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Fatherly role model

This weekend is Father’s Day and I’ve been thinking about the life of Saint Joseph. While we may not know as much about him as we do Mary or Jesus, I think there is enough evidence of how much of a fatherly role model he displays.

While there are no words attributed to Joseph in scriptures, that doesn’t mean he was mute. We would not know the details of his dreams unless he shared them with another, most likely his wife Mary. And the first dream we hear about in Matthew is about Mary. “Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.” (Matt 1:19) When I read this one verse, I think of Joseph as a human parallel to God. He seeks both justice and mercy at the same time. If it was by means other than the Holy Spirit, Mary would have had to face consequences, however Joseph wasn’t interested in a harsh punishment, the divorce alone would have been enough. Many times it seems that justice and mercy need to be at odds and that you can’t have both. But Joseph shows that it is possible in the course of normal human judgements. God shows it’s possible when He sent Jesus to be our Savior, taking on the burden of sin and restoring the ability of humanity to have a relationship with God.

God allowed Joseph to wrestle with the issue of Mary’s pregnancy and come to a decision before He intervened. We don’t know how close Joseph came to divorcing Mary, only that his decision was made. Yet, Joseph was open to God’s will and to God changing his mind. Did God communicate at other times with Joseph via his dreams before this? We don’t know. Either Joseph knew how God communicated with him and accepted the change in plans, or he really did want to marry Mary. Maybe it’s both! However, since God uses dreams three more times to communicate to Joseph what to do, I think God may have been guiding Joseph this way for a while. Here again Joseph is being a role model in having a relationship with God, being able to recognize when God is directing him, and responding to God’s will. Joseph also trusted God when the way forward was dangerous and unexpected. He took Mary and baby Jesus to Egypt, provided for them, and kept them safe.

The last time we see Joseph is when Jesus is so-called lost in the Temple. While it may appear that Joseph was neglectful in his parenting duties, Jesus was old enough to, well, know better. If Joseph and Mary both thought Jesus was part of the traveling group amongst their friends and relatives, he was probably an early teenager or just about that age. Jesus probably had responsibilities at home, and maybe while traveling too. Here again, Joseph does not let Jesus face the consequences of His action of staying behind. Rather, Joseph and Mary pursue finding Jesus to return Him to their household. Joseph may only be a foster father to Jesus, but he seeks a relationship with his son. Fathers are not meant to raise their children and then cut all ties, but to continually seek out their children and reinforce the bond of kinship between them. This mirrors the way God is always inviting us to a closer relationship with Himself.

Although Jesus has a Divine Father, He also had an earthly one. God felt it was important that Jesus have a father figure in His life. While Joseph was not perfect like God the Father, he nevertheless dedicated himself to God and God’s will being done on earth. The scriptures could have been written with very little mention of Joseph, but God wanted us to know the actions of Joseph and to see him as a role model, both as a father and as a seeker of God’s will.

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Spiritual noise

Prayer is essential to the Christian life. Sometimes we feel that we’re doing well with it and other times we feel that we’re just going through the motions. For those challenging times, what do you do? Do you power through it? Or skip it? Have you ever wondered why it was happening?

Recently I had a challenging situation with a smoke alarm. The battery in the upstairs hallway, over the steps, decided that its life was almost finished. Due to the location combined with my vertical challenge, I was unable to reach it. At first it would beep a number of times then stop. While it was annoying, I figured I could power through it until my nephew came over, which he was scheduled to do later in the week. However, two days before his arrival, the battery decided that it was going to make sure I knew it needed to be changed. It chirped every few minutes for most of the day. Since I work from home, I heard it all day and most of the evening. I thought it would eventually give out. Nope, while it would stop for a few hours every so often, it was still periodically chirping when my nephew came. After he changed the battery, the silence was bliss! Even my cats seemed to enjoy the quiet. I realized how much that one, simple, periodic noise affected me. I was exhausted from filtering it out. I then started to wonder if there is a parallel of spiritual noise that affects our prayer? Is this why prayer sometimes feels like another item to check off on our daily list of things to do?

