My Shepherd

“The Lord is my Shepherd...” Psalm 23:1

This beloved psalm is a perfect reading to meditate on for this day, All Souls Day, when we remember those who have gone before us. Jesus Christ is likened to a Shepherd who takes care of all the sheep needs: rest, water, guidance along the paths, protection, food. “My cup overflows with blessings,” David enthuses, “Surely goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life.” Yes, we can trust our Shepherd to do all these things for us, and more. 

In the Gospel reading for today, John 6:37-40, Jesus tells the crowds, “...And this is the will of the One who sent me, that I should NOT LOSE EVEN ONE of all those He has given me, but I should raise them to eternal life at the last day.” 

Sometimes we can’t help but wonder where the dead go, or where we will go. We can be assured that if the Father assigned Jesus to bring us home, Jesus will do everything to “finish the work He started” (Philippians 1:6). In the First Reading for today, we read that, “As gold in a furnace, He proved them...” (Wisdom 3:6), making sure that all the dross, the scum, the waste, the impurities are all removed. When refining gold, there’s a lot of crushing, washing, and burning away. So if we are undergoing some trial or suffering, some humbling experience, we can be confident our Shepherd is at work. 

Original painting on Bible altered with 

Prisma app