“Thus says the Lord God: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so I will tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark … The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal.”
Isn’t this an absolutely beautiful reading? What comfort there are in these words of scripture. Many of us have experienced times we felt a little lost, lonely, sick, or have fallen into sin during our lives. It is such a comfort to know that even when we feel or act our worst, God does not abandon us. There isn’t anything that will ever turn Him away from us. We turn away from God sometimes, but He always seeks us out. He doesn’t want to lose a single one of us.
People find themselves in some pretty dark places sometimes, where they can no longer feel God’s goodness in their lives. Sometimes it’s our own fault, due to the sins we have committed. Sometimes it’s not. Whether it’s our fault or not, God knows when we are hurting and His compassion knows no boundaries.
That’s pretty much what Jesus said in today’s gospel too. Except he took it a step further and said that we need to be Christ for one another. It is kind of ironic that Jesus said we would be judged by whether we fed the hungry, give the thirsty a drink, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, visited the sick, and those in prison.
It’s ironic because Jesus did not say that we will be judged by how much we love one another. Even though the entire bible is about love, Jesus did not say we will be judged by our feelings of love for other people. All the loving acts we do for one another are important, they fulfill Christ’s command to love one another, but our judgement will be by a different measuring stick.
What we say we believe, should be reflected in what we actually do, that satisfies another person’s needs. Not wants, but needs. Baking birthday cake for a loved one is one thing, but visiting an elderly person living in a nursing home, or those who are critically ill in the hospital, is another.
Sometimes we are pretty good at giving food and clothes to the poor, but completely neglect to visit a relative or friend who is sitting in jail or a prison. Sometimes the hungry, the naked, the sick, and those in prison is in our own family. It is a great temptation for many faithful Catholics to want to fulfill Christ’s command, by serving in ministry at church or in the community, but do not see to the needs of their own family members, friends, neighbors or coworkers.
Some of us have “black sheep” in the family, that we have very little sympathy for. They are shunned by the rest of the family, or contact with them is limited, because of the sinful lifestyle they are living. These are exactly the ones that we are called to love, all the more. The more a person acts up, the more they need our love. We shouldn’t allow others to take advantage of us, but neither should we ignore their legitimate needs either.
Every single effort in our lives is either an attempt to give love, or receive love. All of our actions are centered directly, or indirectly, around love. The black sheep in our family misbehave in a misguided attempt to receive love. God knows this and like the first reading said, He seeks out those who have lost their way and are living scattered in dark places. And, so did Jesus. But, Jesus took it a step further, and said that we are to continue to be his presence to those who are suffering in any way.
Are there people in your life that you haven’t thought very much about for a while? A neighbor who lives alone? A new person that moved into your community, or a new coworker? Is there a family member, extended family member, or friend who is in jail or prison? Have you talked to them lately? What about an elderly relative in a nursing home?
Advent starts next Sunday. It might be a good time to reach out to the people we already know, who needs our companionship or help. A letter, card or small gift means the world to the elderly in nursing homes, or those who are in prison. It helps them know they are not forgotten, that they still have value in your eyes.
The black sheep in the family are difficult to love, and even though our ‘feelings’ of love toward them may not be very pronounced, our positive outreach to them has the capacity to change our mind and heart as well. What we do, is for the benefit of others, but our actions can sometimes change us.
That’s a big part of what the coming Advent season is all about. As we look forward to the beginning of Advent next Sunday, we should keep today’s gospel in mind. It would be an excellent way to keep Christ in Christmas.