God hears all prayers. Yet knowing how sinful we are can seem to prevent us from reaching out to God. If we want to be forgiven, we do need to pray: to prepare for confession, in the sacrament, and afterwards. For minor sins that we may not need to immediately run to confession, but if we repent, ask God for forgiveness, and make a resolution to avoid the sin, this could be all we need at the moment. But our sinful nature can distort our thinking, making us question if God will hear our prayers as a sinner, or remind us how often we fall and that we should wait a bit longer before reaching out. This kind of thinking is a spiritual noise that we need to be on guard against. 

Prayer is a conversation with God. In it we are to adore Him, be contrite for our sins, thank Him for His blessings, and petition Him for those who need His aid. Sometimes our attitude towards prayer can be more of ordering from a fast food drive thru rather than a holy chat. We quickly offer up a prayer and expect it to be addressed in the way we want it to be. To be sure, a quick prayer for a friend in need or to say thank you for a blessing is never wrong, but we need to make sure of our attitude when we pray. Expecting God to answer prayer is also not a bad thing, but expecting Him to answer it the precise way we want things to happen is not appropriate. That is asking God to do our will rather than leaving Him to answer it in the best way He sees fit, not just for life now, but for eternal life. Our own attitude can be a spiritual noise that prevents us from seeing God’s intervention in our lives. 

While I’m sure there are other sources causing spiritual noise, what can we do about it? First, we need to acknowledge that something is keeping us from a fruitful prayer life. Given how blissful silence is in a physical sense, perhaps seeking a quiet, holy place is the answer. An adoration chapel is ideal, since you can visually focus on Jesus in the Eucharist. Any chapel or church with a tabernacle would also be conducive to reconnecting with God. If neither option is possible, a quiet place wherever you are with a visual focus like a cross or an image of Jesus could also be used. Then just be with God. Know that He is there with you. Focus on His presence and open yourself to Him. You don’t need to talk, you just need to be open and listen. You may not hear anything or feel anything. You may even need to repeat the exercise. The important thing is to be open and let God lead you. 

Spiritual noise can affect our prayer life. But we have the communion of saints, Blessed Mother Mary, and our Triune God who all want us to have a healthy and fruitful prayer life. Let us be mindful of our prayers and seek the silence when we need it. 

Humble love

God loves us. We don’t need to do anything but just be and He loves us. How do we respond to such a magnificent gift?

God is our creator and knows more about us than we do of ourselves (or maybe that we’re willing to admit). He wants us to be the best we can be. He made us in His image and likeness, so that the more we grow into a relationship with Him, the more we can reflect His image back to Him as well as to those we encounter. Most people are aware of their flaws and try to hide or overcome them. To know God loves us as we are in this moment — flaws and all — can be overwhelming and incomprehensible. It is easy to discount God’s love and turn away from Him because of our brokenness. A humble person will not turn away but lean in on God to heal their defects. It may take a lifetime of work on both our part as well as with God’s help, but if we turn our flaws over to Him, he can guide us through our journey.

It can be intoxicating to think about the love God has for us. Rather than learning more about God and having a relationship with Him, we can think that His love allows us to do anything we want, especially if He loves us with whatever sins are on our souls. This “it doesn’t matter” approach is prideful love, more about loving oneself than God. While God does love us as we are, He does not want us to stay as we are, but grow in love and holiness for Him. If we continue to think that we don’t have any changes to make in our lives, our attitudes, or our habits, we will not grow as a person, but rather be stuck in a false reality that we have grown accustomed to. When we deny our sins, our lives and relationships are mere shadows of what they could have been.

Jesus came to be our savior and redeemer at a particular place and time. In a letter to the Romans, Paul states, “Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.” (Rom 5:10) God has given us the way to a life with Him through Jesus. For those who turn away because of their flaws, they can be forgiven through the mercy of Christ. This means turning away from our flaws and fighting the bad habits we have that lead us into sin. We can’t do it on our own, which is why we have the Mass, the Sacraments — especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist, and the Church to aid us throughout our lifetime. God does not expect us to fix ourselves before we turn to Him, He wants us to turn to Him so that He can help heal us and overcome our sinful nature through the Church He left us. 

