“The sheep hear his voice.” (John 10:3)
The people who first heard Jesus compare himself to a shepherd had some background knowledge that many of us lack. They knew that when shepherds brought their sheep in for the night, they often put them into pens with other flocks. And how did shepherds distinguish their sheep from all the others when it was time to go out to pasture again? Easy. Each shepherd had a distinctive call, which only his sheep would recognize and follow.
What an apt metaphor for Jesus’ relationship with us! He is the Good Shepherd, whose sheep know to respond when he calls to them.
Or do they? Perhaps this is an area where some of Jesus’ sheep—some of us—need a bit more training. Do you believe that you have the potential of becoming so familiar with Jesus that you can quickly discern his voice from the other voices in the world? This gift of discernment, which is every believer’s inheritance in Christ, is developed as we imitate the first Christians, who “devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
Close attention to Scripture and church teaching can help us recognize God’s voice and the kind of things he might tell us. Fellowship with other followers of Christ can build us up and give us a sounding board to help us see if our ideas are on target. Personal prayer can become a conversation where we learn to hear the voice of him who loves us best. And the Eucharist can become an intimate encounter with the Lord, who wants to lead us into a deeper understanding of his will.
Isn’t it comforting that, despite our unworthiness, we can still hear Jesus say, “I love you”? This is our Shepherd’s distinctive call. How can we possibly resist?
“Jesus, open my ears and teach me to recognize your voice in all the ways it comes to me. Then open my lips and let me be your voice to others.”
The people who first heard Jesus compare himself to a shepherd had some background knowledge that many of us lack. They knew that when shepherds brought their sheep in for the night, they often put them into pens with other flocks. And how did shepherds distinguish their sheep from all the others when it was time to go out to pasture again? Easy. Each shepherd had a distinctive call, which only his sheep would recognize and follow.
What an apt metaphor for Jesus’ relationship with us! He is the Good Shepherd, whose sheep know to respond when he calls to them.
Or do they? Perhaps this is an area where some of Jesus’ sheep—some of us—need a bit more training. Do you believe that you have the potential of becoming so familiar with Jesus that you can quickly discern his voice from the other voices in the world? This gift of discernment, which is every believer’s inheritance in Christ, is developed as we imitate the first Christians, who “devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
Close attention to Scripture and church teaching can help us recognize God’s voice and the kind of things he might tell us. Fellowship with other followers of Christ can build us up and give us a sounding board to help us see if our ideas are on target. Personal prayer can become a conversation where we learn to hear the voice of him who loves us best. And the Eucharist can become an intimate encounter with the Lord, who wants to lead us into a deeper understanding of his will.
Isn’t it comforting that, despite our unworthiness, we can still hear Jesus say, “I love you”? This is our Shepherd’s distinctive call. How can we possibly resist?
“Jesus, open my ears and teach me to recognize your voice in all the ways it comes to me. Then open my lips and let me be your voice to others.”
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