Jesus, The Good Shepherd of Souls

“What man of you that hath an hundred sheep: and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which was lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing: And coming home, call together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost?’ I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance” (Luke 15, 4-8).

First Prelude: Behold Jesus, the Good Shepherd, carrying the lost sheep back to the fold.

Second Prelude: O Jesus, Good Shepherd of my soul, let me realize the extent of Thy love of me and teach me how to bring back straying souls to Thee, by meekness, patience and love.

FIRST POINT

THE GOOD SHEPHERD SEEKS THE LOST SHEEP

The proud Pharisees reproached our Lord for having responded with the touching parable of the lost sheep. In this parable He reveals to us the fullness of the love and mercy of His Sacred Heart for His poor stray creatures. Jesus so loves the souls who have deserted Him, that, provided they return to Him, He is willing to forgive them. Not satisfied with merely loving them, He pursues them as a shepherd the lost sheep, and spares no pains to bring the sinner to conversion. What a beautiful picture—the compassionate Heart of Jesus seeking the sinner! He stakes all—enlists every possible means to achieve His purpose. He rouses the wayward soul through the voice of conscience, counsels it by the teachings of Holy Church and the advice of well-meaning friends, and admonishes it by means of terrible events. These are proofs of the love of the Good Shepherd. What efforts has He not made to induce us, likewise, to renounce sin and walk on His way! What has it cost Him to tear us from the world, and harbor us securely in the religious life! Let us gratefully acknowledge the great grace of our holy vocation. Let us embrace courageously His shepherd’s crook, the holy cross, by taking upon ourselves generously, in grateful love, whatever is hard and burdensome. His Sacred Heart is open to us; let us take refuge there until death shall secure us against all danger and unite us to Him forever.

Do I recognize the loving guidance of the Good Shepherd in my life? Am I docile to His voice?

SECOND POINT

THE JOY OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD UPON FINDING HIS SHEEP

As we read in the closing words of today’s gospel, the angels of heaven rejoice with Christ when a soul is delivered from the bonds of sin and the danger of perdition. We should share this joy, yes, we may even help the Good Shepherd to bring sinners back to virtue by imitating the watchfulness, the tender love, the untiring self-devotion of the Heart of Jesus in the interest of souls. We can make their hearts receptive for grace by patience, meekness, self-immolation and even by the material care we bestow upon these poorest of the poor.

Let us, therefore, apply every means that a true, zealous love can suggest and pray without ceasing for their return. Let us edify them by our good example, and rest not until we have attained our end. How inspiring it is to think that through the works of our vocation we cannot only make our fellow-men happy but at the same time rejoice the inhabitants of heaven. The angels and saints are the friends of the Good Shepherd who rejoice with Him when He returns home with the sheep that was lost. The greater our zeal for souls, the more they will become our friends. Let us, therefore, confidently invoke the citizens of heaven, should the enemies of God try to frustrate our endeavors for the salvation of souls. We will entrust to them the prayers and sacrifices we daily offer for the poor, stray sheep of the household. Doing this we shall contribute our part towards a frequent renewal of the feast of joy in heaven upon the conversion of a sinner.

Affections: O tender Heart of the Good Shepherd, how wonderful is Thy goodness and gentleness towards us. Full of sympathy for our weaknesses, Thou seekest for us when we have offended Thee and severed ourselves from Thee by our faults and imperfections. O loving Shepherd, why do so many hearts resist the call of Thy grace? Grant that all may know Thee, the supreme Good, and inflame them all with Thy love. Grant that I may bestow untiring care on the souls who have strayed far from Thee. Grant that I may devote myself to this important work with all the self-immolation that Thou dost expect of men, in a spirit of gratitude to Thee, my beloved Saviour, for having sought me with so much love and brought me back to Thy fold. I will, henceforth, rejoice Thy loving Heart and all heaven by my fidelity and zeal for souls.

Resolution: I will offer up all my prayers and good works through the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the conversion of sinners.

Spiritual Bouquet: “There shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner doing penance.”


Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will.

Thou hast given me all that I am and all that I possess; I surrender it all to Thee that Thou mayest dispose of it according to Thy Will.

Give me only Thy love and Thy grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will have no more to desire.

(Indulgence of 300 days, once a day. — Pope Leo XIII, May 26, 1883)