God loves us so much that He allows us to choose. We can choose to love Him or we can choose to love ourselves. God respects our free will and will not force us to choose a relationship, or eternity, with Him. He will pursue us and give us every opportunity to meet us where we are and to learn about Him and learn to love Him while we are on earth. Spending our time on earth in love with ourselves will distort our ability to recognize God and choose Him at the moment of our death. Let us choose to love God now with humble and contrite hearts.  

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Coloring faith and fear

When I feel the need to stop and rest a bit but want to keep my hands busy, I sometimes reach for a Christian coloring book. Often the words are either from scripture or are meant to inspire and can be presented in a variety of ways. Recently, I had to choose how to color two opposing words; how do I choose the color for each?

The Colorful Blessings coloring book by The Coloring Cafe are whimsical illustrations that allow me to take a break from life. Usually I enjoy the challenge of identifying what colored pencil I want to use within the picture. This page, however, has only three words in big, bold, block letters: FAITH over FEAR. While there are various patterned squares surrounding the central text, they pale in comparison to the message. What color is faith? What color is fear? How do you balance the color choices? 

I colored the word FAITH first. Some may choose a sunshiny yellow to make the word glow on the page. Others may choose red reminiscent of the fire of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps another may choose a shade of blue, especially if it evokes the color of a pool of water. My instinct was to reach out to the richest green I had, not too dark, but a saturated green. I colored the first three letters and then paused. Should I have used several different shades of green? But since almost half the word was already colored, it felt the right thing to do was to complete it in the chosen color. I’m glad I used only one color as it matches the boldness of the letters. For me, green is the color of hope. I don’t think you can have faith without having hope. Faith gives us the ability to lean on God for all we need and to see us not just through our life here on earth, but into eternity with Him. We cannot see or know what life will be like after death, but we know that our souls will live on because of the hope we have through Jesus.

Now for the word FEAR. I considered a dark purple to try to convey the sinister nature of fear. Orange was another option because it evokes danger and caution. I was even trying to see if I had or could mix two colors for a “cat-puke” color, which would be a horrid mix of mustard yellow and brown. Then my eye spotted the perfect pencil for the job. This one actually had a name for the color: gray mist. How evocative of the word fear is a gray that is only almost on the page. This wasn’t a pale gray, but a medium gray that colored lightly on the page. The word FEAR couldn’t compete with the word FAITH with those color choices. 

As I was filling in the letters for FEAR, I started thinking about what it is. Fear is when we recognize that we are not in control of a situation and/or do not know what the outcome of an event will be and the desire for that control. When we feel that we are fearful, we need to call on God to help us through. Times of fear are when we need to pray, “Jesus, I trust in You.” When we trust in God, we surrender the outcomes of life to his Providence. He always wants to richly bless us. While His timeline may not match ours, He will guide us through the most trying of circumstances. Just like Simon the Cyrene helped Jesus to carry His cross, Jesus helps us to carry our crosses, no matter how heavy they seem. 

True faith will always overcome fear. True faith requires us to cultivate an active, participatory relationship with God. Daily prayers, Mass, the Sacraments as well as helping in our communities all serve to strengthen our faith. And a vibrant faith will make the mist of fear burn away through the glory and grace of God.  

Wagging tongues

As we bring this Easter season to a close on Pentecost, we recognize the power of the Holy Spirit as it gave birth to the Church and changed the world forevermore.

Luke describes the descent of the Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles by first acknowledging sound. It was noisy! A strong, driving wind filled the house. While normally we say we can’t see the wind, we can feel it as well as see the effects of it. Can you imagine the surprise those gathered in the house must have experienced when they could hear, feel and see this powerful wind inside of a locked building? But the Holy Spirit didn’t stop there. Next there were “tongues as of fire” that split and rested above the head of each person in attendance. Now they could see the manifestation of the Spirit. In response, those present started speaking in different tongues, or languages. The noise of the wind transformed into the cacophony of languages. (Acts 2:1-11)

According to Merriam-Webster, there are 12 definitions for the word tongue. I find it fascinating that two of those uses are mentioned in the Pentecost account. In reading through the definitions, many have similarities because of the resemblance to the body part or its function. When you think of a tongue of fire, it seems like it has a rounded portion, but so does the tongue of a shoe. A person may stick out their tongue for various reasons, yet in carpentry, that extension fits into a grove to become a secure joint. While a tongue is necessary for a human to consume food, it is also required for speaking. Perhaps it is due to its function in speech that allows the word to be used to describe different languages. Tongues were definitely wagging that Pentecost, as the account in Acts described how the various visitors to Jerusalem were astonished to hear the men from Galilee speaking in the various languages of the people. 

