Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
SATURDAY, February 6th Mk. 6: 30-34 “When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.”
Part 1: Seek me Lord, I need you! by Saint Ambrose (+397)
Part 2: SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
PART 1: Seek me Lord, I need you! by Saint Ambrose (+397)
The shepherd in the Gospel left the ninety-nine sheep and went after the one that had strayed… There are grounds for preferring the stray sheep to the others. The truth is that it is a greater thing to turn back from one’s sins than scarcely to have committed any! When souls are steeped in sin, not only do they need perfect human virtue to mend their ways, but heavenly grace is also necessary!
When the shepherd has at last found the sheep, he places it on his shoulders. The symbolism represents humanity, worn out and exhausted, incapable of restoration to health except by the mystery of the Passion and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am your servant, Lord; come in search for me, for unless the shepherd seeks out the stray, it will die. Return is still possible for the one who is lost; he can still be recalled to the right path. Come, then Lord Jesus, seek your servant, seek your exhausted sheep. Come as shepherd of the flock, seeking your sheep that went astray. Leave your ninety-nine sheep there and come in search of the one that is lost. Come, not with rod in hand, but in a spirit of love and gentleness.
Seek me, Lord, I need you. Seek me, find me, lift me up, carry me. You are expert at finding what you search for; and when you have found the stray you stoop down, lift him up, and place him on your own shoulders. To you he is a burden of love, not an object of revulsion; it is no irksome task to you to bring justification to the human race. Come then, Lord, I have gone astray, but I still hold on to the hope of healing. Come, Lord; none but you can bring back your erring sheep.
PART 2: SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
Feeling down in the dumps? Feeling dreary, bewildered, and confused? Feel like nobody truly understands or cares about you? Feel like life doesn’t have any real meaning or purpose? Feel like just throwing in the towel and saying: “I have had enough!”
Saint Ignatius of Loyola would call this the state of desolation. One of the most common manifestations of desolation is that of loneliness—you feel alone in the world—nobody seems to care about who you are and where you are heading in life.
If we do not know how to cope properly with the state of desolation, it can wreak havoc in our lives doing irreparable damage to our spiritual life and even our natural life. One wrong decision made in a state of desolation could be life-determining. How many young people today have recourse to violence toward others and even turn on themselves when swimming in that seemingly endless sea of desolation! This state of desolation—manifested through a deep sense of loneliness—is pervasive in all societies and situations now more than ever! However, “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth!”
Saint Paul gives us these encouraging words: “If God is with us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31) And, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:10) Paul’s strength being of course God. The Psalmist also calls God a rock, as well as our light and our salvation.
To overcome the state of desolation and crushing loneliness that we all experience in certain periods of our lives, let us have recourse to these simple but efficacious meditations that can be carried out anywhere and with minimum effort.
1. PSALM 23… Psalm of the Good Shepherd
When life’s dark clouds rain down their torrential storm upon your lonely and forlorn soul open up your Bible, rewind back to the Old Testament, to the most famous of all Psalms…
Read slowly: The Good Shepherd… Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of darkness,
I fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil,
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
2. SILENCE! Now find some place of silence where you can pray, meditate, listen and allow the Lord to speak in the depths of your heart of the Good Shepherd. God does indeed speak in the silence of our hearts if we allow Him and are listening.
3. “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want….” Allow these words at the beginning of Psalm 23 to speak personally and intimately to you and to your lonely and abandoned soul! Pray these words slowly, calmly, and with a truly open spirit. Pray them a second or third time. Pray that something powerful may happen! That the Lord’s gentle but powerful grace will touch the depths of your soul with this knowledge: I really am not alone, I never have been alone in my life, and I never will be alone for this simple but profound reason: “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want!”
4. Contemplative Scene. From there create a contemplative scene where you are walking alone with Jesus, the Good Shepherd in a verdant, fragrant pasture. Stop and look into the eyes of the Good Shepherd who truly loves you—you are precious in His eyes. In fact, you are of the greatest importance to Him for He came into the world to save you, to save your immortal soul. And if you were the only person in the whole created universe, He would have suffered and died for you alone!
5. Unload. Now is the time to open up your lonely, sad and wounded heart and talk to Him! Of all the people in the world, the Good Shepherd is the best of listeners. Not only does He listen to your words but He can also read the deepest secrets of your heart! There is no need to pretend with Him. He knows you even better than you know yourself! If ever there were a mind or heart reader, it is definitely Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who is the Son of God made man!
6. Be not afraid. Saint Pope John Paul II insisted at the outset of his inspiring pontificate that the world at large, as well as individual hearts, should not be afraid to open the door to Christ. In other words, to open up their hearts to Jesus, the Good Shepherd of their lives!
7. What and How to Say It. Use the simplest words; the Lord is not picky or demanding in language proficiency. Tell Him all. Remember the words of the Apostle Saint Peter: “Cast your cares upon the Lord, because he cares for you.”(1 Pt. 5:7) Are you fearful of the future and what it holds for you? Tell the Lord about it! Do you have doubts and fears about the past due to the number and seriousness of your past sins? Make a good confession; if you have any un-confessed mortal sins, confess them now. Cast all your sins into the Heart of the Good Shepherd. He did not come for saints but for sinners! Is your heart severely wounded, possibly even from infancy? Fear not! The Prophet Isaiah teaches us this about Jesus’ wounds: “By His wounds you are healed.” (1 Pt. 2: 2-4) Are you suffering some form of sickness that seems to have no healing remedy? Never forget that Jesus healed the blind, the lame, the deaf, the paralytics, the lepers; He even brought the dead back to life. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let Jesus be the Doctor of your woundedness and your sicknesses. Are many fears and doubts looming up before your eyes? Then call out with all your heart: “Jesus, I trust in you!” A prayer He never fails to answer!
8. The Good Shepherd’s Listening Heart. In all that you say to the Good Shepherd, He listens most attentively with a kind, compassionate and loving Heart. Furthermore, the Good Shepherd is never impatient. To the contrary, He is the epitome of patience. And the Good Shepherd is never too busy to walk with you, listen to you, talk with you, and console you.
In sum, in moments of crushing loneliness do not turn to the false gods of this world—drinking, drugs, porn, illicit sexuality. These will only cast you into a deeper pit of desolation and loneliness! Instead, turn to the Good Shepherd and open up your lonely heart to Him and in truth say, “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
