~ A MESSAGE FROM FR. GORDON ~                                 

THE PRICE OF SHEEP

“The Father and I are one.” (Jn 10:30)
I think many of us Catholics teeter between being uncomfortable about expressed faith in Jesus and proclaiming or witnessing our faith in Jesus.  When are we uncomfortable about faith in Jesus? Have you ever been around people that frequently call loudly on the name of Jesus during prayer, or at convocation, or during a worship service frequently repeating in mantra manner: “Yes, Jesus…oh Jesus… yes, Lord…oh my Jesus…”? Maybe you have felt conflicted with such overt behavior in faith. Or perhaps been tempted to silently chuckle or play “eye-tag” with a friend who shares your discomfort at such a verbal devotion to the Lord.  Perhaps, the discomfort comes from thinking of persons that are so verbal about Jesus as “holy rollers” or some other pejorative term that infers wrong faith. How far afield are people with such verbal devotion and connection to Jesus? Isn’t that what he calls us to—as in our gospel for this weekend:

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me…no one can take them out of my hand.”

Seems to me, that Jesus is inviting such declaratives in his name as “Yes, Jesus… oh my Jesus…” to name our relationship to him. And how many of us have called out to him in such ways in the quiet of our hearts or aloud when alone! It is intimacy that the Good Shepherd is calling us in him. 

There is also the other side of the faith in Jesus coin--times when our witness of faith can be mocked as wrong faith. For example I know a couple -“widow and widower” that were married a few years back much to the dismay of friends and even family members. How could the widow and widower who have come to the Sacrament of Marriage in Christ sacrificed financial plans rather than simply living together.  They stated that they could not be hypocrites wanting their grandchildren to marry rather than “just live together.”

I know a man who lost his promotion because of his refusal to be dishonest and more cost effective for the firm in which he was a partner-- they bought out his share. He witnessed his faith by opening his own practice with two other Christians; they provide legal aid to people at the poverty level. How many of our teens today feel rejected by peers because they choose to come to Mass, be a part of the youth outreach, and witness their faith by not drinking alcohol, taking drugs or having sex?  We are super blessed by their witness.

Witness comes at a price that can include rejection by some. But also has a great reward. For when we live our faith we do so without the inner conflict of feeling the hypocrite. We live in the peace and mercy of the Good Shepherd—and we can face anyone for we demonstrate our words of faith in Jesus Christ and follow his call to right living. Such choices and public witness does not mean we are sheep-like, it takes power and perseverance to live right choices.

In little steps, sometimes too small to realize, we walk away from following the mass like programmed sheep; instead we listen for and walk with the Lord.  We avoid that which destroys his presence in our homes and hearts.

He invites us to listen for and recognize his presence in our lives—those many opportunities to witness who he is to us. 

Like the disciples Paul and Barnabas at the conclusion of this Sunday’s Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the only real need we have in our lives is to learn how to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit as God directs our lives to happiness. Jesus did this for us—and we are given the freedom to choose life in Him Who is One in the Father.
Blessings, Fr. Gordon

READINGS FOR THE WEEK 4/29/2007
Monday: Acts 11:1-18; Jn 10:1-10
Tuesday: Acts 11:19-26; Jn 10:22-30
Wednesday: Acts 12:24 — 13:5a; Jn 12:44-50
Thursday: 1 Cor 15:1-8; Jn 14:6-14
Friday: Acts 13:26-33; Jn 14:1-6
Saturday: Acts 13:44-52; Jn 14:7-14
Sunday: Acts 14:21-27; Ps 145; Rv 21:1-5a;
Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35