God's love in abundance and thanking God for gift's given to us - 17th Sunday Ordinary Time

This past week I had the opportunity to go to Northern Canada on a fishing trip.   Now I’m not greatest fisherman.  Usually I spend a lot of time fishing and don’t do a lot of catching.   Most of the time I have a story to tell about the one that got away and the fish the family gets to eat is from the seafood counter at Meijer.   But this trip was a little different.  It was on a lake in a remote area of Canada and the only one in Ontario that requires a special fishing permit.   Very few people are able to fish the lake so it has very little pressure on it.  Our group of 9 guys was able to catch over 700 fish.  This was truly a fishing trip that produced fish in abundance.

Today’s Gospel on miracle of the multiplication of the loaves is one that is very familiar.  I’d like to focus on how a small gift of the five loaves and two fish was able to produce an abundance to feed many by giving thanks to God and through the divine power of Jesus.

In the story the people follow Jesus because they’ve heard about the miraculous healings, and they wanted to see it for themselves.   Some probably longed for a healing themselves. In his compassion Jesus anticipates the needs of the people.  He knows they’ve come out to see him in a remote area away from their homes and marketplace, and they will surely be hungry.

Jesus wanted to teach his disciples by testing them to solve the problem of feeding all the people. Philip answers in his limited human viewpoint:  It would be over a half years worth of wages to feed them all. Andrew offers a small token to solve the problem: a boy with five loaves and two fishes and states, “but what good are these to feed so many”.  The disciples find little hope in being able to feed so many.

Don’t we all feel at some times like the disciples?   We can be totally overwhelmed by a problem that seems impossible to handle on our own.  We may have problems that cause us grief such as:

Being able to pay the monthly mortgage payment due to a job less or medical expenses;

Being on a fixed income and have to cut back on medications in order to buy food;  

Struggling with a severely broken relationship with a spouse or friend that seems unable to be reconciled;

Facing life threatening medical issue;

Grieving a loss of a loved one;

Concerns about all the people suffering from persecution, hunger, and homelessness may distress us as well.

When we’re faced with problems like these on our own it can be overwhelming. 

Jesus’ response to the disciple’s problem was to have the people recline so they could be served a meal.  He was going to use his divine power to feed all the people who came to see him. He uses the gifts from the boy of the five loaves and two fish to perform the miracle of the multiplication to feed the multitude.

Jesus does something very important with these gifts that may have been easily overlooked in hearing this Gospel.  He gives thanks to God.  What seems to be a limited amount is multiplied into an abundance to feed the multitudes through God’s grace. After the people were fed there was so much left over that twelve baskets were filled.  This is truly a symbol of the abundance of God’s love and mercy. 

When we’re faced with our own problems we have the comfort to know that Jesus has compassion for our needs and wants to help us.  We’re not alone in our struggles.   If we turn to Jesus in prayer and through the church we’ll have the love and support to help us through our struggles.  

Jesus offers us a good example to follow by giving thanks to God for the gifts he has given us.    Many times when faced with a problem it can be all consuming and it’s easy to get discouraged.   But if we take the time to assess the gifts in our lives and then give thanks to God it can help make the problem seem like less of an issue.  

What are the gifts we have to be thankful for? 

Our faith, family, friends;

Our talents, education, and job;

Our health care provides and caregivers who help us;

Our health, a free country to live in, and a planet with resources to supply our needs;  

Our church, the ability to practice or faith, and receive Jesus in the Eucharist.

I’m sure you may have others to add and may be lacking in some things I mentioned.  But if you take some time to think about the things in your life to be thankful for it can sure help.  

The fishing trip I went on was a great experience and a lot of fun, but there was one very important thing missing.  Due to the remoteness of the area there were no church within a 100 miles.  I was not able to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist.  It was something I longed for and missed.  I did take some time on Sunday in prayer to dedicate to God.  In doing so I was able to thank God for my family, job, and safety, and most of all for the gift of the Eucharist.  I’m glad to be back and receive the Eucharist with you all today.

As Mass continues we’ll have an opportunity to offer thanks for the gifts God has given us.  Many of us will offer financial gifts to support the needs of our church, food for our food pantry, or school supplies for fast track.  As these gifts are offered also think about the blessings that God has given us and offer them up in gratitude to God.  It doesn’t have to be anything grand.   It can be as simple as thanking God for the meal you’ll have tonight, which may be just bread and fish. The offerings of bread and wine represent the gifts we’ve offered to God, which will be turned into the greatest gift of all: The Eucharist.   The Eucharist, which means thanksgiving, is our Lord Jesus present in his flesh and blood.  It’s the spiritual food that’s offered to us in abundance each and every week.  It’s the source to give us strength we need to help us through our struggles in our daily lives.  God bless you.

