Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday.
On this fourth Sunday of Easter we always hear about Jesus as shepherd. The message is that we are His flock and we belong to Him. He cares for us and provides protection for us.
We too are called to be good shepherds in our own families, social connections, and workplaces. As Christians we are always called to imitate Christ in our lives. That includes shepherding others.
It can be difficult for us to Shepherd as Christ did because we cannot love like He loves. We are affected with the consequences of Original Sin while He, of course, is not. We love imperfectly, but we still love. We are called to love others as He loved us even though we often fall short. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try though.
To love more like Jesus pray for the grace to do that and for the grace to turn away from the effects of Original Sin that burden us. Remember to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Just because we can’t love like Him doesn’t mean we can’t love better and become more like Him than we are today.
The Good Shepherd loves His flock and so should we. Our flock looks different than His but we have one nonetheless. Regardless of our family situation we have people within our circle of influence who look to us for leadership.
So, accept your role as shepherd, whether you’re a man or woman, and love your flock as well as you can, asking God to send you the graces you need to fulfill that role.
I’m writing this on Tuesday before it will go out to you. Connie and I are going bird watching down around the Gulf, which isn’t that far from here, and we won’t be back in time for me to write it later. It’s good to enjoy God’s natural creation before it gets so hot and humid here that you don’t want to go outside. I hope you find your own way to enjoy God’s created world. I always find it refreshing and reminds me of how much God loves us.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace, Bob
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