Shepherd and Mother

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, when we celebrate Mothers and Jesus as the Good Shepherd, resonate with our understanding of knowing and caring for the “little ones” for which they are love and nurturing.

Care by Name by the Shepherd

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles begins with the Address of Paul and Barnabas to the Gentiles.

* [13:46] The refusal to believe frustrates God’s plan for his chosen people; however, no adverse judgment is made here concerning their ultimate destiny. Again, Luke, in the words of Paul, speaks of the priority of Israel in the plan for salvation (see Acts 10:36).

* [13:51] See note on Lk 9:5. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 100 invites the people to Thanksgiving.

* [Psalm 100] A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them.

* [100:3] Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God. (Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB, n.d.)

The reading from the Book of Revelation proclaims the Triumph of the Elect.

* [7:1–17] An interlude of two visions precedes the breaking of the seventh seal, just as two more will separate the sixth and seventh trumpets (Rev 10). In the first vision (Rev 7:1–8), the elect receive the seal of the living God as protection against the coming cataclysm; cf. Rev 14:1; Ez 9:4–6; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30. The second vision (Rev 7:9–17) portrays the faithful Christians before God’s throne to encourage those on earth to persevere to the end, even to death. (Revelation, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares the Unity of Father and Son.

* [10:29] The textual evidence for the first clause is very divided; it may also be translated: “As for the Father, what he has given me is greater than all,” or “My Father is greater than all, in what he has given me.”

* [10:30] This is justification for Jn 10:29; it asserts unity of power and reveals that the words and deeds of Jesus are the words and deeds of God. (John, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Maureen McCann Waldron reflects on how hard it is for her, in the modern world, to understand the incredibly close connection between a shepherd and his sheep.

Like my three year old granddaughter, I want to say, “I can do it myself!”

“Jesus’ voice is unique,” Pope Francis says. “If we learn to distinguish it, he guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond even the abyss of death.” It is that path that my heart longs to follow, to listen to the voice of Jesus calling to me. And when I finally realize I have lost my way and wandered off the path, I can follow that voice to be safe and secure.

Jesus, thank you for helping me to listen to your voice. When I am too busy and distracted, I can't hear you calling me to come home to the warmth of your love. Whether I pay attention or not, I know you are waiting there for me, always, with your open arms and your endlessly loving gaze. Help me to take time each morning to sit in the quiet with you and to thank for this great gift of your love. Help me recognize your voice and to recognize that your guidance and comfort are all that I need. (McCann, 2016)

Don Schwager quotes “The Great might of Christ's hand,” by Cyril of Alexandria, 376-444 A.D.

"The faithful also have the help of Christ, and the devil is not able to snatch them. Those who have an endless enjoyment of good things remain in Christ's hand, no one thereafter snatching them away from the bliss that is given to them. [No one can throw them] into punishment or torments. For it is not possible that those who are in Christ's hand should be snatched away to be punished because of the great might Christ has. For 'the hand' in the divine Scripture signifies 'the power'- It cannot be doubted therefore that the hand of Christ is unconquerable and mighty to all things." (excerpt from the COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 7.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Revelation 7:9, 14-17 comments that Jesus, the Lamb of God, is a perfect shepherd for us.

Here’s why:

• This Lamb is a shepherd who lived his life completely obedient to the will of his Father. Every moment, he united himself with God’s will. He alone perfectly walked in the path of righteousness, so of course he knows how to lead us on the same path!

• This Lamb is a shepherd who defeated the powers of darkness through his humble self-offering. He freely handed himself over to death on the cross. When he rose from the dead, he defeated sin and death! He is uniquely able to protect us in the face of whatever trouble or foe comes our way.

• This Lamb is a shepherd who poured out his own blood on the cross to cleanse us from all impurity. The water that flowed from his pierced side is the living water of Baptism and new life. It is to this life-giving water that he leads us.

• This Lamb is a shepherd who has suffered in every way we have. He embraced our weakness and frailty. His experience of sorrow makes him all the more attentive to our own, and he tenderly wipes away our tears.

As you celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday today, spend some time considering Jesus, the Lamb who is your shepherd. Rejoice that he has not left you to make your way on this journey alone. He has gone before you, and he will lead you home.

