May 4th, A.D. 2014 The Second Sunday After Easter 'Good Shepherd' Sunday THE MEDITATION The Good Shepherd - a 5thcent. Mosaic from the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy. The Holy Gospel according to St. John; Ch. 10, Vs. 11-18 ( The 1928 Book of Common Prayer, Page 172 ) ( The People's Anglican Missal, Page C 17 ) ( St. Joseph Continuous Sunday Missal - ( 1958 ed.), Page 497 ) Please See Note 1.
2. Gospel Meditation Summary: Jesus uses the parable of the Good Shepherd to sum up and describe what He has done for us. GOOD SHEPHERD Our Lord, in today's gospel, says to us, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He has certainly proved His claim to be a good shepherd in the best possible way: He has given His life for us. The memory of that Good Friday is still very much alive for us. Father into Thy hands I commend my spirit were the last words that He said, and bowing His head, expired. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. There's another mark of a good shepherd. He knows each of his sheep by name, and they know him. Jesus also made the statement: I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, even as the Father knows me and I know the Father. It might be a bit difficult for us to understand what our Lord means when He says I know. It has been said, that to know means to understand, to have confidence in, to love, to live for. Jesus says that He knows us, His sheep. That must mean that He understands us. He understands everything about us, our potential for good... and for evil. Jesus seems to have confidence in us, in spite of that understanding, for He puts His shepherding into our hands. Surely, Christ has shown that He loves us that's really what this image of the Shepherd means. He wouldn't be our Good Shepherd if He hadn't risen to live for and in us. I know mine... Now Christ can really fulfill His vocation as the Shepherd Who gathers His flock around Him, to feed them, to unify them and to give them a chance to know Him. Is that not eternal life, to know Jesus and His Father? Mine know me... We don't know Jesus as well as we should. We may think that we understand Him better now that Lent and Holy Week are over. This understanding will grow with the meditation of these gospels, and faithfully living year by year all of the events that take place within the Church's Year of Grace, as it is called by the great liturgical scholar Fr. Pius Parsch, O.S.B. Nothing can help us more than Easter to deepen our confidence in Christ. Nothing helps us more than the Eucharist, Christ's Easter Sacrament to increase our love for Him. St. Gregory the Great, in one of the readings at the Night Office of Vigils this morning says : The Good Shepherd gave his life for the sheep, and made his own body and his own blood to be our Sacramental Food, pasturing upon his own Flesh the sheep whom He had bought... He hath set before us the mold wherein it behooveth us to be cast. These words not only highlight the great importance of the Sacrifice that the Good Shepherd has made for the flock of all mankind, but it also serves to those who pastor Christ's flocks, as a warning that they may have to make great sacrifices themselves; of their temporal goods, or even their lives in loving care for His sheep. If there is any form of self-interest these pastors may poses, they need to purify themselves of it... or like the hireling, collect what wages that are owed him, and move on to other pursuits in life. LIVING FOR JESUS This past Lent and Holy Week, we have gone through a kind of dying as well. It wasn't very painful, although we may have thought that our Lenten sacrifices at times bordered on torture...! But, we have at least tried and wanted to share in our Lord's sacrificial will. We have also risen with Christ at Easter. Now only one thing remains: to live for Him by prayer and action so the the ultimate desire of His Good Shepherd heart may be gratified : that there be one flock and one shepherd.
3. It is in that last sentence that Jesus is best described, Christ is the one Shepherd. Christ is the Savior of mankind... of all mankind. Christ gave His life for all, not a selected favored few. How our Blessed Lord must be so sorely distressed at the vast numbers of souls who still do not accept Him! He certainly must be further distressed at the growing number of souls who claim to be His followers in name, but live worldly, selfish, and pagan lives! What Our Lord began on Calvary and Easter must continue. He has chosen us: bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity to finish His work. Perhaps this is the final mark of Christ's love for us : His knowing us, His having confidence in us, His giving us the blessed responsibility for bringing other sheep to Him as tokens of our love for Him. O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee : and I will lift up my hands in thy Name. Alleluia. - (Psalm 63) The Good Shepherd is risen who laid down His life for the sheep, and vouchsafed to die for His flock. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. PRAYER FOR THE DAY: I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and mine know me.
