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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Daily Crosses

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It's not the parts of Scripture that I don't understand that give me trouble, it's the ones that I do understand that are so difficult. "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." There's no twisting that verse no matter how hard I might try and I'm old enough to know what it means.

It means that when I have plans to watch a movie with my wife on the couch and one of the boys vomits spaghetti all over himself and his bed, I must deny myself. It means that when I really want to be alone to read and my child wants to work on a Cub Scout project, I must deny myself. It means that when I have an idea for a project at work and my boss isn't even open to listening to it, I must deny myself.

It's those little, irritating, daily events that become my "cross daily". He is a liar who claims to be willing to sacrifice his very life on the cross before the crowds as Christ did, but who refuses to endure and suffer the daily pinpricks of life.

Like everything else, it is a choice.  It is a choice to follow Christ.  It is a choice to deny my own desires in order to serve others or to serve God.  It is a choice for life and for love.  In the first reading today Moses challenges the people to chose life.  What else does this mean but to chose to deny their own will and desires for the love of God?  It means that they needed to chose the crosses of the commandments, statutes, and decrees - daily.  It means that they (and we) needed to turn away from the lure of lax rules and regulations, weak commandments, and seemingly easy, generous gods.  To chose the Cross - daily, to chose love - daily, to chose self-denial for the sake of God and others - daily, that is to chose Life, that is taking up our cross - daily!

Jesus was like us in all things except sin. He too endured and suffered those daily pinpricks of life. He too suffered from cuts, bruises, aches, pains, splinters, stings, disappointment, and sadness. He carried His cross everyday, not only on good Friday. He invites us to do the same.


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God bless you - Jim Hahn
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