Today is Good Shepherd Sunday and the readings we read reflect Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
When crises like this happen, it is always a good time to reflect on what God may be saying to us through them.
Meanwhile, I have heard people ask during this time: “ Where is God?”
However, we have to understand that God is bigger than our ability to understand or imagine him.
Jesus reminded us that He is our shepherd. So, if God is with us, then he is shepherding us right now.
How does a shepherd work? He guards the sheep, he knows them and cares for them. So the shepherd cares for his flock. Everything the shepherd does for his flock is to their benefit. However, they may not understand it. This is why the sheep must learn to trust the shepherd.
There are several things that the shepherd will be aware of that the sheep will not. For example, they will be in the pasture but eventually they will have to be moved to another pasture. They do not understand what is happening, it is just that the shepherd is moving them from where they were to a greener pasture, literally. They might have been comfortable there, but the shepherd is in charge. If they fight the shepherd then he will have to move them in such a way that they understand he is the shepherd and they are not. It will not be to force his authority but for the benefit of the flock.
There may be other issues. Maybe a storm is coming and they have to move to shelter. So again the shepherd has to move his flock to shelter even though they may not understand it. Maybe the wolf is in the area and he has to protect the sheep. Whatever is happening, the shepherd is in charge and the sheep have to allow the shepherd to lead them.
So at this time, which is so difficult, we have to allow the shepherd to shepherd us. We may not understand this difficult time, but keep in mind nothing happens to us that is not allowed by God. He may not will it to happen, but he allows it to happen.
Maybe you have a child or grandchild that is learning to ride bike. You know that part of learning of falling off the bike. You may not will it to happen, but you allow it to happen or the child will never learn to ride a bike.
The sheep have to learn to trust the shepherd and they will be fine. Even when they are sheered. They lose all their wool for blankets and shirts and other materials. However, if they do not allow the shepherd to do that, then he cannot afford to keep his sheep. So he knows and they have to trust him completely.
During this time, it is essential that we keep focused on the shepherd and we trust in him completely.
That can be quite difficult, especially at this time, but it is also a skill that you are learning.
Let me give you an example. We can go to the one of the most famous natural disasters in New England: The Blizzard of ’78.
I was a student at UMass Boston at the time and my father was writing for the Boston Globe across Morrissey Boulevard. I used to spend hours and hours at the radio station sometimes to late at night. My father calling me from the newsroom warned me that the storm coming was worse than anyone ever saw and I was not to stay late at WUMB. I didn’t. I got home and went to bed. The first thing I heard when I woke up the next morning was Governor Michael Dukakis saying: “Do not go out of your house, it is against the law.” The first word out of my mouth was: “What the heck happened?”
Eventually, everything got cleaned up and we were fine, but my father made an observation. He pointed out that before the storm everyone groaned at the thought of four inches of snow falling to the ground. After the storm we would look at forecasts for a foot of snow and dismiss them as nothing to deal with for we lived through the Blizzard of ‘78.
Take this time as God is training us for many things. He is training us to trust him more. He is training us for other issues coming down the pike which will make this time easier to work with. He may be training us and shepherding us for what is in our future. We do not know. He can see what we cannot. However, trust in the shepherd.
Keep your prayers going and build your devotions. Allow this time to ask the Lord to transform you and to lead you closer to him that you may do his work. Stay close to Jesus as our Good shepherd especially when you are struggling and you do not understand.
We do not know what we will deal with in the future. However, our time here will prepare us for it because our Lord is shepherding us through it.
Remember those words of St. Peter: Cast your cares upon the Lord for he cares for you.
Remember the words that St. Faustina taught us: Jesus I trust in you.
Jesus is shepherding us. Allow yourselves to be shepherded by him and trust.
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