God, the Shepherd

December 7, Tuesday

SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

         The author of Second Isaiah has a beautiful message of joy and hope. God will end the exile of his people and bring them back to him. Their sins are forgiven. He will live among them as their shepherd.

         God became visible as the shepherd of his people in Jesus Christ. To him, every person is precious, especially the little people and sinners. The pilgrim Church – her leaders, and all those belonging to the Church, are to be merciful and forgiving, responsible for one another, sinners responsible for their fellow sinners.

 

First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11

“Comfort, oh comfort my people,”
    says your God.
“Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem,
    but also make it very clear
That she has served her sentence,
    that her sin is taken care of—forgiven!
She’s been punished enough and more than enough,
    and now it’s over and done with.”

Thunder in the desert!
    “Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth,
    a highway fit for our God.
Fill in the valleys,
    level off the hills,
Smooth out the ruts,
    clear out the rocks.
Then God’s bright glory will shine
    and everyone will see it.
    Yes. Just as God has said.”

A voice says, “Shout!”
    I said, “What shall I shout?”

“These people are nothing but grass,
    their love fragile as wildflowers.
The grass withers, the wildflowers fade,
    if God so much as puffs on them.
    Aren’t these people just so much grass?
True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade,
    but our God’s Word stands firm and forever.”

Climb a high mountain, Zion.
    You’re the preacher of good news.
Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem.
    You’re the preacher of good news.
    Speak loud and clear. Don’t be timid!
Tell the cities of Judah,
    “Look! Your God!”
Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power,
    ready to go into action.
He is going to pay back his enemies
    and reward those who have loved him.
Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock,
    gathering the lambs in his arms,
Hugging them as he carries them,
    leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.

 

Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14

“Look at it this way. If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? And if he finds it, doesn’t he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn’t want to lose even one of these simple believers.

 

Prayer

Lord, our God,
you are near to us
in Jesus Christ, your Son.
When we go astray,
you look for us until you find us.
Bring us back to you,
show us the way to you
through him who is our way,
Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Reflection:

Do not be afraid to be consoled by God!

The heart of the shepherd that goes in search of the lost sheep and his joy in finding the lost one symbolises the mission and the Joy of the Church today. When the Church fails to go out in search of the lost ones and moreover, when it refuses to rejoice when a lost sheep is traced back, it fails the mission entrusted to her.

A well organised Church which is meticulous on its plans and projects but if it remains closed on people who broke away from it, Pope Francis calls it “a discouraged, anxious and sad Church; such a Church is no more than a museum.”

The end of the passage from Isaiah in the first reading today, we have the image of a shepherd who “will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young”. This is the joy of the Church: to comfort and console the distressed and the distant. Because the people are in need of comfort.

Unfortunately, people tend to run away from consolation. The Lord works very hard to console us, but encounters resistance. We bet on desolation, on problems, on defeat. This can be seen even with the disciples on the morning of Easter, who needed to be reassured, because they were afraid of another defeat.

Pope Francis described the human nature of running away from God’s comfort with THE funny story of little children who scream and cry when they see the pope during general audience! The pope explains: “Children who approach me during my public audiences sometimes see me and scream, they begin to cry, because seeing someone in white, they think of the doctor and the nurse, who give them a shot for their vaccines; and they think, ‘No, no, not another one!’ And we are a little like that,” says the Pope!  But the Lord says, “Comfort, comfort my people.”

The Lord consoles us like the shepherd who, goes in search of the lost sheep until he find it. The Lord does just that with each one of us. He is at the door. He knocks so that we might open our heart in order to allow ourselves to be consoled, and to allow ourselves to be set at peace. And He does it with gentleness. He knocks with caresses. In these weeks leading up to Christmas, we should ask the Lord for the grace, not be afraid to allow ourselves to be consoled by Him.

 

Video available on Youtube: Do not be afraid to be consoled by God!