“Jesus, Good Shepherd of my soul, thank you for your love and protection!” (Meditation on Revelation 7:9, 14-17, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler, after going to the Synagogue, and being rejected, turned to the Gentiles in the marketplace where Paul was a maker of awnings. Persecution causes the disciples to leave the City joyful for the privilege of suffering as witness to Jesus. Friar Jude reminds us that in the Garden Mary Magdalene recognized Him when He called her, as He is Shepherd to us, by name.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, speaks of the significance of our first images of God. Author Shannon K. Evans considers the importance of allowing both masculine and feminine qualities in our experience of God: 

The feminine elements in God are an important balance to the masculine ones. If all we have known of the divine is God the Father, we are walking with a spiritual limp, yes, even those of us who were lucky enough to be raised to see “him” as loving and tender rather than aloof or stern…. 

The masculinity of God is not the culprit here. Imaging God as male is valuable and good for our spiritual selves…. But left unbalanced, a belief in a God who is exclusively male can lead us down a road of legalism, perfectionism, fear, self-criticism, and a plaguing sense of unworthiness. Sadly, many of our religious experiences have been marked by such things.  

On the other hand, when we integrate the divine feminine into our understanding of God, we find we have an easier time internalizing compassion, inclusivity, radical acceptance, justice for the outcast, and unconditional love. In my own life the divine feminine has offered me a maternal invitation to rest and be present. After a lifetime of assuming that striving and sacrifice would always be required for my spiritual growth, this was good news indeed. [1]  

Richard concludes:  

Whoever God is, God is somehow profoundly revealed in what it means to be feminine and masculine—both! But in our time, we have to find a way to recognize, to fall in love with, and to trust the feminine face of God. Most of us were not given that face in our churches, although we Catholics resolved it in an ingenious way through Mary. She, for many people, has become the accessible, trustworthy, and safe face of God.  (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the image of the Shepherd as we celebrate our mothers and seek to deepen our experience of “feminine” associations with Love and God as mercy, compassion, inclusion, and forgiveness.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/13?14 

John, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/10?27 

McCann, M. (2016, April 17). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Archive/2016/041716.html 

Meditation on Revelation 7:9, 14-17. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/05/11/1273481/ 

Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/100?1 

Revelation, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/7?9 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/our-first-glimpse-of-love/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). My Sheep Hear My Voice. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=may11 

Revelation and Rest

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the deep relationship that God desires with us.

The straight furrow

In the reading from the Book of Exodus, the Divine Name is revealed to Moses.

* [3:14] I am who I am: Moses asks in v. 13 for the name of the One speaking to him, but God responds with a wordplay which preserves the utterly mysterious character of the divine being even as it appears to suggest something of the inner meaning of God’s name: ‘ehyeh “I am” or “I will be(come)” for “Yhwh,” the personal name of the God of Israel. While the phrase “I am who I am” resists unraveling, it nevertheless suggests an etymological linking between the name “Yhwh” and an earlier form of the Hebrew verbal root h-y-h “to be.” On that basis many have interpreted the name “Yhwh” as a third-person form of the verb meaning “He causes to be, creates,” itself perhaps a shortened form of a longer liturgical name such as “(God who) creates (the heavenly armies).” Note in this connection the invocation of Israel’s God as “LORD (Yhwh) of Hosts” (e.g., 1 Sm 17:45). In any case, out of reverence for God’s proper name, the term Adonai, “my Lord,” was later used as a substitute. The word LORD (in small capital letters) indicates that the Hebrew text has the sacred name (Yhwh), the tetragrammaton. The word “Jehovah” arose from a false reading of this name as it is written in the current Hebrew text. The Septuagint has egō eimi ho ōn, “I am the One who is” (ōn being the participle of the verb “to be”). This can be taken as an assertion of God’s aseity or self-existence, and has been understood as such by the Church, since the time of the Fathers, as a true expression of God’s being, even though it is not precisely the meaning of the Hebrew. (Exodus, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

Psalm 105 praises God’s Faithfulness to Israel.

* [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people, cf. Ps 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Ps 105:1–6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Ps 105:7–11). In every phase of the national story—the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Ps 105:12–15), Joseph in Egypt (Ps 105:16–22), Israel in Egypt (Ps 105:23–38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Ps 105:39–45)—God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants. (Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew teaches the Gentle Mastery of Christ.

* [11:28–29] These verses are peculiar to Matthew and are similar to Ben Sirach’s invitation to learn wisdom and submit to her yoke (Sir 51:23, 26).

* [11:28] Who labor and are burdened: burdened by the law as expounded by the scribes and Pharisees (Mt 23:4).

* [11:29] In place of the yoke of the law, complicated by scribal interpretation, Jesus invites the burdened to take the yoke of obedience to his word, under which they will find rest; cf. Jer 6:16. (Matthew, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

David Crawford comments that the Good Shepherd wants, as Psalm 23 proclaims, to make us lie down in peaceful pastures and to restore our souls.  Whatever our circumstances, God loves each of us individually, is concerned for us, and wants good for us.

