Today’s readings speak about the Chief Shepherd, who from the very beginning shepherded His people in the old days and managed the church with His commandments, gifts and love-filled disciplines during His constant presence among His people.
The book of Deuteronomy begins with God’s care for His people in ancient times and their inheritance of the lands of the Gentiles and their habitation in them.
“For you will cross over the Jordan and go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and you will possess it and dwell in it.
And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.” (Deuteronomy 11, 12)
In the book of Kings, God counts Elijah the Prophet, whether through ravens or through a simple woman, and blesses her because of him.
” And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth. ” (1 Kings 17)
In the book of Proverbs, God warns against sin, which makes a person lose the care and blessing of God in all that he has.
“Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house,
Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one;
Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;” (Proverbs 5)
In the book of Isaiah, God announces His great promises to take care of His children and declares the purpose of their creation to give them His glory.
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth–
Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him. Who among them can declare this, And show us former things?” (Isaiah 43)
In the book of Job, Job deals with God and how in his riches, he cared for all people and uses the expression: if you were ten
times looking for a reason for his painful experience despite his care and mercy to all those in need.
“If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant When they complained against me,
Or eaten my morsel by myself, So that the fatherless could not eat of it
If his heart has not blessed me, And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
If I have raised my hand against the fatherless, When I saw I had help in the gate;
Then let my arm fall from my shoulder, Let my arm be torn from the socket.” (Job 31)
And in the Matins psalm,it is about the wonders and greatness of God in the nations, which makes the Peoples come to Him prostrating, recognizing His great name.
“All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.” (Psalms 86)
In the Matins gospel, God praises the writer who revealed the greatness of God’s love and the neighbor better than burnt offerings and sacrifices;the Chief Shepherd does not need our offerings as if we take care of the needs of His house and temple, but wants first of all everything to come through love.
“So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.
And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12)
In Pauline Epistle, one of the basic signs of God’s care for us is the fatherly discipline for our salvation, as if responding to Job’s questions that temptations do not mean divine wrath, but the discipline of love.
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect.
For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.” (Hebrews 12)
In the Catholic Epistle, the model of care in the Holy Church is proclaimed without compulsion, but with a healthy heart, actively, humbly and without authority over others.
“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” (1 Peter 5)
In Praxis, the importance of missing and following the faithful is a sign of the depth of the church’s care.
“Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.” (Acts 15)
But it also highlights the weaknesses of the shepherds, no matter who they are and no matter how grace works in them and in their service.
“Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.” (Acts 15)
In the psalm of the liturgy, the soul swims and confesses to her God, who responds to her prayers and rejoices by praising Him before His temple and before His angels.
” I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple,” (Psalms 138)
In the Gospel of the liturgy, the son of God proclaims His care and mission in the world, which has been proclaimed since the beginning of God’s dealings with His people in the Old Testament.
“And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; ” (John 8)
The summary of the readings
God gave His people in the Old Testament the inheritance of nations. Deuteronomy
God counts His servants through His creation. The Book of Kings
The glory of God in man is the goal of creating him, and God’s promises are to ensure his safety. The book of Isaiah
God allows the disciplines of divine love for us despite our care and mercy for others. The book of Job
Each soul and all peoples praise God in His temple and before His angels for His wonders. The Matins and liturgy psalms
Loving God and neighbor is greater than all sacrifices and offerings. The Gospel of the liturgy
God’s discipline is one of the fundamentals of His fatherly care for us. Pauline Epistle
Modesty, non-domineering, a good heart and an aversion to ugly profit are signs of care in the church. Catholic Epistle
The depth of care is shown in the visitation of believers and the weakness of the shepherds does not prevent God’s work with them. Praxis
The son of God proclaims His care from the very beginning through the fathers and prophets and His mission from the Father in the fullness of time. The Gospel of the liturgy