Deacon Ron's Homily - Something small grows into something big, the growth of God's Kingdom at Ss. Francis and Clare

The Gospel today has a good image to relate to the kingdom of God. Something small, a mustard seed, that grows into something big, a plant so large it provides shade for the

birds to dwell in, through the power of God. It’s a good image for this time of the year as many of us have just recently planted our gardens. Much of the work that goes into planting a garden requires a lot of faith that all the effort we put into it will produce a fruitful harvest. We can cultivate the soil, fertilize it, water it, and weed it, but the growth of the seeds is beyond our control.  We can’t make the seeds grow and we can’t plan when the plants will product the harvest. We need to have faith that the right conditions will prevail for the seeds to grow and produce a bountiful harvest. Our faith is dependant on the power of God. God provides the sunshine, the warm weather, and the right conditions to grow bountiful plants.

The seed in today’s parable represents God’s word planted in us.  Jesus is the sower of the Word. We are the soil. Now all we need is right conditions for us to grow through the power of God. As I thought about the right conditions for the tiniest of seeds to grow into the largest of plants, I thought about our own parish, Ss. Francis and Clare, as the perfect example of the power of God in action.

Just a seed when planted in 1993 by Archbishop Daniel, it began to sprout and grow with a handful of families who worshiped together in the Center Grove Middle school gym, pastored by Fr. Steve Jarrell. Our church building and parish offices were completed in 1997 and the parish continued its steady growth. But something significant happened in 2003. In July of 2003, Fr. Vince was appointed the pastor of our parish and the growth that has taken place is nothing short of amazing. In 2003 we had 720 parish families. Today we have over 1700 families. That’s an increase of over 1000 families in 12 years.

Our school ministry was started in 2006 with 34 students in the two classrooms of the original church building.   The school ministry and religious education rapidly expanded and the Assisi Center was built to handle the growth in 2007 and expanded again in 2010.   Today we now have over 550 children in our school ministry and over 800 children in our Sunday religious education and youth ministry.

Our parish membership has grown by welcoming many people into the Catholic faith through the RCIA process.   Early in Father Vince’s tenure he noticed quite a few spouses faithfully attending Mass who were not Catholic and decided to offer a summer RCIA program to bring them into the faith.    This past year two RCIA programs were offered to accommodate the busy lifestyles of adults to come into the faith. We also have had four men called to the diaconate under Father Vince’s leadership, three of them ordained, and one in formation. 

In the back of the main sanctuary of our church, the walls were moved to add seats to accommodate our growing parish. Masses were added during the week and on Sundays to meet the needs of our growing parish. Our staff at Ss. Francis and Clare increased significantly, including the addition of an Associate Pastor to assist Fr. Vince. The Harvest Food Pantry was started four years ago and a stand alone building was opened last year in order to offer more times to serve those who need help. Our annual fall festival was started and has grown to be one of the largest in the area. Our columbarium was built as a final resting place for our parish members with plans for future expansion. Our Early Childhood Learning Center is under construction and is set to open in a few months.

All of our various ministries have grown to meet the needs of our parish and our surrounding community with over 3100 people volunteering to serve last year. The seed sprouted, the sprout grew, and the plant has had tremendous growth, especially during the past 12 years here at Ss. Francis and Clare. All of this has occurred by God’s power, and by the faith, the vision, and the leadership of our pastor, Fr. Vince.

Let’s not forget, that early on as our pastor, Fr. Vince was appointed as the archdiocesan exorcist. Fr. Vince accepted this assignment and has been one of the most visible and accessible exorcists in the US. Although his time has been divided between the parish and his exorcism ministry, Fr. Vince has been able to move the parish forward and to ‘give his all’ to his flock.

Ss. Francis and Clare is a special place where the Kingdom of God has grown because of all of you, our parishioners.   The seed was planted in our hearts through the Word and Sacraments, cultivated through leadership of Father Vince, and empowered through the God’s grace to build up the Kingdom. When Fr. Vince arrived 12 years ago, he had a vision for Ss. Francis and Clare. His vision was for it to be a parish for the 21^st century; a parish that meets the needs and demands of the modern world in which we live.  A parish where all people can come together in common belief to live out the 2 great commandments:

1)   To love God with all our mind, with all our heart, and with all our soul.

