ST. JUDE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY   PAGE FIVE              APRIL 21, 2002

Most of us are not familiar at all with sheep.  In fact, not too many have seen or even been near a real sheep.  Very few of us know a shepherd.  In Jesus' day, everyone was familiar with shepherds and with raising sheep.  Every village had its shepherds and its flocks [ folds ] of sheep.  Sheep are unique animals.  Unlike cows, horses or mules, sheep will not walk back home from a field.  Without a shepherd leading them, sheep will just stay where they happen to be.  Cows, on the other hand, will find their way back home usually at the proper time for milking and feeding.  If a cow or horse wanders away from the herd, it usually will find its way back.  If a sheep wanders from the flock, it will stay where it is and remain lost, even if just over the hill or around a corner.  What is very important about sheep is that they need a shepherd to lead and protect them.  A good shepherd often has names for his sheep.  His sheep also recognize his voice and will follow him when he calls them.

When gathering sheep together for safe keeping, they are usually kept in an enclosed area with a gate.  This area and gate are called the "sheepgate".  Often many flocks will be enclosed at the same time within the sheepgate area.  When a shepherd comes to lead his sheep, he merely calls them.  They recognize his voice and come out through the gate and follow the shepherd.  It is for this reason that sheep were never branded to separate one flock from another. 

Today Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd.  His sheep know His voice and follow Him when He calls.  He is the Sheepgate that calls us forth from others and that protects us from evil.

How well do we hear our Shepherd's voice?  When we experience pains and difficulties in our daily life, to whom do we turn since we usually feel not self-sufficient. (with our feelings of inadequacy)  We modern folks often turn to a psychiatrist or to a counselor or even to a lawyer for guidance and advice.  Yet, where does the God fit in?  Is not God's advice and wisdom available in the words and example of Jesus?

The inspired writers of the Gospels and Letters tried very hard to bring out Who the Risen Lord is and how we are related to Him.  They invite us to see Jesus as both the Sheepgate, through which we are invited to enter the security of the Lord's protection and healing love, and as the Good Shepherd, Whom we should  follow.  Though we are not that familiar with sheep and shepherds, hopefully we can enter into the spirit of the inspired writers and what they tried to say by reading the Gospels and Letters and diligently following the Lord Jesus Who is  "the Shepherd and the guardian of our souls," as St. Peter writes in his First Letter (today's second reading).  (1 Peter 2:25). 

Hopefully we can integrate what the inspired writers offer us in the Gospels and Letters with what we also learn from solutions offered by modern experts, and so come to deal with our problems and difficulties.

Calling all who are looking for a way to make a difference in our community!  We need all types:  young families, teens, students, singles, young marrieds, parents, senior members of our community!  All are needed, all are welcome!     There are jobs to suit everyone.  "Loaves & Fishes" collects food stuffs for Ventura and Los Angeles County organizations which help those in need.  "Volunteers" are asked to help twice a year.  We need people to make reminder phone calls, drive, or sort and pack food on collection day.

For more information, would like to help and/or would like to make a donation but have not been called, please call John or Jackie Treuting at 805-495-4630, or Jerry or Judy Sullivan at 805-495-1623, or Tony or Gueryn Le Cesne at 818-706- 0960.

Part of being a disciple of Jesus is to take a stand in solidarity with those who serve the-poorest-of-the-poor in our Archdiocese.  We cannot ignore the needs of our brothers and sisters.  Rather, we need to stand in support with them.

"Together in Mission" is the Archdiocesan ministry that helps us stand in-support of those who work with the "poorest-of-the-poor" in our Archdiocese.     

If you have not yet made your Pledge Commitment, please prayerfully consider giving a little more than you have over the past years.  Let us dig deeply this year and try our best to help this worthwhile ministry, "Together in Mission."