While the Holy Spirit enabled the Apostles to speak in the various languages, He first had to embolden them to speak about their time with Jesus. While the tongue of fire may have rested above their heads, it was their hearts and souls that were filled — or should I say burned— with the Holy Spirit. While the Mass readings focus on the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit, one would do well to read the speech that Peter gave after receiving the gift (Acts 2:14-41). Peter just doesn’t tell the people to be nice to one another or to be good people. No, he uses scripture passages from Joel and David to explain what is happening. He doesn’t mince words, but bluntly says of Jesus, “This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.” As Christians, we continue to be heralds and boldly proclaim Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. Just as Peter exhorted those listening to repent and be baptized, so too are we called to repent, that is to turn away from sin and our own selfish desires of control and to live our baptism as a child of God. 

Pentecost may conclude the Easter season, but its message extends throughout the liturgical year and into our daily lives. In all our choices across all our days, we preach Jesus in our words and actions, seeking a relationship with Him here on earth so that we will be ready for an eternity with Him. 

Resurrection faith

It started innocently enough. It was a video about Jesus raising Lazarus. However the YouTube rabbit-hole I went down caused me to reflect on faith and resurrection.

The first short video was about Lazarus not wanting to be raised from the dead, as if he was the only person who didn’t want it. I found it quite an odd statement. Jesus did raise several people from the dead, namely Jarius’ daughter and the son of the widow are recounted in Luke. So why would Lazarus be singled out? From the cartoon illustrations used in the video, the narrator says that Lazarus was in heaven and that he didn’t want to leave. While I can’t claim to know how God works, my understanding is that heaven was “closed” to souls after the fall of Adam, until Jesus’ death and His descent to open up the netherworld to those who should have gone to heaven. Since Jesus hadn’t died yet, I would think Lazarus would have entered the spiritual waiting area with all the others who passed before him. As the narrator was not Catholic, it could explain why he thought Lazarus went straight to heaven. But what about the widow’s son and Jarius’ daughter? Wouldn’t they have felt the same as Lazarus about being returned to an earthly life to die again?

Perhaps because the video topic was about resurrection, the algorithm started suggesting video interviews by people who have had near death experiences, or NDE. The one that caught my attention had a shocking title, I No Longer Have Faith After My Near-Death Experience. In the short 15-minute video, Peter Panagore explained his near-death experience after ice climbing. During the experience, he asked to be returned to his body for his parents’ sake, however, after returning from such an illuminating experience, he did suffer depression and felt he had made a mistake in coming back. The adjustment did take time, and even though the reasons for the decision were out of love for his parents, it was definitely a sacrifice. He recounted his experience in a book, Heaven is Beautiful, in which he states he no longer has faith, belief, or religion, as well as no doubts. While it does sound sensational, it makes sense. Since he had such a positive experience of the Divine, as he refers to God, he knows where he will go when his final death comes. He knows God, he knows heaven. Faith is belief in something that is unseen/unexperienced. Even St. Paul refers to the hope of our faith in God in his letter to the Romans, “Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.” (Rom 8:24-25) 

The main message in his encounter was one of Love. While Peter used analogies to explain his experience, he could not quite put into words the depth of the Love he felt. After coming back, the beauty in this world pales in comparison to what he experienced in the presence of the Divine. Peter had the privilege of experiencing the Love of God without the constraints of a human body. For the rest of us, we need to rely on our faith. We can listen to his experience and learn from it to improve our relationship with God. Perhaps that’s noticing and acknowledging the everyday, ordinary gifts that God gives us. Maybe it’s appreciating more fully the beauty and wonder of all of God’s creations. Or maybe it is opening ourselves up to be loved by God and allowing God to love us, even when we feel unlovable. We are a people with the faith in the resurrection. While there are some who have had near-death experiences and glimpsed what was beyond time, space, and matter, they only experienced it with their souls. At some point our bodies will be resurrected and returned to our souls. What that will be like, well Jesus and Mary know, but we will have to wait for the fullness of time that God the Father has determined for that event.

