The Lord is my Shepherd Reflection

Opening Prayer:

"Heavenly Father, you call us to relationship with you through the death and

resurrection of your Son, and the guidance of your Holy Spirit.

Open our minds and hearts as we begin this reflection.

May we deepen our faith in you, our hope for eternal life,

and our love for you and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We ask this through your son and our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd,

I will not be in need.

He lets me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For the sake of His name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,

And my dwelling will be in the house of Lord for endless days.

Reflections from the New Testament:

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew

In Matthew 18:12, Jesus asks:

What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?

Re-read the verse and respond to His question.

 In Matthew 18:12, Jesus continues:

And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.

What is Jesus telling you?

And from the Gospel of John 10:27:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Do you hear His Voice?

After a period of Reflection and Contemplation, close with the following prayer:

O, Holy Spirit, enlighten those who have strayed from Your Truth

Give them the courage to return to the Church,

accept the Faith, encompass Hope, and live in Charity

Ignite in all of us Your Fire 

Animate us with your Spirit

So we may all be of one flock following 

Our Lord, Jesus Christ

Amen