17 April 2016 - what sheep do

[ Today's Readings ]

On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered
to hear the word of the Lord.

Help us to listen, LORD. In you we find light and salvation. 

LORD, we are actually slow to listen. We are often distracted by selfishness. Like the Jews in today's first reading jealousy often distracts us from listening to you. We think we already know everything worth hearing and so we only listen to ourselves. But we still need your guidance. 

Jesus said:
“My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.

We are not home yet. These are not yet "the pastures of the blessed." The only way home is to follow the shepherd who leads us home. And the surest way to follow you is to listen to your voice. False shepherds arise and try to trick us. But with your voice to guide us we are not fooled. We need to practice listening right now today so that when we walk through the dark valley we can still hear you. We know that even then we are still your flock.

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.

This is how we receive the eternal life that you have for us. It isn't by knowing a thing and doing it. It is by hearing a voice and following it. Doing is something which we would have to achieve by our own effort. But we are sheep. We are not very smart or very skilled. But if we let ourselves listen to you so that we know and trust your voice we can follow. It is what sheep do.

You yourself show us the way because you yourself are the way. Your are the Lamb who blazes the trail. You purify us by your own blood so that we can stand before God's throne. This is where your voice ultimately leads us, if we just continue to listen.

For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne
will shepherd them
and lead them to springs of life-giving water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

This is not something we can achieve through our own efforts. Even efforts of understanding are good but insufficient. Only the Holy Spirit helps us to recognize your voice when you speak to us. We don't need to fear that you will not or do not speak to us. You are speaking now. We have only to listen.

The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

That guy who used to head the Newsboys..