Sheep from Montpelier 2021

Home with the Lord

As we finish out the last few verses via the book, A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23, by Phillip Keller, we find ourselves, and the sheep, making a full circle of a year’s sheep tending.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

The author’s interpretation of this passage really surprised me. My impression of this verse was more like a comparison of the anointing of a priest or king. But then again, I’ve never had to take care of sheep. In the summer pastures, as lovely as they are, there still lurks challenges. One of the biggest are flies. Even at heights, the buzzing insects are still present. I’ll spare the details of what the files will do to the sheep, but the treatment is usually a dipping, and especially the head, in an oil-based remedy. Here again, it is a vigilant shepherd who can tell when the sheep need the treatment, which can be required multiple times during the season. 

Another issue are the sudden storms that pop up, and at the higher altitude, this can include a pelting of sleet or hail. While mature sheep with a wooly coat have a bit more protection, they are not immune to the dampness and chill, and the lambs even less so. One of the methods the author used to treat sheep that were suffering from the cold, was a few spoonfuls of a mixture of brandy and water, which warmed them from the inside out. In discussing these two issues, Keller talks about how complacent we can become when we are in the summer pasture times of our lives. The remedy he saw that correlates is to seek to be closer to God and to ask for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. While that is a wonderful option, as a Catholic, what I immediately saw was the need for frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist, both the Body and Blood of Jesus.

While you may suppose the cup would be a comparison to the water-brandy remedy, Keller associates it with suffering. Here again I was surprised, since I always thought of an over-flowing cup as a good thing. Who wants an overflowing cup of suffering? Yet the author reminds us that it’s not just the sheep in those summer pastures that have to contend with these challenges, but the shepherd himself. He needs to be with his flock, monitoring them most especially in the times of trial. Perhaps the overflowing cup is because it is a shared communal suffering, not endured alone, but monitored and addressed as quickly as possible, provided that the sheep allow the shepherd to care for them.

Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life;

A well-managed flock is a benefit to the land. Sheep do love to eat weeds (provided they are not poisonous to them), and a flock can return a weed-infested pasture to a grassy-green beauty. In addition, according to the author, the fertilizer from a sheep is one of the best fertilizers from livestock. As the shepherd cares for the sheep and manages them and the land wisely, the area is blessed with health and beauty. The author then questions what fruit do we show as being taken care of by Christ? Do we leave behind mercy, kindness, and beauty that mirror the careful care of the Good Shepherd? Or are we a reflection of the evil one leaving behind a wasteland of discord?

I will dwell in the house of the LORD for endless days.

This may have been the most poignant reflection of the book. However, in order to understand it, you needed to read the book and understand the amount of care a shepherd has for his flock — rather a good shepherd has. During the winter months the author commented that a number of times some sheep from his neighbors flock were able to make their way onto his land. Unfortunately, the neighbor was not a good shepherd, and the sheep were not used to eating such good, quality grazing. They would end up even sicker than their starving self on the other side of the fence. When he would return the sheep, the rancher would recognize they were too weak to survive the winter and would slit their throats to save himself the trouble. Keller explained that if he had purchased sheep like those sickly ones who stole onto his land, he would not have immediately put them out in the pasture, but would have quarantined them, so to treat them of their diseases and as well as to slowly adjust their diet so that he could work them up to being able to eat all the healthy food and grazing that was available on his ranch.  

This last account made me conscious of two things. First, it is incredibly important to seek a relationship with God now. If we don’t accommodate ourselves to the ways of God and heaven, how will we be happy in heaven? Secondly, purgatory is real. While there may be a few who can truly allow Jesus to shepherd them completely during their sojourn on earth, I suspect most of us have a stubborn sheep instinct to seek out pastures just beyond where we should. With purgatory, the Good Shepherd will purge us of the diseases we have and prepare us to be able to fully enjoy the feast of heaven.

While Psalm 23 is often used to comfort those who mourn loved ones, this book has shown me it is really a blueprint of how to get to heaven. If we want a home with the Lord, then we need to let Him be our Good Shepherd. We need to recognize that we are His, and He chose us; we have not chosen Him, but we respond to His call and His tender care.

Sheep from Montpelier 2021

What a shepherd does

We continue in our mini retreat using A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller who notes the shift in address within the psalm. The first portion almost sounds like the sheep is boasting to a different flock of how wonderful his shepherd is. Now, the sheep turns and addresses the shepherd to acknowledge all He does.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me

What makes a valley? Land that is between higher ground is called a valley, and many times it has been carved out by streams of water. These streams feed the vegetation in the valley area and are a wonderful source of food for an itinerant flock. The higher ground that surrounds a valley can cast long shadows and hide watchful predators. An experienced shepherd is always watchful, scanning both the sheep and the landscape. The shepherd chooses these valleys as the path to the summer feeding ground at the height of the hills or mountains. He is patient and persistent in allowing the sheep to graze, but not linger too long. It’s a slow trek up the valley to the higher ground, allowing little lambs to keep up with their ewes. 

Reflecting on this line, the author points out, “It does not say I die there, or stay there — but rather, ‘I walk through.’” The Christian life parallels a flock of sheep making its way up to the best feeding grounds at the highest point in the area, which equates to heaven. God is always with us, watchful and protective. The author also says, “[death] is not something to fear, but an experience through which one passes on the path to a more perfect life.” On our journey from the valley floor up to the mountain height, we will be in shadow and we will be in sunshine. Each moment God as the Good Shepherd accompanies us, allowing some grazing while keeping us moving forward.

Your rod and your staff comfort me 

The shepherd’s rod is like a club, used for protection. It is often made by the shepherd so that it fits him perfectly and becomes an extension of him. It can also be used to examine the body of a sheep separating the wool to see to the skin for injury, disease, or parasites. The author equates it to the Word of God, which demonstrates God’s authority and power. It is also what we use to examine our lives so that we can seek out healing when we repent of our sins. 

The iconic shepherd’s staff is a crooked stick that shepherds wield in many helpful ways. When newborn lambs stray from their mothers, the crook can be used to scoop them up and return them, so that the scent of the shepherd does not rub off on the lamb and risk rejection from the ewe. Often when slowly moving sheep, the shepherd is towards the back of the sheep to make sure all are moving. Yet the staff, when stretched out and applied with gentle pressure to the side of the sheep, nudges them in the correct direction. It’s not a whip, it is not used to strike the sheep, but rather is used for encouragement and is comforting in that the sheep know they are moving on the right path. Even when correcting sheep to move them away from a poisonous plant, it is gently applied.

When we reflect on our life experiences, we can see the times when God has nudged us in one direction or another, or maybe even just to get going! We sheep should not fear the simple tools of the Shepherd, but rather appreciate His skillful use to keep us safe on our journey.

You set a table before me in front of my enemies

The best pasture land is the summer pastures high above the surrounding area. Often these plateaux are called mesas — the Spanish word for table. Yet a shepherd is diligent before the flock arrives, making several journeys up to inspect and prepare it. The observant shepherd removes the poisonous plants as well as cleans natural debris from the watering holes, ensuring the flow of water is not hampered. He also plans out how he will move the flock from location to location through the summer months. Yet the danger from predators is never far away. Cougars and wolves will watch from a distance to strike at the right moment to cause a stampede or to snatch a sheep wandering too far from the shepherd.

Even in the best of times we, too, need to stay vigilant, but more so, to stay close to Christ. The best way to do this is participating at the grandest table we have on earth: the altar at Mass. It is at this table that Jesus feeds us with Himself. The Eucharist is the foretaste of what’s to come when we reach the heavenly banquet.

These lines of the psalm are spoken by one with experience, who has witnessed what the Good Shepherd has done in his life. As we learn more about the responsibilities of a shepherd here on earth, we realize just how much God is constantly doing for us, even when we do wander a bit away from Him.

Sheep from Montpelier 2021

A shepherd’s care

Continuing to review A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller, it is evident that sheep need a lot of care and a good shepherd will be watchful of his flock. With each example of a shepherd’s care, we can see how much God cares for us likewise.

