Shepherd me

"The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel...woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should shepherds rather shepherd sheep?...You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for the wild beast...For thus says the Lord God: I myself will look after and tend my sheep." Ezekiel 34:1-11

God does not look kindly on those who were asigned to look after his people and were found lacking in their diligence and neglegent in their watchfulness. Even as I write these words and ponder this reading my heart sinks.

Even us shepherds need to be reminded, encouraged, directed, warned, chastised. Even us shepherds are in need of the Shepherd, "I myself will look after and tend my sheep."

It is often forgotten that even the shepherds assigned to such a noble task are themselves sheep in need of the Shepherd's voice, the Shepherd's staff, the Shepherd's warmth, the Shepherd's closeness, the Shepherd himself, nothing else will do.

In the words of Psalm 23, we shepherds rejoice that we have a Good Shepherd that seems to make up for what is lacking in us, He who guides us in right paths for his name sake, with whose rod and staff, courage descends and fills the soul.

Come Lord Jesus, refresh my soul, guide my feet that those who come to you may not be put to shame through me! Come Lord Jesus shepherd me!

The above image is the image of The Good Shepherd found in the Catcombs outside of Rome on the Ostia Way. It was the one image the early Christians clung to most. IT was the image of hope, peace, security, protection, defense. The Good Shepherd, whose soothing voice calms our fears as Psalm 94 calls to mind, "When I think I have lost my foothold, your mercy, Lord holds me up. When cares increase my heart your consolation calms my soul."

Words from Poep Benedict
"Our heats open to a hope that illumines and animates concrete existence: we have the certainty that the Gospel is not only a communication of things to be known, but a communication that produces deeds and changes lives. The dark door of time, the future is thrown open, Whoever has hope lives diffferently; he is given new life."

"And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come." Psalm 23...Shepherd me O God beyond my fears, beyond doubts, from death into life...