sorrow, and to guide us to new life. Help us to shepherd on another. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