To still waters he leads me 

While sheep can do well in arid climates, they still do require hydration. However, they can eat their water. Sheep naturally arise before sunrise and want to graze on the dew-laden grass. This is perfect for them to get both food and water at the same time. Then, when the sun is at its peak and the day it at its hottest, the sheep will lay down in shade and ruminate. However, sheep are also habitual creatures, and even with abundant liquid, they may seek out the same pool of water again and again, until it is a muddy, parasite-infested puddle that’s not fit to drink, and even then they will drink it. While the consequences of drinking that horrid water may not immediately be experienced, they can be deadly. 

This line poses a question for our response to God and His gifts to us. He pours out the water of life to us in the Church, the sacraments, and His sacred Word. How do we respond to these gifts? Do we seek to spend time with Him early in the morning, so that we can reflect on His Word and graces throughout the day? Or do we seek muddy pools of water, ignoring the toxicity it contains for our spiritual eternity?

He restores my soul 

In this chapter Keller talks about a sheep that is “cast down.” At face value, it sounds like something within the social order of the flock, when in reality it’s actually what can happen to an individual sheep for several reasons. While a sheep can lay down, it is imperative they do not roll over. A sheep on its back will be a dead sheep, with the timing depending on the weather. A sheep cannot right itself, it is at the mercy of an attentive shepherd, who is always scanning the flock to make sure each is accounted for. A sheep may end up cast down when the ground it lays on is uneven, when a sheep has too much wool, or when a sheep is too fat. Ewes that are heavily pregnant can be vulnerable to this condition. The only cure is for a shepherd to find the sheep, turn it over, help it to stand, and massage its legs until the blood flow is sufficient for it to stand on its own. 

Just like a cast down sheep, no one can heal their own soul. They must allow the Good Shepherd to attend to them. Do we allow Jesus to care of our souls? Or do we wildly kick and thrash in our state of sin so that He cannot get close enough to turn us over? Too many times we helplessly bleat our condition to God only to prevent Him from helping us. Sometimes that means He may move us to another pasture where the ground doesn’t have as many hollow indentations. He may also shear the wool growth to reduce the risk of our repeat offense. Or He may change up our diet to keep us at a healthy weight. Each one of these actions may feel like a punishment at the time, but the reality is that He is restoring our souls back to life.

He guides me along right paths for the sake of His name

A good shepherd is always on the move with his flock. While the first portion of this line should be enough to convey the health of the sheep, it is the second portion that stands out. A shepherd is known by the health of his flock and the management of his land; it is his reputation on the line if he does not keep a watchful eye on the sheep. But it’s not enough to just watch over them. A shepherd needs to make sure the sheep have new opportunities to graze. Depending on the location and circumstances, this moving around could be weekly or daily. If sheep graze in one location too long, they destroy the land, which also means they feed less and wind up weak and diseased. While some sheep are excited to go to new grazing opportunities, others may stubbornly try to return to their previous location to continue eating where they were accustomed to doing so. 

How many times do we return to barren wastelands to graze instead of trusting in God to move us to better pastures? From the moment the serpent spoke to Eve, the tendency towards wanting to be in control remains ingrained in humanity. We want to choose what we want to do and when we do it. It’s hard to relinquish control to God to let Him lead us. Yet if we claim that God is our shepherd, that is exactly what we are meant to do.

God does care for us like a Good Shepherd. As we reflect on what that has looked like in our lives in the past, let us also be mindful in the present of our response to His care and allow Him to be what we claim Him to be. 

Sheep from Montpelier 2021

Lambing season

I may only officially follow one Scottish crofter on Instagram, but once you interact positively with one type of content, the algorithm eagerly provides more, in between ads of course. Since it’s lambing season, I’m not complaining, as I love to see all the tiny lambs and hear their baby baaa’s. But it’s not just in the physical world that we celebrate lambs, spiritually we celebrate the glory of the Paschal Lamb, Jesus Christ. 

A woman in my Bible study lent me a book she thought I’d enjoy, after I had mentioned my hobbies of spinning wool and knitting and weaving with it. The Holy Spirit has prompted me that now is a good time to read it. It’s called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller. The copyright is older than I am by a year, so I have no idea if it’s still in print or not. Most people know this psalm, if not by heart they could at least paraphrase most of it. As the psalm is only 6 verses, I was surprised to see 12 chapters in the book. My goal is to read a few chapters each week and reflect on them. She was right that I would like it; had it been my own book, I probably would have highlighted every other sentence.

