We all recognize the voice of someone we love; we can recall what that voice stirs up in our hearts - joy, peace, expectation, longing.
When we are attentive, we can hear the voice of the Lord Jesus our Shepherd. He assures us that we
belong to him. We have been given to Jesus by
his Father. As we belong to the Father, so we are the Father’s gift to the Son;
we are and will always be God’s children in the Spirit. “No one can take you
out of my hand, no one,” says Jesus. This is our truth, our reality. Jesus
whispers this truth, calling us by name. But perhaps too often, so often there are
other voices that beckon us, competing with Jesus’ voice for our attention - desires,
temptations, the things we think we need.
But the Shepherd keeps calling, searching; he won’t stop. He is always drawing us, rescuing us from the brambles of our foolishness and pride, calling us away from the things that cannot possibly satisfy us. He wants us to come to him for everything we need. And in the Holy Eucharist, he will give us everything – all that he is. He sets the table and invites us to sit, rest, eat and drink. We belong to God. God is for us, God is with us, he wants to refresh us. Please, let us remember how hungry and thirsty and weary we are and come to him.
Image by Bradi Barth.
