From the Pastor – April 25, 2021

“…EVER BE THOU OUR GUIDE,OUR SHEPHERD AND OUR PRIDE, OUR STAFF AND SONG;JESUS, THOU CHRIST OF GOD,BY THINE ENDURING WORDLEAD US WHERE THOU HAST TROD, MAKE OUR FAITH STRONG.” (An Easter Sourcebook, p. 75). The image of the shepherd is not just a pastoral and bucolic one but also one of care and concern. Sheep will listen only to the voice of the shepherd and to no one else. And they follow only him. We have the Good Shepherd who has shown us the way to the Father and to each other. His example is one of love, care, and concern. He invites us to listen to his voice and follow the example he has set for us. For many of us, the message he sends is not what we want to hear. He reminds us to care for one another, and sometimes we want only to think of ourselves. This is especially true now during the pandemic when many of us are dealing with problems we never had to deal with before. Yet, he keeps calling out to us, reminding us that he is the way to follow. He showed us how much he loves us by dying for us so that we could be free from sin and death. His resurrection restored us to right relationship with the Father and gave us a new way to believe and live. This 50-Day Period of Mystagogia is meant for us to reflect more deeply on the Easter experience and to imitate the example the Shepherd has given us. It means, though, that we have to be attentive and receptive to all he calls us to be as his people. This becomes evident in the way we respond to those he sends into our lives. Yes, Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are his flock. Together we can offer one another and the world a different experience that can only enrich and help all of us to be better people. It happens because he offers us an example of care and concern. How willing are we to follow him? HAPPY EASTER SEASON!!FR. JOE