SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME B

[cappie]

In the 23rd Psalm set down for today, David, who was once a shepherd boy, names that the true shepherd is the Lord God. The psalm goes on to show how food, water, and shelter are provided.  The psalmist continues, the sheep are guided along right pathways.   The psalm places the emphasis here, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me.” So, trust in God is central to the 23rd Psalm as the sheep trust the shepherd to guide them through the valley of the shadow of death. For the sheep, it is the dark valley. For us, the valley of the shadow of death takes different forms.  The uncertain path is something we all face  and need to navigate. Before you go through the valley, it is best to have placed your trust in God.

God the Good Shepherd sees us beloved and holds out forgiveness and healing in Jesus. Scripture makes this love of God clear, even as it notes that life will not always be without difficulty. Christians don’t have inherently easier lives without rough spots. Far from promising that with God in our lives, everything is going to be perfect, the Bible promises that we will face tough times, hard decisions, and painful losses

What we do have as followers of Jesus is a relationship with the God who is working to redeem our world one precious life at a time. We have the knowledge that everything we now see and experience is not all there is. God is with us in every valley. The language of a shepherd and a sheep is significant. The maker of heaven and earth knows you by name, has always loved you, will never give up on you, and will be with you, whatever you face.

The turn of the 15th-century  Julian of Norwich learned of God’s abiding care in the midst of hardship through a series of visions. At the time she had her mystical experience, the 30-year old Julian was on what she and those around her thought was her deathbed. It was May of 1373. As she lay in great weakness, she saw some intense images of Jesus. Lady Julian would recover and then spend many years reflecting on the visions. Twenty years after rising from that deathbed experience, she set ink to paper to create the first book in the English language known to be written by a woman. In reflecting on her own near-death and Jesus’ presence with her in the shadow of death she wrote,

“If there be anywhere on earth [where] a lover of God is always kept safe from falling, I know nothing of it, for it was not shown me. But this was shown: that in falling and rising again, we are always kept in the same precious love. Between God and the soul there is no between. He did not say, You will never have a rough passage, you will never be over-strained, you will never feel uncomfortable, but he did say You will never be overcome.”

The reason we are not overcome, the way we can make it through the valley, is that we are never alone.

“Between God and the soul there is no between.” This is the same reason the sheep need not fear with the shepherd alongside them.

 We can be a part of how God shares compassion with those who are traversing their own valley of the shadow of death. We can offer our presence. This may be a listening ear, a kind word, but it is mostly being with some when they face an uncertain path.

  And you can be sure that this community is one where they will be welcomed and loved by the congregation and by the host of our feast, who is Jesus. You can also welcome those who show up here on their own as if welcoming Jesus. Far from being a chore, showing love and compassion to someone who is hurting by inviting or welcoming them to church is how God blesses us with that same love.  

There is no doubt that we will face uncertainty. Placing our trust in the Good Shepherd is how we prepare for the unpredictable turns life can take. This is where Lady Julian’s words assist us  as she teaches what the shepherd’s care revealed to her in an hour of need, “In falling and rising again we are always kept in the same precious love. Between God and the soul there is no between.”

Through the Church, the Lord, our good shepherd, still leads people to the pastures of the kingdom, he still anoints with the oil  and spreads the Eucharistic table before all people, filling their cups to overflowing.

 

[JoaquinOrexy]

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[little2add]

The Prayer, Christ Our Morning Star 

O Christ, our Morning Star,
Splendour of Light Eternal,
shining with the glory of the rainbow,
come and waken us
from the greyness of our apathy,
and renew in us your gift of hope.

Amen.