Day Thirty-Nine - False Shepherds

Today's Reflection
by Elizabeth Boda

The psalm for today is “The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.” From other readings of the bible, God tells us to be wary of paid shepherds, for when the wolves come he will run away and let the sheep be devoured. Jesus isn’t talking about literal death here, but spiritual death.

It is important to look at the details in your life to continue growing closer to Jesus and his good promises, and weed out the false shepherds. It is said that everything either leads you closer to God, or farther away. Take music for example; some songs often have bad lyrics. If lyrics cause you to sin either through lust, envy, or unforgiveness, consider cutting that song out. There are not only sins of action, but sins of mind, and sins of omittance. That is why at mass we say:

“I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do…”

Just because certain music isn’t appropriate or good for us spiritually doesn’t mean that all music is bad. Music is a beautiful, passionate activity that can help you become more in touch with your emotions, or even simply put you in a good mood. However, be sure to discern. If you think a certain song is harming you spiritually, I would advise removing it from your playlist.

Another false shepherd is ease. Ease says we can do what we want and not worry about the consequences. “Work smarter, and not harder” as they say. Ease can be a good thing to a certain extent, such as ordering groceries online to save time, texting someone instead of calling them if it’s just a short thing, etc. But don’t let ease start breeding lazy habits. Laziness tries to tell you that skipping mass on a Sunday because you’re really tired is ok. Laziness tries to tell you it’s ok to sit down and watch the chaos of the world without doing anything to help. Laziness tells you it’s ok to do what you want, because you are most important.

God didn’t put us here to do what we want. He put us here to make a change and lead others to him. As Lent comes to a close, we may be glad all of the sacrifice is past, but God doesn’t call us to forget. He calls us to lead others to the light.

Prayer for Obedience

Jesus, Almighty King of kings,
You Who obeyed Your Father to the end,
Teach me the meaning of obedience.
My soul burns to comply to Your Will,
Striving to charm Your Divinity.
While my worldly nature seeks one way,
My spiritual nature seeks another.
Bless me with the strength to obey,
That my soul may subdue both natures,
Blending them as a fair aromatic bloom.
I always seek favor in Your eyes,
To always obey You until my last breath!

Amen.

Prayer published by Catholicdoors.