Sheep are stupid creatures; its appropriate Jesus calls us sheep
Saturday Post
Good morning and happy Saturday.
I want to start again pointing you to Brand Holt’s post this week in Cor Fidei. What she reminds us is that faith in Jesus, as well as the humility that we do not control the world, is an incredibly calming thing. Check it out here:
Radical Faith
JMJThe Purple Catholic is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
As I made my away around Scotland and England this week and last, I reminded my father-in-law, perhaps ad nauseam, that sheep are stupid creatures. They play follow the leader and if one of them starts to run down the middle of the road, they all do.
I’ve reflected a few times on how appropriate that Jesus refers to us a sheep. In Matthew 9:36, Jesus had compassion on the crowds for they were “like sheep without a shepherd.”
Sheep, left to their own devices, go their own way and follow each other as a mob. They rely on a mob mentality of sorts to find new pasture, hop over an obstacle that isn’t there, or running down the middle of the road.
It is only when the shepherd comes and calls them (or sometimes uses a sheep dog) do they herd together where they need to go.
So many of us spend time milling about our lives like sheep. Unfortunately in our society, and even corners of our church, we so often look at what others are doing and saying, “we ought to go that way too” without ever thinking about the reason weren’t going that way to begin with.
This week, the Vatican responded to a question from the German bishops about having lay people preach a homily at Mass with a firm “no.” The usual suspects emerged on social media to decry how the Church isn’t with the times and that it was a disappointing decision.
“Getting with the times” (or in other words, “doing what everyone else is doing”) is exactly the motive of sheep. Rather than following our shepherd, we are choosing to follow the mob.
Fortunately for us, Jesus spells out our path clearly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,” he says in John 10:11. And later: “I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14). Following him and heeding his voice is the way. And when we listen to his words and following the order he has set out for us in the Church, we cannot go astray.
On Monday, we celebrate the feasts of Saints Peter and Paul, the first two great earthly shepherds of the Church. By assigning Peter as the head and Paul as an evangelist, we can look and pray to them for unity within our Church and ask them for their intercession for an increase of graces to bring other sheep back into the flock.
We need their intercession and prayers now more than ever.
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The readings for Mass this Sunday are: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16; Psalm 89; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; and Matthew 10:37-42.
In the Liturgy of the Hours, we are in Psalter Week I. In the Office of Readings, we will be reading through the first and second books of Samuel.
Here is a calendar for the rest of the week:
Monday, June 29 - Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, apostles
Tuesday, June 30 - Memorial of St. Junipero Serra, priest (optional)*
Friday, July 3 - Feast of St. Thomas, apostle
*In dioceses in the United States.
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9
In the news:
The United States
Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump’s asylum policies that bishops opposed - EWTN News
Opinion: Confession isn’t therapy - Thomas Petri in First Things
Opinion: Yes, the Genesis rainbow is controversial - Terry Mattingly in Rational Sheep
The Vatican
Pope Leo XIV sends aid to earthquake-struck Venezuela - Vatican News
Pope Leo opens Consistory, asks Cardinals for frankness, loyalty - Vatican News
Cardinals confront a ‘wounded world’ at opening of synodal consistory - EWTN News
Vatican begins 5-year restoration of Raphael Loggia, used by popes and presidents - AP News
The World
Bishop David Oakley (Northampton, England) charged with two counts of rape of a minor - The Pillar
Persecution Report: Pakistani Christian acquitted of blasphemy after nearly a year behind bars - Crux
Persecution Report: Alliance Defending Freedom International demands action after Nigerian Yahaya Sharif-Aminu imprisoned for more than six years under blasphemy charges - ACI Africa
Pax Christi International to honor victims of nuclear weapons with lantern ceremonies - EWTN News
Have a good weekend,
Matthew