Friday 27 June 2025 - I will seek the lost

Friday 27 June 2025

Today is Friday the 27th of June, the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the 12th week of Ordinary Time. Jon and Valerie Guerra sing, ‘The Lord Is My Shepherd’. As you listen, why not place yourself as a sheep in your imagination? How does it feel to be under the Lord’s care? The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want He makes me to lie down in green pastures He leadeth me beside still waters He restores my soul, oh, my soul The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want And I can't count the times He's carried me I can't count the hatchets He's buried And how this mute heart sings when You're near to me Hе leads me in the path of rightеousness He leads me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil You are, You are with me, You are always with me You are, You are with me, You are always with me Your rod and Your staff are my comfort You are, You are with me, You are always with me The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want Today’s reading is from the Prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel 34:11-16 For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. Today, we honour the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. John Paul II, a great devotee of the Sacred Heart, said, “This feast reminds us of the mystery of the love of God for the people of all times.” And here, we are invited into the depths of God’s tender love — a love that seeks, heals, and restores. Ezekiel’s prophecy beautifully foreshadows the heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who does not abandon His flock but pursues each of us with personal care. Jesus will speak often of the good shepherd who cares for his sheep, reminding his listeners of Ezekiel’s promise. Imagine Jesus, walking through the rugged hills, calling out your name. Where are you in the flock today? Are you close by His side? Are you among the injured needing care, the strayed needing to be found, or the weary needing rest? Jesus is not an observer in our lives. He searches for the lost parts of us, tends to our wounds, and rejoices when we return. The Sacred Heart, a heart for all to see, reminds us that His love is not abstract — it is passionate, active, and intimate. Consider - Where have you experienced the love of Jesus watching over you recently? Where might you feel lost, wounded, or weary today? As you hear the passage again, consider how might you reflect Jesus’ shepherding heart to someone else today? Ezekiel 34:11-16 For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed,” In a time of prayer, how might you follow in the shepherd’s footsteps more closely? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen