Readings
I - Is. 40: 1-11
II - Mt. 18: 12-14
JESUS IS OUR GOOD SHEPHERD
“It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost” is the concern and the mindfulness of the Shepherd, the Good Shepherd towards the one lost on wandering. Leaving ninety nine on the on the mountain and going in search of the lost one does not mean that the ninety nine does not matter to him. Every sheep in the ninety nine matters to the shepherd individually and personally; they are secure in his care and therefore he goes in search of the one that is lost: “I guarded them, and not one of them was lost…” (Jh. 17: 12). Every one of the sheep is precious to him and he is willing to give up his life to save even the one that is lost in wandering in order to bring it back safe to the sheepfold where they are free and secure.
As sheep belonging to the Sheepfold of Christ we have a triple responsibility: One, to remain in the sheepfold; two, if we are wandering away from Christ, adhere to his voice and get back to the sheepfold; and three, with Christ gather the sheep into the sheepfold through our words, deed, gestures and above all through our exemplary living. Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Ambrose who was also responsible for the conversion of St. Augustine, the great theologian, defender of faith and above all source of hope and inspiration, once a wandering sheep was brought back into the sheepfold. Let us in the silence of our heart keep repeating: “Jesus my Good Shepherd I thank you for your love”.
