The Sheepfold and the Voice of the Shepherd

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Stone sheepfold John 10:22-30 Recently my boys have been spending a great deal of time outside in the area that will soon be transformed into our garden. They spend endless hours digging in the dirt for worms. They then promptly take those worms and throw them to the chickens. It amazes me how even chickens can learn to recognize sounds or voices. My oldest makes this funny high-pitched sound when he comes out of the house and heads toward the coop. The chickens practically fall over themselves running toward the fence or out of the coop when they hear him making his sound. They know there is food to follow! In Sunday's Gospel Jesus tells us that, "My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me." and "I am the gate for the sheep." Today, again, Jesus mentions that His sheep know His voice and follow Him.  In these few verses we learn that Jesus is both gate and shepherd for the sheep. In those days and even today in some places, a sheepfold w
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If today was your last day.

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Today's Readings

What would you do if you knew this was the last day of your life?  Would you do things differently?  Would you say things that have gone too long unsaid?  What would be different?

When most of us meditate on this question we think of telling our boss where he or she can go.  We think of mountain tops, sea shores, deep rich forests, loved ones and on and on.  When most of us think of our last day, it's sort of in a romantic light.

Yet today's Gospel is a blunt reminder that we don't know when the end will come.  We have no idea when we will draw our last breath.  We have no idea when Christ will return for us or at the end of time.

If this is true, shouldn't every day be lived as though it were your last?  Now, I don't mean that all of us should go have a talk with our boss or that we should write good-bye letters to all our friends and family.  What is the faithful servant doing in the story?  Is he partying?  Is he living it up?  Is the servant quitting his job and buying a boat to sail around the world?  No, scripture tells us that the servant is doing what the master has asked.  The servant is rewarded richly for merely doing what his master asked him to do.

Jesus wants us to be living our vocation when He calls us to Himself.  He wants us to be living it in such a way that when He comes, it doesn't catch us by surprise and He is not surprised at what He sees us doing.

So, the question again is, what would do if you knew this was the last day of your life?  Hopefully, we are all striving to say, "nothing, I'd do nothing different if today was my last.  I am ready, I'm expecting my Lord at any moment, and I can't wait to meet him."

Comments

vincent said…
I really like this...
12:09 AM
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