Reflections
"He guides me in right paths."
This well known psalm is a prayer
that we offer to our Lord, the Good Shepherd.
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
We desire to be one of His sheep because He
looks after us and protects us and seeks us
out when we stray. On the other hand we
do not want to be one of the goats that He
scatters. Nor do we want to be on the wrong
side of His judgment when He separates the
sheep from the goats.
(See Gospel, Matthew 25: 31-34)
(See Gospel, Matthew 25: 31-34)
In Sunday’s first reading the prophet Ezekiel tells us --
“The Lord God looks after his scattered sheep.”
(Ezekiel 34:12)
He brings us back to the sheep-hold
where He will bind up our wounds.
Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd,
and we are drawn to Him, because He offers
to lead us beside still waters, to grant us peace,
and to restore us spiritually.
to lead us beside still waters, to grant us peace,
and to restore us spiritually.
Our Lord Jesus, King of kings, stands by us
in the victory over death.
in the victory over death.
Our psalmist David says it this way, a thousand
years before the time of Christ,
years before the time of Christ,
“You prepare a table before me in the
presence of my enemies.”
As the Psalm says, our Lord anoints us;
He fills our cup so that it overflows.
He fills our cup so that it overflows.
We are ready to go forth on our own journey
to discover who we are and how we are to treat others,
especially the least among us. (Gospel, Matthew 25: 45)
In our journey we learn that, if we really want
to have eternal life with our Lord, then we must
become shepherds in our own right, here on earth.
to have eternal life with our Lord, then we must
become shepherds in our own right, here on earth.
Having been rescued by our Savior,
and now counted among His obedient sheep,
and ready to do His will,
we are groomed to enter the kingdom
and to sit at the table that God sets for us.
“Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm makes it clear we want to stay on the right side of our
Good Shepherd; we want to be guided in right paths for His name's sake.
Explain what you are doing so that you will be placed on His right, and not
on His left with the goats.
2. As His good sheep, we are being groomed to do His will. Our psalmist
says that our Lord anoints us with oil. Having been anointed by the Lord,
how are you carrying out His will within your family and your community?
Psalm 23 is one of the most recognized passages in the Bible. What a prayer of comfort and trust in the Lord!
ReplyDeleteThe psalmist David was a shepherd boy, familiar with the needs of a flock and the responsibility required to protect the sheep from wild animals. We feel his tenderness, love, and care. Perhaps, we even feel his loneliness, tending the sheep on hillsides without company. Nothing deters him from his duties.
Similarly, the Divine Shepherd is one who looks after each one of our needs, big or small. He lays down his life for us and experiences immense joy at the finding of even one lost sheep who has strayed. He is always guiding and gently leading his wayward sheep to follow Him because He knows the best places to eat, drink, and rest.
Why do we rebel? Why do we insist on our own path? How foolish that we forget who is Master and sometimes act like goats, separated from the beloved sheep to His right, as described in this week's Gospel.
In order to remain in His will and on the protected, comforting paths, there is much that I need to do. Serving others with true love is not easy for me. I might go through the motions out of duty or a sense of obligation. The key is to access the Holy Spirit who anoints us to "do to the least of my brothers and sisters, as you do unto me." (Matthew 25)
Jesus demands personal involvement in caring for the needs of others. (Pg. 319 Bread of Life Bible Study Cycle A)
I look forward to embracing the opportunities ahead to serve others, whether through charity events in the Advent season or just loving difficult family members who hunger for Christ yet don't have the "eyes to see" Him.