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Ezekiel 34: 1-11
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
The Word of the Lord.
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Today is a day to pray for priests – that we may be worthy shepherds, that we may lead our communities to Christ, that we may stand humbly before the judgment seat of God, ready to offer an account for our ministries.
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In our first reading from the Book of Ezekiel, the Lord condemns the shepherds of Israel.
“Woe to the shepherds of Israel,” he says, “who have been pasturing themselves! … You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.”
These religious leaders were out to serve themselves.
And consider the result.
“My sheep were scattered for the lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts.”
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These words remind me of two things:
The responsibility that the Lord places on the shoulders of priests – to act in His name, to celebrate the Sacraments, to lead, to govern, to heal, and to serve.
And the trust that the sheep – God’s people – rightfully place in their leaders.
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Let’s pray for all who serve God’s people, myself included, that we may devote ourselves to what matters most: leading souls to Christ, the Shepherd of us all.
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Image credits: (1) St. Catherine of Siena Academy (2) ShareCatholic.com (3) Psephizo