May 8, 2022: Fourth Sunday of Easter/Good Shepherd Sunday

God is leading us to Eternal Life, which is depicted so marvelously in the image of Christ the Good Shepherd: He laid down His life for us, like any good shepherd would to protect his sheep.  Then  Christ resurrected, so that He could sustain us in newness of Life through the Holy Spirit:  We cleanse ourselves of sin, depicted in the vision in Revelation when robes dipped in blood are made white.   And He leads us to life-giving waters so that we know His care for us no matter what we face, and live the Abundant Life He desires for us.

Now as redeemed people, named by Him, we go forth to bless the world, living out a mission that is meant to impact all people, like Sts. Paul and Barnabas, who, in the face of opposition from Jews, take the message to the Gentiles, just as God intended it to spread.

Indeed, God desires to bring salvation to all people, so that they may experience Eternal Life through intimate knowledge of Him now.

We give thanks for the leaders in our Church God has called to shepherd us into a deeper relationship with Christ, so that we are empowered to make Him known in the world.

I think about my MLIS graduation 6 years ago this Sunday, and how I studied about accessing and organizing information for the purpose of helping others encounter it.

And I think about our celebration of mothers this day, biologically and otherwise, whose love for us brings meaning to life, especially in how it reveals God's presence in our world.

In the spirit of this day, I think about how much meaning Religious Education has brought to me, as I spend time growing in relationship with my students as we encounter God together so that we may enter more deeply into the Abundant Life.

Ultimately, knowing more about God is meant to bring us closer to the God Who loves us so intimately, so that we may have Life, and share it with all the world.