Reflection
The illustration of Jesus as the shepherd is one of the most endearing, popular, and loved images in the whole of the Gospels. Undoubtedly, one of the most popular and loved Psalms is Psalm 23- the Psalm of the Good Shepherd. The picture of Jesus, the Good Shepherd that immediately comes to our mind, is usually that of Jesus, holding a little lamb in His sturdy hands, or of Jesus, the Shepherd trudging through the grasslands with many sheep, following and walking with Him, happily bouncing and frolicking.
In today’s Gospel passage Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd”, He is telling us something deeply personal: He knows you. He calls you by name and He loves you enough to lay down His life for you. The Good Shepherd has a very large number of sheep in His flock. Yet each of us is uniquely important for Him. He loves each one and He treasures each one.
Unlike a hired hand, the Divine shepherd has a tremendous sense of responsibility and attachment to His sheep. This makes Him undergo any pain, any suffering, any sacrifice for the sake of His beloved sheep, even to the point of laying down His life. The Divine Shepherd is aware of the many sheep that are not yet part of His sheepfold. He longs for them, He seeks to bring them to Him and He yearns to make them part of His sheepfold.
Today we are invited to deepen our understanding of the Heart of the Divine Shepherd and at the same time, we are challenged to have a Heart like that of the Divine Shepherd. So today, let us reflect: Do we recognize His voice in our daily lives, in prayer and in the quiet movements of our life? Do we reflect His self-giving love to those around us?
May each of us, lean closer to the heart of our Divine Lord, knowing that each one of us is precious and special to Him.
