This weekend we hear a familiar story from the Holy Gospel.. Jesus compares Himself to a Good Shepherd and calls us His sheep. A GOOD shepherd cares for each of his sheep…as if they were the ONLY sheep! That certainly is a good description of how Jesus loves each of us…as if we were the only one to ever exist on the face of the earth. This is hard for us to imagine, but we believe as Christians that it is true. Of course, the image of the shepherd and the sheep was probably a whole lot more meaningful to the people of the time of Jesus. Many of them were shepherds or had people in their families that were shepherd. I have never personally met a shepherd, have you? Despite this, this Gospel passage speaks to me of a loving God who would do anything to win my love. So, how does this relate to us in 2015? Think about this…everyone who is entrusted with the care of others is a kind of shepherd. So parish life directors, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government officials and politicians are all shepherds. Since “shepherding” a diocese, a parish, a civil community or a family is very demanding, dedication, commitment, sacrifice and vigilance are needed every day on the part of the shepherd. Having all of these qualities is a rarity, that’s why all of us who are responsible in any way for another (that’s ALL of us) need to keep on developing those necessary qualities of kindness, compassion, and patience. As a good shepherd, we use these qualities to LOVE those entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time and talents for their welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers. Parents have a great challenge being shepherds…they must be especially careful of becoming role models for their children by leading lives of goodness…every day! Kids are quick to pick up failures in this regard. Let us pray for one another that the qualities of a GOOD shepherd grow in us so that those who are affected by the way we lead our lives will benefit from knowing us. As Mother Teresa once said, “Don’t let anyone ever leave your presence less of a person than when they greeted you.” Hmmmmmmmm…something to think about! There have always been people with a good memory for names: Napoleon, "who knew thousands of his soldiers by name . . .” or James A. Farley, "who claimed he knew 50,000 people by their first name . . .” or Charles Schwab, "who knew the names of all 8,000 of his employees at Homestead Mill . . .” or Charles W. Eliot, "who, during his forty years as president of Harvard, earned the reputation of knowing all the students by name each year . . .” or Harry Lorayne, "who used to amaze his audiences by being introduced to hundreds of people, one after another, then giving the name of any person who stood up and requested it.” But can you imagine Christ knowing all his sheep by name? That's millions and millions of people over 2,000 years. No wonder we call him Master, Lord, Savior – watching over his flock, calling each by name. GOSPEL QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Have you been a good shepherd to those who have looked to you for guidance?