Praising the Good Shepherd: Day 1

Gregory the Great

Theme
God is the good shepherd who made the wonders of creation; we praise him, who made all things. We pray that our hearts may be opened and that we may be confident that we have done our best to serve others for his sake on the day of Christ's return.

Prayer
"Stir up, O Lord, your power, and come; mercifully fulfill that which you have promised to your church unto the end of the world! Amen." {The Gelsatian Sacramentary}



OT Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice...20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken."

Reflection from the Church Fathers: We Can All Shepherd Each Other

"We must all of us strive zealously to make known to the church both the dreadfulness of the coming judgment and the kingdom of heaven's delight. Those who are not in a position to address a large assembly should instruct individuals, offering instruction in personal talks; they should try to serve those around them through simple encouragement. You who are pastors, consider that you are pasturing God's flock. We often see a block of salt put out for animals to lick for their well-being. Priests among their people should be like blocks of salt. They should counsel everyone in their flocks in such a way that all those with whom they come in contact may be seasoned with eternal life as if they had been sprinkled with salt. We who preach are not the salt of the earth unless we season the hearts of those who listen to us. We are really preaching to others if we ourselves do what we say, if we are pierced with God's love, if, since we cannot avoid sin, our tears wash away the stains on our life that come with each new day. We truly feel remorse when we take to heart the lives of our forebears in the faith so that we are diminished in our own eyes. Then do we truly feel remorse, when we attentively examine God's teachings, and adopt for our won use what those who revere themselves used for theirs. And while we are moved to remorse on our own account, let us also take responsibility for the lives entrusted to our care. Our own bitter compunction should not divert us from concern for our neighbor. What good to love and strive to do good for our neighbor and abandon ourselves? We must realize that our passion for justice in the face of another's evil must never cause us to lose the virtue of gentleness. Priests must not be quick-tempered or rash; they must instead be temperate and thoughtful. We must support those we challenge and challenge those we support. If we neglect this, our work will lack either courage or gentleness. What shall we call the human soul but the food of the Lord? It is created to become nothing less than Christ's body, and to bring about growth in the eternal church. We priests are to season this food. Cease to pray, cease to teach, and the salt loses its taste. Gregory the Great. Be Friends of God 35. 

For Further Thought and Prayer:

1. You are God's sheep. Are you aware of a time when he has searched you out?

2. Do you allow God to shepherd you, or do you run from him? If you run, why? 

3. "...all those with whom they come in contact may be seasoned with eternal life as if they had been sprinkled with salt." This is like when Mindy says that we should leave fingerprints of blessing on the lives of all those with whom we have relationships.  Have you had a relationship like this? What was it like?  

4. "We must support those we challenge and challenge those we support. If we neglect this, our work will lack either courage or gentleness." Do you lack courage or gentleness?  Both? Why? 

After you've reflected on these questions, share your thoughts with the Father. Ask Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to mold you more into the likeness of Christ, our Saviour.