St James Catholic Church

Today is often referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday. 
We hear Jesus make a wonderful promise to us and all 
those who follow Him. He promises that “we might 
have life, and have it more abundantly.” Let us listen for 
the call of our Shepherd so that we might follow Him to 
verdant pastures.
 A sheepfold in ancient Near East generally consisted of a low stone 
wall with an opening through which sheep could leave to go out to 
pasture or be returned to spend the night. A shepherd would lie down 
across the opening, acting as a gate in order to keep the sheep inside 
and to keep them safe from predators during the night, whether from 
wolves or thieves. Jesus took this one step further in calling himself 
The Shepherd, and the gate itself. He not only lays down to protect His 
sheep like a dedicated shepherd, He will go on to fulfill his mission as 
Savior by laying down His life to save His sheep.
 In our consumerist culture, having life more abundant is interpreted 
as having more material goods. But Jesus never talked about 
accumulating things. In fact, He told His disciples to leave their things 
behind. He spoke of abundance differently. He told them about God’s 
abundant mercy, abundant grace, and abundant love. These spiritual 
goods are goods that last. They cannot be taken by a thief or a robber. 
Moreover, unlike material goods, spiritual goods increase when we 
share them with others. Forgiving someone who has hurt us does not 
leave us with less forgiveness to give later on. No, it can even spread 
through that person who has felt its power. Loving someone does not 
entail taking some of our love away from someone else. Loving 
someone may inspire that person to love more themselves. To live a life 
more abundantly is to recognize God’s generosity and to pass that 
mercy and love to everyone we can.
Love, Peace, Joy,
Father Bob