About a week ago I was in Yellowstone National Park. We were stopped in traffic for about 20 minutes. Growing curious of what was going on, I got out to see what was the hold-up. It was a young buffalo that had been hit by a car. A team of people had to euthanize it and hoist it into the bed of a pick-up truck.

This really ties to our first reading from Jeremiah. If there had been a shepherd there, that buffalo would have been safe. Jeremiah is speaking of false shepherds, those who don’t take care of the Lord’s people. Jeremiah goes on to say that the Lord is the Good Shepherd, and he will appoint other good shepherds to lead us.

In our Gospel, our Lord has appointed those good shepherds; his apostles. The sheep begin to follow. There is a reason the bishop’s crozier is curved. It is to remind us that he is the successor of the apostles, the good shepherds. We are the sheep. We all need guidance. We must unite as a flock under the good shepherds, and flock towards the kingdom of God.

Today’s Gospel according to Saint Matthew tells us,“Many people followed [Jesus], and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known.” Just as Saint Nicholas gave gifts to the poor in secret, I encourage all to do the same. I understand putting your name on the donations for the Church to receive tax deductions, but try to keep some acts of kindness secret. Matthew 6:3-4 says,“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” Our Lord will reward every good action, whether or not others see. Give in secret, you will be rewarded in Heaven.

Today, what really spoke to me was the responsorial psalm.  It says,“The Lord will not abandon his people.”  Now, I’ve never been much of a pet owner, except for a few fish, but if you own a dog or cat and it runs away, most owners will try to go find it.  I’ve never really felt this emotion with my previous fish, although I have had a few jump out of the tank.  I assume that it must be very saddening to lose something that is such a big part of your life, just as Mary and Joseph must have felt when they lost Jesus, just hopefully on a much lesser scale.  If you lose you pet, you look for it; even though it was your pet’s choice to run away.  If we find our pet, we pick it up and bring it home; not the pet’s choice.  Our Lord feels the same way as us when someone falls away from the Church.  The only difference is that he can’t just bring people back, it is their free will.  We must be God’s earthly hands, evangelizing those who have fallen away.  We must guide them and bring them back to the Church.  It is our job and we must fulfill it.

Today in our first reading from Isaiah our Lord says,“Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!”  We all know a tree without roots will not stand in the face of a storm.  So will it be with us, if we do not have our roots in faith.  Faith also provides our roots with nutrients that allows our trunk and branches to grow.  And with those branches we can reach out to help others, as a tree gives shelter to the birds.  Faith is our soil and we must keep ourselves planted in it!