Our God cares a lot about the well-being of man and therefore makes the first move to draw us to himself in order to place us in the right position. In doing this he puts aside our past, present, and focuses on where he wants to place us to make us useful and relevant. God also empowers us to be able to function in whatever position he places us so that through our actions there will be multiplication in the assembly of God. He has a plan for each one of us according to his own purpose for our lives, and able to identify our weakness and present us with the right remedy. We therefore must avail ourselves to him and recognize him as our one and true shepherd.
Moses who had been appointed by God to lead his people to the promised land, according to the first reading went up to God and the Lord called to him from the mountain. Beloved in Christ we are all leaders in our homes, workplaces, communities, church, etc. How often do we recognize that whatever position we hold, is a privileged one and comes to us through the grace of God and that it is incumbent upon us to always seek the face of God, not only in times of trouble but all the time so that our steps will be ordered by him. When Moses went to seek the face of God, the Lord spoke to him and gave him a message which re-echoed his covenant with the people and his ownership of all the nations because all the earth belongs to him. Leaders who always seek the face of God are always ahead because they will always say what God is saying and see their way clear in times of uncertainties.
The Almighty God always thinks about his people and their wellbeing and find ways of drawing them to himself even when the people have transgressed or live in sin. John 12:32 says “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Christ died for sinful men at his appointed time when we were still helpless this is the kind of care and love that God has for us. The epistle makes it clear that it is not easy to die for a good man even someone who is worthy, and yet Christ dies for us even when we were yet sinners. This is the love that God have for man. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). We therefore rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Timothy B. Tyson, an American Historian who specializes in Religion says, “If there is to be reconciliation, first there must be truth.” Jesus says in John 14:6 “… I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”
In the gospel today Jesus saw the crowds and he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus cares so much for us and we must always get closer to him because he is the chief shepherd and will take us to greener pastures where we will be nourished and be made fit for his purpose set out for us.
The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. My dear Christian friends we will need more hands to help in a lot of things in the church. We need people to help in different capacities so we must be ready and present ourselves to do whatever we can to support the activities of the church. What are you being called to help with? Is it serving on the altar, reading, helping with tea after mass, helping with decorations and flowers? I pray that God will speak to us to do the little we can in order to help in the growth of the church of God.
Today we celebrate Father’s Day, and it is our prayer that we follow the footsteps of Christ as fathers because every father is Shepherd, but Jesus is the Chief Shepherd.
Amen
Fr. Josiah Myles Abadoo