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THE GOOD SHEPHERD GRAPHIC
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THE GOOD SHEPHERD 2

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Taken from THE SOUL SANCTIFIED
CATHOLIC WISDOM ON THE WAY OF SALVATION

Meditations and Spiritual Readings For Daily Use, Selected and Arranged From the Works of Saints And Approved Writers of the Catholic Church.

TAN BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS, INC.
Rockford, Illinois 61105

"The shepherd and bishop of your souls." ---- 1 Peter 11:25

THUS spoke Jesus of Himself, "I am the Good Shepherd." [John 10:14]. The work of a good
shepherd is nothing but this, to guide his flock to good pastures and to guard them from wolves. But what shepherd, O sweet Redeemer, ever had the mercy like Thee, to give his life to save his flock, which flock are we, to deliver them from the punishment they had deserved?

He Himself hath borne our sins in His own Body on the tree, that being dead to sin, we should live to justice; by whose stripes we were healed. [1 Peter 2:24]. To heal us of our sicknesses, this Good Shepherd took upon Himself all our debts and paid them with His own Body, dying with agony upon a cross. It was this excess of love towards us His sheep which made St. Ignatius the Martyr burn with desire to give his life for Jesus Christ, saying, "My love is crucified," as he wrote in his letter, saying, "What! Has my God been willing to die on a cross for me, and cannot I desire to die for Him!" And in truth, was it a great thing the Martyrs did in giving their lives for Jesus Christ when He died for love of them? Oh how the death endured for them by Jesus Christ made sweet to them all their torments, stripes, piercing nails, fiery plates of iron and tormenting deaths!

When this Good Shepherd sees a sheep lost, what does He not do, what means does He not take to recover it? "If He lose one of them, He goeth after that which was lost until He find it." [Luke 15:4]. And when He has found it, rejoicing He places it upon His shoulders, that it may be lost no more, and calling to Him His friends and neighbors, i.e., the Angels and Saints, He invites them to rejoice with Him for having found the sheep that was lost. Who then will not love with all his affections this good Lord, who shows Himself thus loving to sinners who have turned their backs upon Him and destroyed themselves of their own accord!

O my Savior, worthy of all love, behold at Thy feet a sheep that was lost! What would have become of me if Thou hadst not thought of seeking me! And as I first fled from Thee, now I desire nothing but to love Thee and to live and die embracing Thy feet. Oh bind me, chain me with the bond of Thy holy love! "I have gone astray like a sheep that was lost! Oh, seek Thy servant!"

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