Good Shepherds All

Good Shepherd Sunday.  Jesus as the Good Shepherd is one of the most enduring images of Jesus that comes from his own description of himself. It can be found on holy cards, in Churches, on living room walls and even in coloring books.  It is, perhaps the most beloved image of Jesus, for it displays his tender loving care. He knows each one of his sheep, as a good shepherd does, and calls each by name.  He seeks the lost sheep and acts as the gate keeper to the pen where all his sheep spend the night, thus preventing stray marauders and thieves from harming or stealing them.
We might see ourselves as the sheep whom he guides and protects, but we might, as parents, teachers, or simply as adults  also see ourselves as shepherds of the young, the vulnerable, the elderly, and certainly, as Marists, of the "least favored" and most needy. These seem to be always with us and constantly crying out, begging for help.  When we think we've taken care of our last lost sheep, another appears. There is no line, limit nor boundary. Only the Good Shepherd can give us the strength and wherewithal to carry out our role as Good Shepherd for our time, for our flock.  "Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from anxieties, hesitation and doubt, from death into life."
Bro .Rene