That Shepherd Who Wants You

 

It’s easy to get lost. I don’t mean lost in a physical sense (though I admit I sometimes do that, too), but lost spiritually—and especially at this time of year. With sixteen days to Christmas, there is so much to be done. There are parties to attend, cookies to bake, trees to decorate, lights to hang, presents to buy and then wrap . . . the list can seem endless. Many of these things bring us joy—and that joy is a gift—yet deep in our hearts we know these material things will come and go. They will fade away.

Take a few minutes to reflect on if or how you might be lost right now (in a big or small way). Ask the Holy Spirit to show you.

At some point or another we all get lost on our spiritual journey. “Fear not,” Isaiah says in the First Reading. Do not be discouraged, but instead praise God for today’s Gospel Reading. We read of the shepherd who, when he realizes one of his sheep is missing, goes in search of it. Did you catch that detail? It really struck me. The sheep did not search for and find the shepherd, but rather the shepherd searched for the sheep. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is searching for His lost sheep. He is searching for you. Out of God’s great love, Jesus is pursuing you.

Let us not be lost sheep this Advent, dear sisters. Let us set aside time each day to quiet our hearts and prepare them for Christ. “Comfort, comfort my people,” God says. May we allow ourselves the opportunity to be gathered into our Lord’s loving arms and carried towards His Son, born to us on Christmas Day.

Praying this Advent season will be a time for each and every one of us to be found. Can you imagine how great our Lord's joy would be at that?

Elise Howe is a devoted wife and musician currently living in NYC, though she will always be a midwestern gal at heart. You can find out more about her here.