2)   And to love our neighbor as ourself.

A parish, where people can come together to worship, to pray, to laugh, to cry, to teach, to learn, and to support each other as we all journey towards God’s eternal kingdom.

Fr. Vince trusted the Holy Spirit and allowed the power of God to work through him to do great things here at Ss. Francis and Clare. Yes our parish is an example of the parable of the mustard seed.  What began as the smallest of seeds, has sprouted, has grown, and will continue to grow to be a place to dwell and rest in God’s kingdom here on earth. Thank you, Fr. Vince, for your leadership, for your love, for your prayers, and for your support. We will miss you - we know that God will continue to do great things through you at St. Malachy.

Dear friends, in a few short minutes we will come forward to receive our Lord in Holy Communion. When we do so, let’s thank God for using His awesome power to grow His kingdom and to include us in his plans. Let’s thank Him for his many gifts to us. For the gift of life, the gift of family, the gift of friends, the gift of Jesus, and the gift of our pastor, Fr. Vince.

God bless!

Deacon Steve's Homily - Power of the Kingdom of God - 11th Sunday Ordinary Time, Cycle B

Our readings on this 11^th Sunday in Ordinary time remind us of two things:

1)   the power of God

2)   the growth of the Kingdom of God

The power of God is beyond any human power and is at the center of our readings today.  In our first reading, we are told that it is the power of God that transplants the shoot of cedar. This shoot of cedar was the remnant of Israel that was cut by Nebuchadnezzar and carried off to Babylon. By God’s power it was returned to the Promised Land in order for it to grow in the city of God.

The Gospel tells us too of the power that God gives the seed to grow to reach full maturity. And in the parable of the mustard seed, we are reminded that by God’s power the smallest of seeds can grow into a leafy tree in which all the birds of the sky can take shelter.

In our reading from Corinthians, Paul himself, trusting in the power of God, reminds us all that ‘we walk by faith not by sight’. Paul had faith that God had the power to do anything, and that his mission was to listen to God, to trust in God, and do the will of God in his life.By doing so, Paul was doing his part to help grow God’s kingdom from the tiniest of seeds to the largest of plants, providing shelter for the masses.

As I thought about this image of the tiniest of seeds growing into a large plant, I thought about our own parish, SSFC. Just a seed when planted in 1993 by Archbishop Daniel, it began to sprout and grow with a handful of families who worshiped together in a gymnasium, pastored by Fr. Steve Jarrell. Our church building and parish offices were completed in 1997 and the parish continued its steady growth.

But something significant happened in 2003. In July of 2003, Fr. Vince was appointed the pastor of our parish and the growth that has taken place is nothing short of amazing.

In 2003 we had 720 parish families. Today we have over 1700 families. That’s an increase of over 1000 families in 12 years. Our school ministry was started in 2006 with 34 students in the two classrooms of the original church building.   The school ministry and religious education rapidly expanded and the Assisi Center was built to handle the growth in 2009 and expanded again in 2012.  Today we now have over 550 children in our grade school ministry and over 800 children in our Sunday religious education ministry.

Our parish membership has grown by welcoming many people into the Catholic faith through the RCIA process.  Early in Father Vince’s tenure he noticed quite a few spouses faithfully attending Mass who were not Catholic and decided to offer a summer RCIA program to bring them into the faith.    

This past year two RCIA programs were offered to accommodate the busy lifestyles of adults to come into the faith.

We also have had four men called to the diaconate under Father Vince’s leadership, with three of them ordained, and one in formation. 

In the back of the main sanctuary of our church, the walls were moved to add seats to accommodate our growing parish. Masses were added during the week and on Sundays to meet the needs of our growing parish.

Our staff at SSFC increased significantly, including the addition of an Associate Pastor to assist Fr. Vince.

The Harvest Food Pantry was started in 2011 and a stand alone building was opened last year in order to offer more times to serve those who need help.

Our annual fall festival was started and has grown to be one of the largest in the area.

Our columbarium was built with plans for future expansion.

Our Early Childhood Learning Center is under construction and is set to open in a few months.

All of our various ministries have grown to meet the needs of our parish and our surrounding community with over 3100 people volunteering to serve last year.