The Lord is my shepherd

A whole chapter on only part of the first verse? Yes, and wow, what a chapter. Reading it at face value, it seems sweet enough, conjuring up a sense of coziness with the divine. Being human, we often read that relationship from our point of view, namely that we choose God. But that’s not what it means. It means that God has chosen us. And not just that he chose us, but that He owns us. That is one of the words the author uses: owns. Let that wash over you for a minute. Do you feel outraged? How dare He! But when you look at that from a shepherd’s perspective, He that owns the sheep is responsible for them, totally and completely. From disagreements within the flock, and protection from vicious predators, to adequate shelter and the proper food, the shepherd takes care of all the needs of the sheep. What this portion of the verse conveys is that we acknowledge our relationship to God. We are not claiming God, but joyfully, restfully, and peacefully submitting to His care.

Another point the author makes is through the recall of the memory of when he bought his first flock of ewes. A fellow rancher handed him a knife to make those sheep truly his. This was done by cutting a unique notch in the ear of the sheep. Each rancher had his own, it’s how they could tell who owned which sheep if they ended up mixed in with another flock. His first task as the owner was to cause them pain, to cause their blood to flow. While he knew it had to be done, it was not a task he wanted to do. One by one he captured each sheep and made his mark. They were his, under his care and he was going to do everything he could for the health and well being of the flock. Spiritually, it’s the opposite for us. It’s Jesus who shed His blood on our behalf to wash us of our sins. The mark He leaves on us in Baptism and Confirmation is the sign of the cross in water and oil. Yet the power of the relationship through the sacraments is far stronger than any cut in our flesh.   

I shall not want

While the author acknowledges that this verse can be interpreted in a straightforward manner, there are proactive steps that the shepherd takes so that the sheep are not in want. A shepherd cares for his sheep on a daily basis and knows each one. Because of the familiarity, the shepherd can identify when a sheep may not be feeling well, is injured, or is bothered with parasites and can take immediate action. He talks about scanning the sheep at the beginning of the day, taking inventory of each one, not just to identify that it’s present and part of the flock, but of its whole health. If we pray this portion of the psalm, do we open ourselves up for God to do the same with us? Or are we claiming that God is our shepherd while we’re off seeking how to get through the fence to whatever is on the other side? At one of the sheep and wool festivals I attended, I remember seeing a sheep in a temporary pen that had lots of green grass and little flowers to eat. But the one sheep was stretching out her neck as far as she could trying to reach a flower that was outside of the pen, even though there were plenty within it. God takes care of all our needs, but are we content to be satisfied with how he provisions us? 

In green pastures he makes me lie down

This chapter was a fascinating lesson as to what it takes for a sheep to lie down. This is no small feat! Basically the only way a sheep will lie down is when its belly is full and has absolutely nothing to fear. While the first one may be more easily achieved, the lack of fear is quite the balancing act. Sheep know they are prey animals, so it takes a lot for them to feel comfortable. Anything can set the flock running to the other side of the pasture. And it’s also a battle with nature itself, protecting them from parasites as well as unpredictable predators. If a shepherd is able to keep those natural elements at bay, well then there are the sheep themselves, or rather their personalities. Just like humans, not all sheep get along nicely with one another. Yet the author noted that sometimes it’s the mere presence of the shepherd that quells any disharmony within the flock. The only way we can truly pray this portion of the psalm’s second verse is when we are in a moment of total peace. For me that would be in Adoration of the Real Presence. But we don’t need to wait until we are in the midst of the Blessed Sacrament. In times that are most stressful, we can pause, put ourselves in the Presence of Christ no matter where we are, and pray this psalm. 

Reading this psalm from a shepherd’s perspective is a great way to celebrate lambing season, since I’ll never experience living with sheep in such an intimate way. I’m only three chapters into this book and it already feels like a mini retreat! It’s also a great reminder that the physical world and the spiritual world parallel each other and if we want to learn more about God, we do so by studying the world He has created.