Do not wait for tragedies to strike



In my tenure as a pastor, I have walked with families in their journey of grief. During those difficult moments, I have witnessed the comfort that comes from listening to the word of God. When we read Psalm 23 -The Lord is my Shepherd at the graveside service, there is a sense of dependency on God that we embrace as we “walk through the darkest valley” (Psalm 23:4).

In today’s Gospel passage we read the words of Jesus: “I am the good shepherd”. The motif of the shepherd is widely used in the Bible not only because people were familiar with that trade but also shepherding meant leading and protecting  in the Hebrew culture as well as in the Babylonian and the Greek cultures. So when Jesus says I am the good shepherd He reveals His leadership qualities of strength, liability, consistency, and care. He is the shepherd who will always be there for us, no matter how dark that valley can get.

The secular world teaches us that we do not need God. Who needs God when you have money and Google? “You can do it all by yourself” sounds identical to the lie that the serpent presented to Adam and Eve, who after listening to the advice of evil made a great discovery: they found out that they were naked…

But we also know that how people turn to God when they are hit with tragedies. Money and information cannot replace God. Nothing replaces God. I love the words of St. Augustine who says in his Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Do not wait for tragedies to strike before you develop a relationship with God. Jesus -the good shepherd, is extending an invitation to you. He knows you and He has laid his life for so that you may have a full life.

Yours,

Fr. Nareg

Read the Word of God. Today's readings are: Wisdom 5:1-8; Amos 3:12-15; Ephesians 3:1-10; John 10:11-16

Comments

  1. God is goodNovember 4, 2019 at 10:13 AM

    Amen. May we trust in the Lord with the faith that he has given us. God, help us know you as knowing you is true freedom and the ultimate joy.

    ReplyDelete

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