4. FEASTS, FASTS, and OTHER THINGS. Good Shepherd Sunday Thou know'st He died not for Himself, nor for Himself arose; Millions of souls were in His Heart, and thee for one He chose. Upon the palms of His pierc'd Hands engraven was thy name, He for thy cleansing had prepar'd His water and His flame. Sure thou with Him art risen : and now with Him thou must go forth, And He will lend thy sick soul health, thy strivings might and worth. John Keble - 19th cent. A powerful image for an agrarian society was the description of the Lord God as the caring and loving shepherd who, like the boy David, an Old Testament type of Christ, slew the lion and the bear to protect his flock. (I Samuel; Ch. 17, Vs. 34-37), Jesus says to us: I am the Good Shepherd contrasting Himself with the hireling who flees at the sight of the wolf ( St. John; Chap. 10, Vs 11-18) As the Good Shepherd Christ accompanied us during the weeks proceeding and following Easter. On Holy Saturday at the early morning Office of Vigils we prayed: Our Shepherd is gone from us, he who is the Fountain of living water : and at his departure the sun was darkened. Then two days later: Risen is the Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for His sheep and deigned to die for His flock, alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. At sunrise today we sing: I am the Shepherd of the sheep. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. I am the Good shepherd and I know my sheep, and my sheep know me, alleluia, alleluia. Then at sunset, I am the Good Shepherd. My sheep I pasture, and for them I lay down My life, alleluia. These chants become more arresting when we see Christ symbolized in the sun! At dawn He addresses the world: A am your Shepherd. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Then at sunset He fore tells His death.
5. It was, in fact, by His death and resurrection that Christ proved Himself to be a Good Shepherd. He laid down His life for His sheep on the Cross. He lovingly gathered together His flock, after His resurrection, and appointed Peter to take His place as shepherd. The prominence given to these considerations in the Mass formulary is how the name of Good Shepherd Sunday came to entitle this day. It's worth noting, that during the past two weeks, the Church has filled our minds with beautiful and profound considerations on the risen Christ and has flooded our hearts with His Easter graces. The Church now seeks a single picture which would recapture the Easter mystery, and she finds it in that of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. It is the picture which will form the background for the coming week. Many passages in the Scripture lessons, in the psalms, and in the formularies for the Saints can be fully appreciated only in its light. The Acts of the Apostles, will tell us about two great shepherds of souls, Peter and Paul We read of their actions in the beginnings of the early Church and if we step back and see them in the light of a shepherd's vocation, we may be surprised at some new insights that come to us! Here's an exercise I'd like to share with you: Try to acquire the habit of preparing yourself for the coming Sunday on that preceeding Saturday afternoon or evening. It may take a little time and effort to turn it into a discipline, but the results are worthwhile. Those who use the Breviary will find that the office of Vespers is helpful in getting the feel of the liturgy for the week that is about to begin. Example: for Good Shepherd Sunday, the Shepherd Himself knocks at the door of your soul: I suffered for thee, leaving you an example that you should follow in my steps. ( Little Chapter). He speaks to us again at the Magnificat; I am the Shepherd of the sheep. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I am the Good Shepherd and I know my sheep and my sheep know me, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Those with Anglican or Roman Missals may read through the Propers for that Sunday and try to see how they all are related. Last, for those using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, read the assigned Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for the coming Sunday, and likewise, see how they are related. The best result from doing this exercise, is that you will already have a familiarity with the appointed teaching parts of the upcoming Mass, so when they are said, and the day's sermon is given, you'll be already familiar with the appointments, which will in turn open your heart to deeper messages and lessons. To quote an old TV commercial from the 1960's (... way back when our Prior was just a kid oops there I go again! ) Try it, you'll like it! - Br. Chip, O.S.B. Feasts, Fasts, and Other Things; from The Chipmunk's Nutshell Library Presented by Br. A. Chip Monk, O.S B. A munk of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory in Raymond, Maine
