Jn 10:11-18
We can take great comfort in trusting that Jesus loves us so much that he will do whatever it takes, even die, to protect us from the wolves that seek to scatter and catch us throughout our lives (John 10:11-18). Jesus, the good shepherd keeps us safe from those who pretend to care about us but work to separate, divide, control, and take advantage of us to feed their own selfish desire for power and financial gain. To remain safe, we only need to recognize and listen to the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd, and follow him.
There are so many voices that want our attention. These voices can tell us things that lead us away from the truth; like we are not good enough the way we are; that we would be happier if we were like someone else or had the things they have. We run after everything these voices tell us we need in a never-ending quest to be happy. But we will never really find what we're looking for, and this can leave us feeling like failures, causing us to isolate ourselves because we don't seem to fit in, leaving us lost, and feeling alone... right where the wolf wants us to be.
The good news is that we can choose to hear and know the voice of our good shepherd Jesus, who saves us from the wolves. To hear Jesus, we first need to silence the unnecessary, noisy voices. One way we can do this is by eliminating or strictly limiting our use of social media. Technology can be great when used responsibly, but many of the voices that demand our attention come from there. By only using technology when it's necessary, like for work, school, or prayer we can control who is speaking to us, take control, and quiet the noisy voices.
We can also hear the voice of Jesus in the silence of prayer. Spending some time, even if it is just a few minutes every day, in his presence whether at home, at church, or an adoration chapel. Wherever we are, taking time to be silent, and let all distractions drift from our minds for a moment to listen to Jesus in the silence, enables us to hear him speak to us in a quiet, calm voice.
We can hear the voice of Jesus in scripture. Spending time reading Gospel passages using techniques like Lectio Divina or Imaginative Contemplation, where we linger over and meditate on the events, people, or words that catch our attention, we can encounter and communicate with Jesus. Jesus is alive in scripture.
We can hear the voice of Jesus in our conscience. According to the Catechism, our conscience is where we are alone with God whose voice echoes in our depths. There are times we get nudges or gut feelings that we should do or not do something. Through a properly formed conscience, we can hear the voice of Jesus guiding us at the right time to do something good or avoid something evil.
Recognizing and listening to his voice, we are free to choose to follow Jesus. It is with him we will find what we are truly looking for. The freedom to be who we were made to be, to move through life living it to the full, free to do his will, free to invest in the lives of others and love them the way Jesus loves us. We also gain freedom from worry, anger, fear, and division, free to be vulnerable, like a child, trusting him with our entire life. Recognizing, listening to and following Jesus, our good shepherd, brings us peace.
We can take great comfort in trusting that Jesus loves us so much that he will do whatever it takes, even die, to watch over us. We only need to recognize and listen to the voice of the good shepherd and follow him.