Shepherds take care of each one

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today on the memorial day for St. Bernard who is termed “Doctor of the Church”. Mark Latta writes that St. Bernard’s life helped to re-emphasize  Lecto Divina (latin for divine reading). This was the understanding that Holy Scriptures should not be treated as just texts to be studied but as the Living Word.  The tradition of Lecto Divina has four steps: read, meditate, pray and contemplate. The meditation today can take us in many directions which may be tied together by the image of the Lord as Shepherd from Psalm 23. Rabbi Harold Kushner has written a wonderful review of the power of this Psalm to bring comfort to people. Friar Jude Winkler describes the passage from the Prophet Ezekiel as a taunt song against the nobles and princes of Israel who failed in their duty to be the agents of God as Good Shepherds. He notes that the text from Ezekiel is associated with the Jewish feast of Hanukkah and he suggests Jesus application of the Good Shepherd to Himself may have followed His being in the Temple when Ezekiel was read. The landlord who hired labourers for his vineyard, in the text from the Gospel of Matthew, surprises us with his decision to pay all the workers the same daily wage. The meditation on this parable is properly in the area of the meaning of work and the call to social justice. Mark Latta understands the message to be about how God deals with each of us in unique ways. Friar Jude is drawn to forgiveness which God offers to all, early to the vineyard or late to the vineyard. The mercy of God is not constrained by time, space or human jealousy. Our Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to seek out the one.