“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.“
John 10: 11-16
Yesterday’s reading from Isaiah prepares us: God is referred to as the shepherd who will come with might, and rules and gathers His flock of sheep into His arms. Jesus declares Himself to be that shepherd in this passage, and by doing so, declares Himself to be God the Son. It is a profound claim. He declares that He has sheep that do not belong to the flock – in other words, sheep who are not Jewish. Jesus declares He will bring them all together in one flock. That flock is the universal holy apostolic Church, as pronounced in the Nicene Creed. Our reward for following Jesus is the awesome blessing of being with Him and being loved by Him.
Let us pray with St. Gregory:
This new book of prayers sings with urgency through me,
for all thinking people the world over,
for the entire, mixed congregation of the church universal…
May this book of prayers I have undertaken to compose with the strength of the Holy Spirit
serve for some as heartfelt pleas of intercession and for others as counsel toward virtue
that through this book they might constantly appear before you, Great Mercy.
May you heal the souls and wash away the transgressions
of those who read this book with pure hearts.
Forgive their debts and free them from the bonds of sin.
Amen
Prayer 3 B
