Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He calls us each individually by name (see John 10:3), but he also calls us to come together to belong to His flock. He may leave the ninety-nine sheep to save the one who has strayed (see Luke 15:4) but he leaves them in order to bring the one back into the fold. This is where we belong, in the community that is the Church.
A flock of sheep out in a pasture is kept safe by its shepherd; a flock in a sheepfold is kept safe within protective walls. Christ is our shepherd, keeping us safe, acting as the gate of the fold (see John 10:9). He stands between us and the rest of the world, the things that might harm us or draw us away from the flock. The shepherd guides the sheep into the fold to keep them safe. As Christ’s flock, we are safe and protected in the fold of our Holy Mother Church’s arms.
As beloved sheep in Christ’s flock, we are called to love and serve one another (see Galatians 5:13). We are to encourage each other to persevere in Christian life (see Hebrews 3:13). We are to pray with and for each other (see James 5:16). We are to worship the Lord together, to never neglect to meet together (see Hebrews 10:25), especially at Sunday Mass where we can be nourished and unified by the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ. It is our sacrament of unity: we become united with God and with each other. Through it we are “one body and one Spirit” in Christ (Ephesians 4:4).
St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) said, “If we have no peace, we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” We belong to Christ, our Good Shepherd, and we also belong to each other, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and especially to our parish family. We have one shepherd, we are one flock, and we are safe with our brothers and sisters in the fold of our Holy Mother Church.
Jesus, my Good Shepherd, keep me safe in the fold of Your Church. Help me to be a faithful, helpful steward and contribute to our parish family with generous gifts of my time, talent, and treasure.