Hearing the Shepherd's Voice
Last Sunday was Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel readings throughout this week have continued the theme of the Good Shepherd. Christ tells us He is the Good Shepherd who comes to find and save his sheep; they hear his voice and follow.
I often wonder how many times our Lord has called me and I haven't followed. Oh, I know the blatant sinful times, but what about those daily callings? How many of those do I ignore consciously or unconsciously?
Today as I was perusing the posts in my Google Reader, I came upon one by Fr. John Bartunek at Catholic Spiritual Direction titled the Secret Rendevous. Now I have to admit, while this site is on my follow list, I often just skim or even pass by the posts each day. This morning, however, was different; the title caught my attention. I still felt the urge to pass by because I do need to get to work and wanted to see what else was in the Reader, but I guess you can say I heard the Shepherd's voice saying, "Stop~don't pass this one by!" So I went back and read. There is great depth in what Father Bartunek has written, but where God really had something to say was in the prayer that was included (it's at the end of this post). Our Lord knows that I don't always have the words to say what I want and need to say to him, so sometimes he provides them very concretely as he did this morning.
Christ calls to us in a million different ways and at a million different times each day. As father says in his post, we can continue to pray without ceasing with the desire to do so.
Listen for the Shepherd's voice in your day today; keep the appointment for the "secret rendezvous" with him. You will be glad you did; I know I was.
Christ in My Life
You see all my motives and intentions, but I think sometimes I try to hide from them. Show them to me, Lord. I don’t want anything to get in the way of our friendship. I don’t want to fall into hypocrisy. I want to do all things out of a humble, sincere love for you. With the humility of your heart, Lord, shape my heart…
At times life seems so complicated... but you simplify it. Stay with me, Lord, walk with me; teach me how to love you, to love my neighbor, and to master my own selfish tendencies. With the silence of your heart, speak to my heart…
Teach me to fast, Lord. Teach me to govern my urges and instincts, to be the master of my passions and not their slave. Teach me to be free to give myself to you and to my neighbors. Show me how to make loving sacrifice as much a part of my life as it was a part of yours…
Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC
You can read Father Bartunek's entire post here; it is definitely worth the read and even some meditation afterward.
I often wonder how many times our Lord has called me and I haven't followed. Oh, I know the blatant sinful times, but what about those daily callings? How many of those do I ignore consciously or unconsciously?
Today as I was perusing the posts in my Google Reader, I came upon one by Fr. John Bartunek at Catholic Spiritual Direction titled the Secret Rendevous. Now I have to admit, while this site is on my follow list, I often just skim or even pass by the posts each day. This morning, however, was different; the title caught my attention. I still felt the urge to pass by because I do need to get to work and wanted to see what else was in the Reader, but I guess you can say I heard the Shepherd's voice saying, "Stop~don't pass this one by!" So I went back and read. There is great depth in what Father Bartunek has written, but where God really had something to say was in the prayer that was included (it's at the end of this post). Our Lord knows that I don't always have the words to say what I want and need to say to him, so sometimes he provides them very concretely as he did this morning.
Christ calls to us in a million different ways and at a million different times each day. As father says in his post, we can continue to pray without ceasing with the desire to do so.
Listen for the Shepherd's voice in your day today; keep the appointment for the "secret rendezvous" with him. You will be glad you did; I know I was.
Christ in My Life
You see all my motives and intentions, but I think sometimes I try to hide from them. Show them to me, Lord. I don’t want anything to get in the way of our friendship. I don’t want to fall into hypocrisy. I want to do all things out of a humble, sincere love for you. With the humility of your heart, Lord, shape my heart…
At times life seems so complicated... but you simplify it. Stay with me, Lord, walk with me; teach me how to love you, to love my neighbor, and to master my own selfish tendencies. With the silence of your heart, speak to my heart…
Teach me to fast, Lord. Teach me to govern my urges and instincts, to be the master of my passions and not their slave. Teach me to be free to give myself to you and to my neighbors. Show me how to make loving sacrifice as much a part of my life as it was a part of yours…
Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC
You can read Father Bartunek's entire post here; it is definitely worth the read and even some meditation afterward.
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