Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy #8

# THE GOOD SHEPHERD 

One of the most apparent imageries that one can connect to, looking at the logo is that of the Good Shepherd. We are so used to seeing the shepherd's image with a sheep on his shoulders. Here we have a human person, allegedly Adam representing each of us. Adam,  yes,  but the Adam who had fallen out of favour with the Lord on account of his choice and the resultant shame.

Jesus the Good Shepherd comes in search of such sheep. ...the sheep who are lost, lost in their sin and shame, lost in their self pity and guilt. The Lord comes with his arms outstretched, open wide to take us back into his embrace, just like the Father did to the prodigal son in the parable that Jesus narrated.

The Lord's mercy is so bountiful and there is absolutely no doubt about it. Nothing is greater than the love that God has for us,  not even all the treacherous sins put together! The Lord in his mercy is willing and waiting to carry us to salvation and to new life,  but are we willing to be carried? Or are we  stubborn and totally lost in our sinfulness and self pity?

The call I have through this element is that I allow myself to be carried by my Shepherd who will lead me to divine pastures.

MERCILENT 2016 - 3rd March

BE JUDICIOUS: do not take goodness for granted

Thursday, 3rd week in Lent

Jer 7: 23-28; Lk 11: 14-23

One of the dangers that we run into in our day to day life is, taking the goodness of the Lord for granted. The Mercy of the Lord is endless and immeasurable. Yet there is every chance that I may deprive myself of this boundless mercy - yes, it is I who deprives myself of it!

What do you think? A pot kept on an open terrace, after a full day of heavy rain, will it be filled with water? There has been a heavy shower and for such a long time, but still it depends so much on the pot - whether it was kept open or closed, whether it was kept upside down or in its proper position! This is how it is with the mercy of the Lord. It is there for our taking, but if we miss it, we are depriving ourselves of it.

At times in our priorities and choices, we relegate the aspect of staying worthy of the Lord's mercies to such a despicable position that we go far far away from God and have our own existence, independent of God. The fact is that we cannot go too far, for wherever we go, the Lord is with us. Yet, we take that presence, that love and that mercy for granted. Such a painful experience of rejection, that we give the Lord. Is this not what the Lord shared already through Hosea (in chapter 11), 'the more I called them, the more they went from me'; 'my people are bent on turning away from me'...what an expression of pain from the Lord!

The Mercilent Attitude for today: Let me evaluate my priorities in life and pray for those who are bent on turning away from the Lord!