For centuries, the fourth Sunday of Easter has been hailed as Good Shepherd Sunday, because the scriptures celebrate Christ imagined as a shepherd with the words of Psalm 23 and John. For generations, Christians have heard Psalm 23 as a description of the baptized life. The green pastures are the time of baptismal catechesis; the still waters are the font; the soul is restored by the infusion of the Spirit; the right pathways are the moral life of the transformed believer; God’s rod and staff are our guidance for Christian living; the table is the eucharist, with a cup overflowing with mercy. As we celebrate the Confirmation of our 8th grade students and they affirm their baptisms, we are reminded that Jesus knows each of them with the familiarity of a shepherd and guides them with the loving tone of his voice.
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