It is often easy to reach out to our friends and those with whom we feel most comfortable. But what about the others? Those who because of their bad, irritable or unpleasant character challenges us to be more charitable, more forgiving, and in fact more Christ-like?

Jesus, our Good Shepherd came seeking the lost and the forsaken of the world. Jesus constantly identified himself with those outside of accepted society, those disfigured by disease and the poor. He took their burdens on himself. To know Jesus as our Good Shepherd means that we must follow his example. We must strive to identify with the people whom we might want to ignore and instead, share with them the saving message of the Gospel, first by the witness of our lives, then by our words. We must be like the first Christians who radiated enthusiasm and courage in generous devotion to God and neighbor.

In order to proclaim to all our brothers and sisters that they are loved by God, and are capable of loving, we must show love towards all. We are all called to overcome all barriers and divisions of race or ideology. Each of us is to be a sign of God’s love in the world, a love that excludes no one. In the Gospel, Jesus promised to lay down his life for his sheep. In ever y Eucharistic celebration, Jesus pours his life into our souls.

Let our prayer today be that each one of us will help to gather into the fold of Jesus by our Christian living and by our words of persuasion and encouragement, the sheep in our families and in our communities who perhaps have strayed away from Jesus for whatever reason. Then, when we look towards our future, we will see again the Good Shepherd, leading every one of his sheep towards the heavenly homeland.