Reflections
Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5 (Read)
"We are God's people,
the sheep of his flock."
The Psalm begins with a call for us
to 'sing joyfully to the Lord.' That
same
joyful spirit filled St Paul and
his
companions when they began
their
ministry to the Gentiles that
day in
Antioch. (Acts 13:14, 43-52)
And
their ministry has become
our
ministry – as
our psalmist says,
we are called to
'worship the Lord
with cries of gladness; come
before
Him with joyful song.'
But
after all, we
are like sheep, and
we need someone to
look after us
so that we don't go astray. What
could be better than to have Jesus
as
our Good Shepherd? We
are his
lambs; we
hear his
voice; He knows
us; and we follow
Him.
As
our psalmist says, we belong
to God.
And
God
has given us to his Son. No one
can
take
us out of his
hand,
as Jesus tells
us in today's
Gospel. (John
10:27-30)
We
are a well tended flock indeed.
As
our Lord's
sheep, we hear his
voice,
we follow Him,
and we praise Him because,
'Good indeed is
the Lord, his love endures
forever, his faithfulness
lasts through every
generation.'
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. There is something comforting about being
shepherded by
our Lord Jesus. Our psalmist says we are 'the flock He tends.'
Speak of how you feel to be one of His sheep.
2. The Psalm tells us to 'serve the Lord with gladness.' Give an
example of how you are serving Him with a joyful spirit.
our Lord Jesus. Our psalmist says we are 'the flock He tends.'
Speak of how you feel to be one of His sheep.
2. The Psalm tells us to 'serve the Lord with gladness.' Give an
example of how you are serving Him with a joyful spirit.
The psalm tells us to do several things:
ReplyDelete1. Shout to the LORD! Even if we cannot sing, we can all make a loud noise. We can shout, sing aloud, or make music!
2. Do something for the LORD. We do this because God gives us joy. He makes us happy.
3. We must come where the LORD is. We can sing to Him, or just talk to Him. He is always very near to us. He will always hear everything that we say or sing.
4. Say thank-you to the LORD for everything. We must thank Him always, because He is always loving and kind to us.
7. The LORD likes us to say good things about Him. When we say good things about the LORD, or bless his name, it makes Him very happy.
Why must we do these things? “Because the LORD is good.” He is always loving and kind. He will always do what He has promised to us." THE LORD IS A GREAT GOD!
One of the definitions of "sheep," according to Merriam Webster, is "a timid defenseless creature" or "a timid docile person." I relate to this meaning as I consider the overwhelming temptations and choices that this world presents.
ReplyDeleteHow can I stay on the path with Jesus if my flesh desires to overindulge in material luxuries? How can I stay close to Jesus if I would rather sleep in sometimes, even if it means missing Mass? How can I discern right from wrong with certainty if I allow my spirit to be dulled by society's standards? The conflicts are many and the enemy is studying each of us, to see where we are weak, defenseless and docile.
Therefore, I am overjoyed to have a shepherd who loves me enough to scoop me in His arms each time I stray. While He allows me my freedom, He also sets the boundary if I have gone too far, by striking my heart with remorse, unrest, and a lack of peace.
Jesus is a most caring and compassionate Shepherd, as we see in many Psalms. Psalm 23 is one that I recite with my children everyday. I sometimes need to get alone and pray that prayer for myself, contemplating each word's significance. The Lord is my Shepherd indeed and, "We are His people, the sheep of His pasture." (Psalm 100 v.3)
"How do I feel about about being one of the sheep of the Good Shepherd?”
ReplyDeleteLike the luckiest guy in the world. At 15, I was the shepherd of some 50 sheep. I was responsible for their care and maintenance. A weighty responsibility for a 15 year old!
Now I have Jesus as “my" shepherd. I’ve got the best. This isn’t something I earned. I was picked by my parents and the good Lord Himself. I am supremely grateful.