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In His teaching, Jesus shows us that He has an intimate knowledge of the mind and heart of God. This is especially true whenever he talks about shepherds, for the background to His thought is the Old Testament image of God as a shepherd. The passage from Isaiah today ends with this image of God the Shepherd. The tenderness of this Shepherd echoes the opening words of the passage, the call to console God's people.
Though the passage is a call to Isaiah to undertake the work of consoling Israel, it contains other levels of meaning. God's call to Isaiah is at the same time a promise that Israel will be consoled. God fulfils that promise through the work of the prophet Isaiah, but also in many other ways, especially through mercy. God mercifully accepts that Israel has done enough penance for her sins and so allows them to return to the Holy Land.
Isaiah and the Responsorial Psalm both proclaim that God comes with power: "The Lord our God comes in strength". The overall tenor of Isaiah's words, however, assures us that God's power lies mostly in the work of consoling us through divine love and mercy.
Good Shepherd, hold all of us in Your arms that none of us may ever come to grief.
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DAILY OFFERING
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Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.
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PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
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INTENTION
That children may be considered as precious gifts of God and may be given due respect, understanding and love.
Elaboration
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