The Good Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

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There are some beautiful things in today’s readings. The first reading from 1 Peter speaks about the how priests are called to lives of service. They are to lead by example. The Gospel reading is the oh-so famous passage from Matthew, where Peter correctly identifies Jesus as the “Son of the living God”, and Jesus proclaims “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” Either one of those would have been great for a reflection. But there’s something that just caught my eye about today’s responsorial psalm.

Psalm 23 was the first Bible passage I ever memorized. I knew verses here and there, sure, like John 3:16, John 1:1, or Genesis 1:1. But this was the first full passage I took the time to really burn into my memory. It was framed on a wall in the church in the Assembly of God church back home (and was still there, last I remember, in all its flowery King James glory). When you stood in the line for potluck, you stood right next to that passage. Being a restless little kid, I couldn’t just stand there. I had to do something. So I read it in my head, over and over. Any time we had a potluck, I would practice—say a bit in my head, check the wall to see how close I was, then try again. Eventually, it stuck, and has to this day. But even though this passage has been bouncing around my head for nearly two decades, I never sat down and really heard it.
“The LORD is my shepherd”. Like a shepherd, Jesus leads us through the narrow gate to the Father. But it’s much more than what we may picture when we think of “shepherd”. The shepherd protects his sheep from predators. He also protects them from themselves, whether they follow each other blindly into a ravine or get themselves stuck in the mud. Sheep can be very self-destructive. But though I have never tended sheep, I can’t imagine they can possibly be more self-destructive than we are. Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) uses the image of the damned sprinting as fast as they can away from God. They have rejected God so completely, utterly detesting the very source of all being, that they do everything in their power to reach non-being—to reach death. Sheep will go astray and get themselves in precarious situations, sure, but man chooses this fate. Man sees God and screams at the top of his lungs “NO!” That is what the Good Shepherd has to deal with in us. The corruption of our souls.

Verse 3 is shortened in the responsorial psalm, but looking at the whole verse gets to my point.

“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” We have been damaged by sin. We have turned our backs on God. But the Good Shepherd protects his sheep, in a way much more profound than a shepherd prodding his sheep with his rod to keep them from the mud. God restored our very souls, making us capable once again of following Him. And though we walk in the valley of the shadow of death, a shadow we have cast upon ourselves, the Shepherd is there to lead us through it. He leads us through the narrow gate, and to the house of the LORD.
If you’ve followed my blog you know that for a very long time, I fell away from the faith. I became angry, bitter, and confused. I detested Christianity, and everything it taught. It was my one goal in life to tear down the faith of my family and friends, because it was so infuriating! I was sprinting as fast as I could away from God.

But lucky for me, God is my shepherd. He restored my soul. He made me capable of loving Him again, something I thought impossible. And though I am still a sinner—still walking through this dark valley—I have no fear. The Good Shepherd is at my side, leading me to the house of the LORD.