It also can be tempting, when troubles weighing us down are of our own making, to wonder whether the invitation still is open to us.  (In our judgmental moods, we may ask that question about someone else.)  Jesus invited ALL to come, which means everyone.  The Prodigal Son, after rejecting his father before heading off for a life of debauchery, is welcome – as is the “good” but judgmental brother who remained at home.  And the invitation is always there, so we can return each time we stray.

I have been using the word “invitation,” but that may fail to highlight that Jesus’s “Come to me” is actually a command.  He did not say, “I am here if you need me.”  He declared “Come” and then followed it with a second command: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me.”  As we learn to be “meek and humble of heart,” the yoke keeps us close to Him, keeps us from straying off the path, keeps us doing His work. (Crawford, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Grace bear us,” by an anonymous early author from the Greek church.

"'My yoke is easy and my burden light.' ... The prophet says this about the burden of sinners: 'Because my iniquities lie on top of my head, so they have also placed a heavy burden on me' (Psalm 38:4)' ...'Place my yoke upon you, and learn from me that I am gentle and humble of heart.' Oh, what a very pleasing weight that strengthens even more those who carry it! For the weight of earthly masters gradually destroys the strength of their servants, but the weight of Christ rather helps the one who bears it, because we do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace, but rather grace has been given to aid us.' (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY, the Greek fathers). (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30 asks ” How do we rest in Jesus?” Jesus took breaks from work and ministry to spend time with his Father. Sometimes this meant rising early or taking long walks in the mountains. Jesus also took time away from the needy crowds to be with his close friends and enjoy a good meal together.

Today, take some time to rest with the Lord. Spend a few extra minutes just breathing deeply and sitting quietly with him. Then cast whatever burdens you are carrying on Jesus’ capable shoulders. Perhaps a short relaxing walk, weather permitting, can help you hear the Spirit’s wisdom regarding a troubling situation. You might also get together with close friends and let their love and presence reassure you that God has you in the palm of his hands.

Come to Jesus, and he will give you rest!

“Jesus, I accept your invitation! I will come to you, burdens and all. In you I find my rest.” (Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the mysterious power associated with names. Rabbis offered a few interpretations of “I AM WHO AM” including One who shows love to the Israelites. Friar Jude reminds us that our furrow will be straight when we are yoked with Jesus.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, we lost the essence of the gospel as “good news for the poor”. We can date the turning point to the year 313 CE, when the Emperor Constantine established Christianity throughout the Holy Roman Empire. The Church thought that linking up with power was a good way to spread the gospel message. In truth, it became embarrassed by Jesus, the powerless one.

After 313 CE, Scripture interpretations do a 180-degree turn. Take the issue of war: a hundred years before 313, it was unthinkable that a Christian would fight in the army. Jesus’ teaching on nonviolence is self-evident. As Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948) observed, “I am convinced that [Christianity] has distorted the message of Jesus…. When it had the backing of a Roman emperor it became an imperialist faith as it remains to this day.” [1] Jesus taught nonviolence, lived nonviolently, and died nonviolently, but this goes right over our heads! We can’t see it because we’ve spent seventeen hundred years interpreting Scripture from the top. Reading Scripture from the bottom is the key to what liberation theology calls the preferential option for the poor. I just call it the bias from the bottom. Apart from conversion and until the ego is transformed, everybody wants to be at the top. Apart from grace, we don’t see anything valuable on the bottom. 

By the year 400 CE, the entire Roman army is Christian and we are killing the “pagans.” After the Empire becomes Christian, there is a whole section of the Bible that we are structurally unable to read. We can’t read anything about nonviolence, powerlessness, or not being “winners.” We can’t see what we can’t see. We can’t hear what we are not ready to hear. And if we are on the top, any critique of the top is un-hearable. This is where action and contemplation are linked together. In the contemplative journey, unless we see this necessary humiliation of the ego and defeat of the false self, we don’t undergo basic transformation. (Rohr, 2023)

We are alerted by the Spirit to the invitation to join Jesus and discover the path to fullness of life in our relationship with Him.

References

Crawford, D. (2023, June 22). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/072023.html 

Exodus, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/3?13 

Matthew, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?28 

Meditation on Matthew 11:28-30. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/07/20/737521/ 

Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/105?1 

Rohr, R. (2023, July 20). The View from the Top — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-view-from-the-top-2023-07-20/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jul20