The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I lack. //  Psalm 23:1

My companion and I arrived on mission to begin a branch house for my religious community. We drove a donated car across five states to an old rectory, set our bags down, greeted a few parish workers, and cleaned into the night. This was adventure enough, but when we went to rest, I realized we didn’t have pillowcases, sheets, or hangers, for that matter. 

The next day, my phone lit up with an unknown number three times. I picked up on the fourth, not knowing the person on the other end would change my heart. 

Miss Kelly’s voice was seasoned and tenacious, “Honey, I don’t have much, but I have more than you do. I know what it means to move with nothing. So, tell me what you need. I’ve got a pen and paper.” Stunned by her generosity, I struggled to keep up with her rapid-fire questions. 

“Do you need paper towels?”

“Yes.” 

“Do you need hand soap?”

“Yes.” And on she went. 

Miss Kelly finally slowed down when I volunteered that we could use hangers. “Well, good. Alright then, Sister. Anything else?” 

That day, I learned so much about love. 

Over time, I learned how Miss Kelly fought for faith through poverty and her husband’s death. Years later, we finally visited her home and saw she was poor. I marveled at her giant heart. Over the course of our friendship, I grew in reverence for how she allowed God to expand her heart over decades. She embodied compassion—to suffer with. Her love for the Cross made her undaunted in befriending and helping us in those early months when everything was new. 

Miss Kelly had a shepherd’s heart, which the Lord requires of those who lead His flock in the First Reading (see Ezekiel 34:8). She knew how to bear the heat of the day like the workers in the Gospel (see Matthew 20:12). She showed me how to love from my littleness and faithfully shepherd those He puts under my care.

May the Lord bless us and teach us to live our vocations with His Shepherd’s Heart.