second verb that concerns the Good Shepherd. He knows his sheep. But this does not only mean that he knows many things about us. To know in the biblical sense also means to love. It means that the Lord, “while he reads our inner beings”, loves us, he does not condemn us. If we listen to him, we discover this — that the Lord loves us. The way to discover the Lord’s love is to listen to him. Thus, our relationship with him will no longer be impersonal, cold or a front. Jesus seeks a warm friendship, trust, intimacy. He wants to give us a new and marvelous awareness — that of knowing we are always loved by him and, therefore, that we are never left alone by ourselves. Being with the Good Shepherd allows us to live the experience that the Psalm speaks about: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me” (Ps 23:4). Above all in our sufferings, in our difficulties, in our crises, which are darkness. He sustains us by going through them with us. Thus, it is precisely in difficult situations that we can discover that we are known and loved by the Lord. So, let us ask ourselves: Do I let the Lord know me? Do I make room for him in my life? Do I bring what I am living to him? And what idea do I have of him after the many times I have experienced his closeness, his compassion, his tenderness? The Lord is near, the Lord is the Good Shepherd. Lastly, the third verb: the sheep who hear, and who discover they are known, follow: they listen, they feel they are known to the Lord and they follow the Lord who is their shepherd. What do those who follow Christ do? They go where he goes, along the same path, in the same direction. They go to seek those who are lost (cf. Lk 15:4), they take an interest in those who are far away, take to heart the situation of those who suffer, know how to weep with those who weep, they reach out their hands to their neighbours, carrying them on their shoulders. And me? Do I let Jesus love me, and from allowing him to love me, do I begin to love him, to imitate him? May the Holy Virgin help us listen to Christ, know him always more and follow him on the way of service. Hearing him, knowing him, following him. Homily given by His Holiness Pope Francis on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, May 11, 2014 https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2022/documents/20220508-regina-caeli.html Picture: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/pope-francis-unique Coat of Arms: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en.html Piicture: www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/knowingAlso, think for a minute about real sheep on a hillside: one of the reasons they are able to hear and recognize their shepherd's voice is because a pasture out in the countryside is usually a very quiet place. It is so much easier to hear the call of the Good Shepherd in times of internal and external silence. ...we need to resolve to find daily times of silent listening to His Word, especially times of meditation on the gospels, and at least a weekly time of true solitude and silence with Him, perhaps before the Blessed Sacrament, or alternatively in another quiet spot, where we may be surrounded by all in nature that speaks to us of our Creator's presence. excerpt:www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/part-7how-can-we-hear-ourshepherds-voice Knowing His Voice
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