Corpus Christi Blog

Good shepherd Sunday

05-12-2019HomiliesFr. Chad King

Our Gospel begins: “My sheep hear my voice”. Let’s pause right there. We hear many voices- the voice of Alexa, the voice of the annoying GPS lady which tells she has to ‘recalculate’ when we miss a turn or go the wrong way. When I get ready in the morning, a voice reads to me the Office of Readings. But we know that the voice is not real- the GPS lady really doesn’t know where we are, it’s the satellite that is telling her. And the voice that reads to me the morning prayers, really doesn’t know what it’s reading as there are many mispronounced words- especially in Latin.

The question is do we treat God as that kind of voice? Treat like God is distant, not really knowing where we are or who we are? And so we so often don’t really try to hear God’s voice.

After “My sheep hear my voice”, our Gospel goes on to say, “I know them”. Jesus is saying that as the Good Shepherd, he knows his sheep. God knows us through and through, He knows every hair on our heads- even more so those who are balding. Do we act as if God really knows us? Listen to our Psalm for today, Psalm 100- “Know that the Lord is God, he made us, his we are, his people, the flock he tends”. He made us, he knows us through and through, he knows us better than we know ourselves. Unlike the voice of the GPS, He knows exactly where we are at, both internally and externally, even and especially when we don’t.

But do we know Him, if we really knew Him we would strive everyday to listen to his voice? Next verse of Psalm- “The Lord is good, his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations”. Do you know that the Lord is good? Not that he can be good sometimes, but that he is good. It is who He is. So good that he doesn’t know how to do evil himself? Do you know that He is kind- that God is so kind- most especially when we are so hard on ourselves, that God is kind. And his kindness endures forever, it is never ending. Again, God doesn’t know how to give anything but kindness and love. Do you know God is faithful? Even and especially when we are not, God is always faithful. Scripture powerfully states, when we deny Him, He denies us, but when we are unfaithful, God is still faithful (2Tim 2:13) because He cannot deny himself. God keeps his promises, even when we don’t. God is always faithful to His promises, if we let Him, because He does not deny who He is. He is goodness, kindness, and generous to those who turn back to Him in repentance of our unfaithfulness. God is faithful to being who HE is to those who seek Him and let Him.

My brothers and sisters, do you and I really know God that way? Do we really know, not just believe, but know deep down with every fiber of our being that God is good, that He is kind and generous, that He is always faithful?

You and I know that we need that goodness, kindness and generosity more in our lives- our lives are so messy, chaotic, and so often spinning out of control. Then my brothers and sisters, why is it so hard for us to seek that goodness, kindness, and generosity more in our lives? Why is it so hard to really truly and fully surrender our lives into his hands? If God is the Good Shepherd who nothing or no one can take us out of His hands, why are we so scared to fully entrust ourselves into the hands of our Good Shepherd? I think it is because we don’t really know who God is as we should. We really don’t know for ourselves that our Good Shepherd knows us better than we know ourselves, who is always good, kind, and generous.

If we are honest with ourselves. We don’t really know Him because we don’t always seek and try to hear God’s voice everyday. Do you pray? I know there are some here who really don’t. Some might only come to Mass, and even so often not really pray while they’re here. Do you pray? And I don’t mean just reciting prayers, that can so often be void of our hearts and any relationship. Do you foster a relationship with God by prayer? Some do pray, some do pray every day like I do, but I imagine some are like me, when I go to pray, I can so often do a lot, if not all, the talking. And I really don’t strive to listen to His voice, sometimes I wonder if I really expect God to want to say something or give something to me- sometimes I doubt God’s kindness and generosity. Sometimes I act as if God should be glad I am there at all, without really and fully recognizing that God is more present there than I am! So often I am just going to get my prayer in like I’m doing a chore, but I don’t really go to prayer to meet, to listen, and receive from God. I don’t really seek Him in prayer. I so often don’t go into to prayer with the intention, really desiring to meet, listen and receive from God. And that is a shame, because when we do, we don’t really let God be God. God who always want to communicate His love for us.

I just finished the Lord Teach Me to Pray series. It is a series we’ve been offering, but I myself wanted to go through myself for the first time. I did so because I wanted to learn to better hear God’s voice.

Not only did I read Scripture every day, which is good in itself as Scripture is voice of God itself, but I began to learn not just read the words, no matter how good they were, but to hear God’s heart speaking personally to my soul- just to me- through the Scripture, which is infinitely better personal prayer.

So I invite you to make a conscious effort to pray more, to pray better, so that we can truly come to know who God is, entrust ourselves into His hands, and strive to hear His voice speaking to us every day.

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