“In today’s Gospel, the imagery of the Good Shepherd conjures up someone who is jealously protective of his flock, to the point of sensing almost intuitively, whether one of his own is missing or in danger,” said Father Jerry.

He adds, “No one should feel the pain of exclusion from God’s love. We you and I are living in a time of good shepherds. Doctors and nurses and medical professionals and EMTs, who lay down their lives for their patience. Struggling business owners and unemployed workers who realize that the safety of the one flock outweighs their own difficulties, and so they turn their restaurants into feeding stations for the hungry.”

Every one of us can be a shepherd to others in the same spirit of Jesus. Look around you; Good Shepherds are in our midst. Thank God for them! And may we seek to be counted among them.