6. Fr. Edward Steriti, O.C.S.O. Rest in Peace Let this be thy whole endeavor, this thy prayer, this thy desire : that thou mayest be stripped of all selfishness, and with entire simplicity follow Jesus only ; mayest die to thyself, and live eternally to Me. - Thomas a Kempis We were informed that Fr. Edward Steriti, monk and priest of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, MA. Passed away on Tuesday morning, April 29th, 2014. Fr. Edward had been a monk at St. Joseph's Abbey for over 60 years, having joined the community in 1951. He was a man of deep prayer and caring toward all his brothers, and those blessed to have known him. He served the abbey in many capacities over the years, and was granted permission by the Abbot to live as a hermit for 44 of those years. Fr. Edward, as a hermit, immersed himself in a life of prayer, silence, work, and meditation. He also had a great appreciation of nature, and was often visited at the hermitage by his animal neighbors, especially the more timid ones. It was only fitting then, when we sung the office of Lauds for the Departed (here at the Priory) on the day after we received news of his passing, the sung verses of the choir were timely interspersed by the chatter of our guinea fowl Waldo who contributed in his own way, an offering from one of God's more humble creatures, to the office. Fr. Edward was a dear friend and in recent years spiritual director to Father Prior Kevin. Through Fr. Edward's kind and patient instruction, and the answering of countless questions; Fr. Kevin received first hand how to education on how to live as a hermit from Fr. Edward. Please remember Fr. Edward in your prayers. It is certain that he is in heaven advocating for all of us, who are still on our journeys of faith. R.I.P. +
7. The Meditation is produced by the Benedictine Community of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory 4 Shaw Road Raymond, Maine 04071 This is a free on-line ministry of our community to anyone who wishes to receive it. Please feel free to copy and pass on this meditation to anyone you feel might benefit from it. To be placed on our weekly mailing list, please contact Father Prior Kevin at : klamarre@ourladyofsevensorrows.org Visit our Web Site for previous editions of The Meditation at: www.ourladyofsevensorrows.org PLEASE NOTE THIS SCHEDULE CHANGE: DUE TO THE CONTINUED RECENT COLD AND DAMP WEATHER, SUNDAY MASSES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WILL RESUME ON SUNDAY, MAY 25th, THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER ( ROGATION SUNDAY ) AT 8:30 A.M. Also, Please Note: There are no Public Rest Room facilities at the Priory, please plan accordingly. PRIORY KALENDAR A.D. 2014 Week of May 4th to May 11th, A.D. 2014 Sunday, May 4th.. SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.. comm. St. Monica, Monday, May 5th... Conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo, B.C.D. - ( 5th cent.) Tuesday, May 6th... St. John before the Latin Gate Wednesday, May 7th... St. John of Beverly, M. - OSB & Bp. ( York, England, 8th cent.) Thursday, May 8th Friday, May 9th..... St. Gergory Nazianzus, B.C.D. ( 4th cent.) Saturday, May 10th Sunday, May 11th... THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER (5th cent.) KEY: Ab. = Abbot, Abs. = Abbess, Ap = Apostle, Bp. = Bishop, C. or Conf. = Confessor, Comm. = Commemorate. Dcn. = Deacon, Doct. = Doctor of the Church, Ev. = Evangelist, K = King, M. = Monk, Myr. = Martyr, N. = Nun, P= Priest Po. = Pope, Q. = Queen, Vir. = Virgin, A = Abstinence, F = Fast, F & A = Fast and Abstinence NOTES 1. To Those who may be looking for a copy of the St. Joseph's Continuous Sunday Missal, we can recommend a local source that may be of help. Check out THE ABBEY CATHOLIC BOOK AND GIFT SHOP at 605 US Route 1, Dunstan Corner, Scarborough, Maine 04074 ( Tel. 207 885-5813) They have a section of wonderful second-hand older Catholic books, and oftentimes have hand-missals in that selection.
8. We are always looking for benefactors to help financially with the animals. If you or someone that you know would like to help, simply mark your check for the animals. It will be gratefully received and deeply appreciated. Please consider including our Animal Outreach and Rescue in your Estate Planning. Contact Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. For details. Thank you! Due to the very long Maine winter, our funds are very low, your help, in any amount, is greatly appreciated How best to get to know your sheep...?... Raise 'em in your house! Hope and Henry Newman are growing quickly, bonding well and are responding to feedings and treatments. Henry is quickly catching up to Hope in height and really beginning to like his bottle!