August 17, 2022

PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6

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 darkest valley,

   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.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

We Are the Sheep

In the Psalm today, we hear a most tender image: the Lord as shepherd and we as the sheep. Jesus, in the Gospels, identifies himself as this shepherd and his followers as his sheep. While this image is a very tender and beautiful one, we ought not forget it is an image of humility and weakness.

A typical sheep has no inherent defense mechanism. They are vulnerable to danger and attack. Their exclusive line of defense against danger is the shepherd. This is true for us in our spiritual lives: without Christ our shepherd we have no defense against those forces that would seek to devour us. Let us never forget that we are sheep, we are weak, and we are in total need of Christ for our redemption and our life. Let us pray today from a heart that is aware of its total dependence upon Christ.

—Fr. Jonathon Polce, SJ, was ordained a priest this summer and is beginning an assignment at Jesuit High School New Orleans. He is a member of the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province. 

Prayer

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

—Psalm 23:1