The seed sprouted, the sprout grew, and the plant has had tremendous growth, especially during the past 12 years here at SSFC.  All of this, my friends, has occurred by God’s power, and by the faith, the vision, and the leadership of our pastor, Fr. Vince. Let’s not forget, that early on as our pastor, Fr. Vince was appointed as the archdiocesan exorcist. Fr. Vince accepted this assignment and has been one of the most visible and accessible exorcists in the US.  Although his time has been divided between the parish and his exorcism ministry, Fr. Vince has been able to move the parish forward and to ‘give his all’ to his flock.

SSFC is a special place where the Kingdom of God has grown because of all of you, our parishioners.    The seed was planted in our hearts through the Word and Sacraments, cultivated through leadership of Father Vince, and empowered through the God’s grace to build up the Kingdom.

When Fr. Vince arrived 12 years ago, he had a vision for SSFC. His vision was for it to be a parish for the 21^st century; a parish that meets the needs and demands of the modern world in which we live.   A parish where all people can come together in common belief to live out the 2 great commandments:

1)   To love God with all our mind, with all our heart, and with all our soul.

2)   And to love our neighbor as ourself.

A parish, where people can come together to worship, to pray, to laugh, to cry, to teach, to learn, and to support each other as we all journey towards God’s eternal kingdom. Fr. Vince trusted the Holy Spirit and allowed the power of God to work through him to do great things here at SSFC. Yes, SSFC, is an example of the parable of the mustard seed.  What began as the smallest of seeds, has sprouted, has grown, and will continue to grow to be a place to dwell and rest in God’s kingdom here on earth.

Thank you, Fr. Vince, for your leadership, for your love, for your prayers, and for your support.  We will miss you - we know that God will continue to do great things through you at St. Malachy.

Dear friends, in a few short minutes we will come forward to receive our Lord in Holy Communion. When we do so, let’s thank God for using His awesome power to grow His kingdom and to include us in his plans. Let’s thank Him for his many gifts to us. For the gift of life, the gift of family, the gift of friends, the gift of Jesus, and the gift of our pastor, Fr. Vince.

God bless!

Deacon Steve's Homily - Being Connected to Jesus - Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

On this 5^th Sunday of Easter we come together to worship God and to thank God for the gift of his Son, Jesus.  And we are here to pray together and to feed our souls with Jesus. Our readings this weekend remind us of the importance of being connected to Jesus.  As I reflected on this theme of ‘being connected’, I thought about how we communicate today. In the past century the world has become a much smaller place, and the ability to communicate is nearly instantaneous. We have radio and television. We have cell phones and smart phones. We have computers and the internet.We have email, texting, skyping, facebook and twitter. These work because we have telephone lines, cell phone towers, satellite dishes, wi-fi, and hot spots that help us stay connected with each other wherever we are. With technology we can stay connected with people who are close by or half way around the world.

A few weeks ago, Fr. Vince led a group of parishioners on a pilgrimage to Italy. This is not the first time that he has led pilgrimages, but on this one Fr. Vince used Twitter a lot. Fr. Vince ‘tweeted’ pictures and his thoughts along the way. I followed Fr. Vince’s ‘tweets’, and, although I wasn’t on the trip, I felt, as though, I was connected with him and the others. Here they were, 6 time zones ahead of us, and they were able to stay connected with all of us through technology.  Staying connected is really important.  When we are connected, we don’t feel isolated, and we are able to be part of something much bigger than ourselves. 

Jesus had over 100 names attributed to him in the scriptures. In last week’s gospel, Jesus was called the ‘Good Shepherd.  In today’s gospel reading from John, we hear another name for Jesus. This week Jesus is called the true ‘Vine.’ Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. ”The relationship that we should have with Jesus is compared to the branch of a vine.  While the vine takes its nourishment from the ground, the branches receive their food and water from the vine.  The vine is the source from which the branches receive their living water. And that’s what gives them life and makes them bloom.  If the living water was to be cut off from the branches, they would dry up and die. My friends, Jesus is telling his disciples and us that in order to live, in order to have a fruitful abundant life, one must be connected to Jesus himself. When we are connected to Jesus, we can do things that might surprise us.

We just read Jesus words: “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” Like the branch that produces an abundance of grapes, we can do much good for God’s kingdom here on earth.  We can praise God in our daily living, especially here at Mass. We can help others, especially the poor and the needy.  We can say “No!’ to the evils around us. We can speak up for the truths that we Catholics believe. But, when we’re not connected to Jesus and our relationship with God is strained, we are limited, and we’re not as fruitful as we can or should be.

