Fourth Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd/World Day of Prayer for Vocations)

The Lord is the Good Shepherd who leads and protects His flock. In this weekend's passage from the discourse, we hear that the Lord holds those who listen to His voice. Some have taken this to mean that those who come to the Lord once are safe forever - that does not seem the case. The protection He provides is that we cannot be snatched from Him, but unless we continue to listen to Him, we could wander off. We must know the Shepherd's voice, and we discover it in prayer and solitude. What love Christ shows us in continue to call us through prayer and Sacraments, through the teachings of the Church, and through the presence of others. Let's strive to be able to listen more fully to the voice of Christ, to follow Him wherever He leads us!