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reading of the Acts of the Apostles In
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those days Paul and Barnabas leaving
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Perga arrived in Antioch of Pacidia And
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when they entered the synagogue on the
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Sabbath day they sat down Many Jews and
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pious converts to Judaism followed Paul
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and Barnabas Talking to them the two
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insisted that they remain faithful to
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God's grace The following Saturday
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almost the entire city gathered to hear
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the word of God Upon seeing that crowd
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the Jews were filled with envy and
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blaspheming opposed what Paul said Then
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with great courage Paul and Barnabas
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declared "It was necessary to proclaim
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the word of God first to you But since
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you reject it and consider yourselves
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unworthy of eternal life know that we
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are going to address the pagans For this
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is the command that the Lord gave us I
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have made you a light to the nations
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that you may bring salvation to the ends
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of the earth The pagans were very happy
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when they heard this and they glorified
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the word of the Lord All who were
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destined for eternal life embraced faith
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In this way the word of the Lord spread
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throughout the region But the Jews
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instigated the rich and religious women
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as well as the influential men of the
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city provoked persecution against Paul
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and Barnabas and expelled them from
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their territory Then the apostles shook
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off the dust from their feet and went to
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the city of Iconium The disciples
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however were filled with joy and the
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Holy Spirit Word of the Lord Thank God
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Reading of the book of Revelation of St
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John I John saw an immense multitude of
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people from all nations tribes peoples
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and languages which no one could count
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They were standing before the throne and
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the lamb They were dressed in white
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robes and had palms in their hands 14
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Then one of the elders said to me "These
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are they who have come out of the great
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tribulation They have washed and
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bleached their clothes in the blood of
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the lamb Therefore they stand before the
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throne of God and worship him day and
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night in his temple And he who sits on
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the throne will shelter them in his tent
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They will never again be hungry or
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thirsty Neither will the sun nor any
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burning heat bother them For the Lamb
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who is in the midst of the throne will
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be the their shepherd and will lead them
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to springs of the water of life And God
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will wipe away the tears from their eyes
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Word of the Lord Thank
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God Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St John Glory to you
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Lord At that time Jesus said "My sheep
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hear my voice I know them and they
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follow me I give them eternal life and
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they will never be lost And no one will
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snatch them from my hand My father who
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gave me these sheep is greater than all
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and no one can snatch them from the
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father's hand I and the father are one
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inch." Word of salvation Glory to you
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ
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let's imagine a scene together A flock
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of sheep grazing on a green hill The
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wind blows gently The sun shines on the
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horizon Suddenly the sheep lift their
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heads alert A familiar voice echoes down
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the hillside Without hesitation they
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move towards that voice It's not just
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any voice It's the voice of the shepherd
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the one who knows them by name who
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guides them to still waters and green
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pastures who risks his own life to
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protect them This ancient image of the
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shepherd and his sheep so far removed
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from our contemporary urban reality
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continues to capture something
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profoundly true about our relationship
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with Christ My sheep hear my voice says
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Jesus in today's gospel I know them and
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they follow me There is something
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incredibly intimate about this metaphor
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Jesus is not a distant leader a remote
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logiver or an impersonal judge He is the
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good shepherd who knows each of his
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sheep by name He knows your needs your
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fears your weaknesses Know what makes
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them stumble and what makes them
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stronger It is a knowledge born of love
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a love so deep that it led him to give
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his life for his flock And we his sheep
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recognize his voice In a world full of
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noise of voices competing for our
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attention the voice of culture the voice
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of the media the voice of our own
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disordered desires we are called to tune
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our ears to recognize and follow the
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voice of the shepherd But how do we
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distinguish the shepherd's voice amidst
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the cacophony of voices that bombard us
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daily our first reading of the Acts of
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the Apostles offers us some clues Paul
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and Barnabas are in Antioch of Pacidia
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preaching in the synagogues After a
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Sabbath of teaching many pious Jews and
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procelites follow them eager to hear
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more Paul and Barnabas exhort them to
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endure in the grace of God The following
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Saturday almost the whole city gathers
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to hear the word of the Lord Here we see
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the first sign of recognition of the
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shepherd's voice It awakens hunger Not a
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passing hunger that is easily satisfied
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but a deep hunger that drives us to seek
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more to endure in grace together with
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others who are also hungry for the
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living word When we truly hear the voice
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of Christ something within us resonates
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It's as if a chord is played at a
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frequency that only our soul can detect
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and we respond with desire desire for
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more desire for closeness desire for
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deeper understanding But not everyone
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receives the message with joy Our
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reading continues "When the Jews saw
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that crowd they were filled with envy
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and with blasphemies opposed what Paul
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said." Here's the second sign The
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shepherd's voice often provokes
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resistance When God's word penetrates
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deeply into our hearts it is often met
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with resistance not just from without
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but from within ourselves For the
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shepherd's voice calls us to conversion
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to change to repentance And that is
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uncomfortable It is easier to block that
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voice distort its message or even attack
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its messengers than to allow it to
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transform us How do Paul and Barnabas
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respond to this hostility we needed to
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proclaim the word of God first to you
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But since you reject it and consider
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yourselves unworthy of eternal life know
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that we are going to address the
