Pastor's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (5/3/2009)

Dear People of Holy Name,

The image of the Good Shepherd is full of comforting thoughts. For one, there is the shepherd who gives up the company of others to tend to the needs of the sheep in the fields. The shepherd also risks his own life to protect the sheep, he lives where they live and puts himself between the sheep and their predators. This protective image of the shepherd is what we see in Jesus. Jesus gives up all to be with his flock and gives his very life to lead them into everlasting life.

The shepherd also goes to great lengths to bring back sheep that stray, keeping them together with the sound of his voice. The sheep learn to trust the shepherd’s voice because of their familiarity with him. The Lord pursues us to share his life with us and over time we come to trust the voice of Jesus in our inner selves that loves us and guides us with compassion and wisdom.

To hear God’s voice we must first believe that we are God’s children and that through his gift of faith he has made us his own. Then we can trust in the voice of our consciences that awaken in charity, as we pray and listen to his word in scripture. As we come to know God our trust in his love grows and his voice becomes clearer within.

As the shepherd leads the flock, so the Lord leads us. We each have a purpose for being here and a direction in our lives. It may not be to gain fame and fortune, as attractive as that may seem, but to build treasure in heaven. When we consider our purpose in life from God’s perspective, we all have great value, not in what we achieve, but in who be become and who we are to others.

Mother Theresa became famous as a result of who she became as a person in her spiritual journey and the life it led her to live: a life lived for the poorest of the poor. We are no different. We each will make the important contribution to the building of God’s kingdom by being faithful to our true selves as sons and daughters of God.

Christian community helps us stay focused on living in Christ and continually reminds us of our true identity as sons and daughters of God, for as St John writes in today’s second reading, “Yet so we are.”

This week we may want to take some time to consider how much God loves us. I can’t imagine someone dying for me or making big sacrifices to help me, but God has. I need to imagine what that is like, because that is my reality. God loves me that much. God loves you that much! It is with this awareness that we become inspired to pursue our knowledge and experience of Christ in and among us.

Let us pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we might know the presence of Christ in our lives and come to know that he is our good shepherd. May his Spirit enliven us and guide us to holiness of mind, body and soul.

In Christ’s peace, Fr. Leo