My friends, we need to stay connected to Jesus.  How do we do that? Here are some of my thoughts: We stay connected when we take our faith and our relationship with God seriously. When we listen to and follow mother Church. When we read and reflect on God’s word in sacred scripture. We stay connected when we follow the 2 great commandments. When we love God with all our mind, with all our heart, and will our soul. And when we love our neighbor as ourself.

We stay connected when pray and when we spend time with Jesus in the adoration chapel - please consider being an adorer on Wednesdays and First Fridays. We stay

connected when we go to mass regularly and when we receive our Lord in Holy Communion. Last weekend over 100 children of our parish received their 1^st Holy Communion.   Our prayer for them is that they always hunger for Jesus and connect with Him in this holy sacrament for the rest of their lives. Just prior to 1^st Communion, 88 of our youth were confirmed by Archbishop Tobin at the Cathedral. Our prayer for them is that they will remain steadfast in their faith and realize the importance of staying connected to Jesus. What a blessing it was to witness these events. 

In just a few short minutes we will approach the altar to receive our Lord in Holy Communion. As we do so, let’s imagine that this is our 1^st Holy Communion. Let’s receive Jesus with the same reverence, the same wonder and awe that our first communicants did last week. May we remember that Jesus is the true vine that feeds us, the branches.  And being connected to Jesus gives us great joy and leads to everlasting life. God bless you all!

Staying connected to the vine during your busy week - Deacon Ron's Homily - 5th Sunday Easter, cycle B - 5-3-2015

In today’s Gospel Jesus uses the image of the vine and the branches to illustrate how we need to stay connected to him if we are to be his disciples and bear fruit with our lives.  If we stay connected to the vine we’ll bear much fruit, but if not we’ll wither and be kindling for the fire. 

We’re all off to a great start being connected to Jesus by being here at Mass.  The Mass is the greatest prayer offered to God. Through the Mass we pray, hear God’s Word, and receive the sacrament of the Eucharist. When we’re dismissed from Mass we’re sent off to put into practice what we’ve received by loving God & our neighbor.  We may leave Mass with good intentions to stay connected with Jesus, but it’s easy to get distracted with the business of our lives.    So how can we stay connected to Jesus so we can bear fruit and not get distracted?  Through prayer, God’s word, and the sacraments.

A great way to pray is what we did this morning: praying the rosary. 

Image from USCCB Website

The rosary is a prayer that keeps us connected to the life of Jesus and it only takes about 15 minutes to pray.  As we pray the rosary we focus on events in the life of Jesus based on the mysteries for the day. Today we prayed the Joyful mysteries, which are the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus, the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, the Nativity of Jesus birth, the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, and the finding of Jesus in the temple.  You’ll find the other mysteries: the Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries listed in this bulletin and on prayer cards in the back of church.  If you have a Smartphone it’s very easy to get an app that will help you pray the rosary.  

Just search for “Mary” in the app store and it will find rosary devotion with audio you can pray along with. As we pray the rosary we can also pray for some particular need: a person who may need our prayers or something you need help with.  I try to pray the rosary myself on my daily commute.   It sure makes the drive more peaceful as it’s hard to get mad at someone while your praying.

Another good way to stay connected with Jesus is by stopping in a church to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.   There’s some real power by praying in the presence of

Image from USCCB website

the Blessed Sacrament.   Many churches have special times where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration. We have opportunities for adoration every Wednesday and the first Fridays of the month.  If you have availability there are times you can sign up for an hour of prayer each week, just call the parish office to sign up, or you can stop in for whatever time you have available.  There are even some parishes close by that have adoration available 24 hours a day.   Even if you only can stay five minutes it can be a powerful way to stay connected to Jesus throughout the week.

Reading God’s word can also keep that connection to Jesus strong.  A great way to do this is by reading the scripture for the upcoming Sunday. The readings are printed each week in the bulletin and can be easily found them on the web. There’s also a reflection on the readings printed in the Criterion each week. You can get daily readings sent to you by email, listen to a podcast, or even watch a video of the reading at the USCCB Website.

Attending a daily Mass can also keep you connected to Jesus.  

A Mass during the week is usually only half an hour long.   It’s a much more intimate experience and can be a very peaceful break in a busy week. We have Mass daily, and even have a 6:30 am Mass every Wednesday that may fit in before going to work. You may even have a parish close to your work that may have a daily Mass you could fit in your schedule. I know if you work downtown there are two churches that have 12:00 pm Masses that you can get spiritually fed in over lunch. 