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pagans This answer may seem harsh at
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first glance but it contains a profound
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truth Rejecting God's word has
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consequences When we consistently ignore
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or resist the shepherd's voice our
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hearts gradually harden Our ears become
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less able to detect that voice among the
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many competing for our attention But
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notice also what happens next The
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Gentiles those outside the fold rejoiced
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and glorified the word of the Lord The
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message that was rejected by some is
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received with joy by others The
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shepherd's voice reaches unexpected
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corners calling new members to the flock
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This is the third sign The shepherd's
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voice generates joy Not a superficial or
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fleeting happiness but a deep and
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lasting joy that comes from being known
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loved and guided by the divine shepherd
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This joy persists even in the midst of
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persecution When Paul and Barnabas are
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driven from the region they shake off
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the dust from their feet and move on
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filled with joy and the Holy Spirit The
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joy that comes from knowing and
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following Christ is not dependent on
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external circumstances It flows from a
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deeper source a source that cannot be
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blocked by human opposition And where
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does the shepherd's voice lead us our
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second reading from the book of
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Revelation offers us a stunning vision
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of the ultimate destiny of God's flock I
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saw an immense multitude which no one
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could count from all nations tribes
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peoples and languages They were standing
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before the throne and the lamb dressed
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in white robes and with palm branches in
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their hands They will no longer be
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hungry or thirsty They will no longer
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suffer from the sun nor from any burning
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heat because the Lamb who is in the
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middle of the throne will be their
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shepherd He will lead them to springs of
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living water And God will wipe away
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every tear from their eyes What a
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magnificent sight The shepherd becomes
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the lamb The sacrifice that saves the
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flock And the flock once scattered and
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vulnerable now gathers in triumph before
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the throne A diverse and countless
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multitude from every nation and language
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This is the promise for those who hear
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and follow the shepherd's voice
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Protection provision comfort They will
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no longer be hungry or
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thirsty All needs are met They will no
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longer suffer from the sun nor from any
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burning heat All threats are removed God
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will wipe away every tear from their
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eyes All sadness is transformed into joy
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But perhaps the most profound aspect of
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this vision is the ongoing intimacy with
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the shepherd The lamb which is in the
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midst of the throne will be your
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shepherd Even in the glory of heaven the
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shepherd sheep relationship continues
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but now perfected without the barriers
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that currently obscure our vision and
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limit our understanding Returning to the
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Gospel of John Jesus makes a profound
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statement about this relationship I give
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them eternal life They will never perish
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and no one will pluck them out of my
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hand My father who gave them to me is
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greater than all and no one can snatch
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them out of the Father's hand I and the
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Father are one The security of the flock
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does not depend on the strength or
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fidelity of the sheep but on the
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identity and power of the shepherd Jesus
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and the Father are one The sheep are
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kept safe not only by the hand of Jesus
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but also by the hand of the father This
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is the double security that we as
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followers of Christ enjoy We are kept by
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both the son and the father in a perfect
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union of purpose and power My dear
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brothers and sisters what powerful
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truths we have for reflection today We
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are known by the shepherd who loves us
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so much that he gave his life for us We
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are called to tune our ears to recognize
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his voice amid the many sounds and
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distractions competing for our attention
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We are invited to follow him trusting
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that he will lead us to springs of
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living water And we are assured that
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nothing and no one can pluck us from his
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hands But these truths are not just for
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our personal comfort and safety Like
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Paul and Barnabas we are sent as heralds
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of the good news In a world full of
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confusing and contradictory voices we
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are called to amplify the shepherd's
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voice so that others can also hear and
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respond to his loving call What would it
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be like if each of us left here today
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with our ears more tuned to the
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shepherd's voice if in the midst of
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daily decisions big and small we stop to
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ask "What is the shepherd telling me
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here where is he leading me?" If in the
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midst of challenging relationships we
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sought guidance from the one who knows
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us more intimately than we know
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ourselves And what would it look like if
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as a community we became more effective
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in sharing the shepherd's voice with a
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world that desperately needs true
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guidance if like Paul and Barnabas we
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were willing to face resistance and even
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persecution for the joy of seeing others
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join the fold May we this week create
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spaces of silence in our busy lives to
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hear the shepherd's voice more clearly
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May we follow where he leads us trusting
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in his protection and provision And may
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we by our words and actions make his
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voice more audible in a world full of
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noise As we approach the Lord's table
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today let us remember that the shepherd
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became the lamb sacrificed for his flock
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In the Eucharist we are nourished by the
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very body and blood of him who knows us
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by name and who loves us with a love
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that not even death could overcome As
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the psalmist so beautifully expressed
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"The Lord is my shepherd I shall not
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want." Today and always may we recognize
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his voice follow his footsteps and trust
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in his care until that glorious day when
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we will join the countless multitude
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before the throne where the Lamb will
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shepherd us forever Amen
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St Michael the Archangel defend us in
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battle Be our protection against the
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wickedness and snares of the devil May
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God rebuke him we humbly pray And do
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thou O prince of the heavenly host by
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the power of God cast into hell Satan
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and all the evil spirits who prowl
13:44
throughout the world seeking the ruin of