By keeping connected Jesus throughout your week through prayer, God’s Word, and sacraments you’ll be able to bear the fruit in your life by living as his disciples showing love for God and neighbor. 

God bless you!

Fr. Vince's Homily - 4TH Sunday of Easter: Good Shepherd Sunday — 26 April 2015 (Cycle B)

Father Vince started off looking for someone filled with the Holy Spirit.    He referenced Peter from the first reading in Acts as being filled with the Holy and boldly proclaiming "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."  He said that we really need people today who are filled with the Holy Spirit who can proclaim Christ and keep our young people engaged in their faith and invite those not practicing to come back to the faith.  We must not be afraid to boldly proclaim Christ and his truth through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We can do this best by following the model of the Good Shepherd.  Father Vince gave some good examples of how shepherd's care for their flock and ways we can put our faith inspired by the Holy Spirit into action:

The 4th Sunday of Easter is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. 

Middle Eastern culture understood very well what shepherding was all about.  It was about feeding the lambs and the sheep, grooming and clipping them,  bringing them to good

pasture where they would find food and water, delivering the new  born lambs, leading them and teaching them to stay together, seeking the ones who are lost, and protecting the sheep in the field and in the fold.  Today's Gospel reading is a call for all of us to apply these same characteristics when it comes to our faith in Jesus Christ.

To help us answer these questions let's take a look at a shepherd's job description and consider if this sounds like us:

Feeding:

Lambs need milk.  A shepherd is one who realizes that young Christians need the basics of the Gospel and simple Biblical precepts in order to grow. Are you making sure that young people are being taught the basics of our Christian faith?

A shepherd is also one who recognizes that, as opposed to milk, sheep need solid food in order to continue to mature.  In Hebrews 5:12-14 & 6:1-3 we are told:  "Anyone who still lives on milk, still being an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."  In other words, adults need to be continually taught the truth of the faith in order to grow and develop into the people God calls us to be.  Are you helping adult Catholics stay connected with their faith?

Watering:

Sheep need to be watered. A shepherd in one who realizes that the sheep need to be watered. In other words, a person who realizes that humans need God.  As water is essential to human life so is God.  Far too many people today believe that God is not necessary and they do not need a relationship with Him.  Do you let others know why a relationship with God is important?

Grooming:

Sheep need to be groomed. A shepherd is one who keeps others clean and free from the contamination of this world.  Do you stand up for the truth of God even when it is not popular or accepted?

Shearing:

Sheep need to be sheared.  A shepherd is one who realizes that at times the followers of Christ must be disciplined, encouraged, and rebuked in order to be kept fit for service to the Lord.  Listen to 2 Timothy 4:2-5 "Preach the Word; be prepared in and out of season, correct, rebuke, and encourage -- with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth  . . . But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, discharge the duties of your ministry."  Are you willing to do what must be done or to say what must be said; doing this in a loving and compassionate manner?

Delivering Lambs:

New sheep must be delivered. A shepherd is one who helps others to accept Jesus Christ and His Lordship over their lives.  In John 3:3 we are told, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he or she is born again."  In John 11:25, Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." Do you help others to establish a relationship with Jesus Christ?

Leading:

Sheep must be lead. A shepherd is one who leads others to Christ. We must teach others to be wary of the pitfalls of the world and teach them by our own example what difference Jesus Christ can make in their lives.  Do you lead others to Jesus Christ by your own personal witness?

Wandering Sheep:

Sheep will wander off.  A shepherd is one who will always seek out those who have wandered from the Faith.. Luke 15:4, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"  Do you reach out to those who no longer practice their faith?

Protection:

Sheep need protection.  A shepherd is one who protects others by giving them the Truth of God. During the time of Christ, a shepherd would bring the flock home to the fold at night.  He would then lay down in the gateway, literally becoming the door, to protect the sheep from wolves attempting to enter the sheepfold.  In Matthew 7;15 Jesus says, "Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." A shepherd, then, is one who will put their life on the line for others. Do you let others know that the truth of God is not confining, but that in being true to God, then we experience what it truly means to be free?

Conclusion:

Christians must take their relationship with Jesus Christ seriously by beings shepherds in the world today who imitate Him. 

Authentic followers of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, are those who feed the lambs and the sheep, bring others to good pasture lands and water them, groom and clip, deliver new lambs, lead and teach them to stay together, go off after the wandering lost ones, and protect the sheep in the fold and in the field.

Hopefully, this sounds like each and every one of us.  If not, let us commit ourselves to a deeper relationship to Him.