Jesus said to his disciples, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” (Matthew 10:16). Many of us can relate to this prophetic warning of Jesus, feeling alone and defenseless while we try to be an honest and faithful person.
In such a situation we may feel vulnerable and fragile, unable to bear the burden of living a virtuous life.
The good news is that Jesus is close by, ready to protect us from any wolves that may be present in our lives. We must simply call upon the Good Shepherd and he will use his staff to clear the way and lead us to greener pastures.
Reflecting on the above scripture passage, Bl. John Henry Newman ended his sermon by invoking God’s help in the midst of such a trial, “let us beg of our Divine Lord to take to Him His great power, and manifest Himself more and more, and reign both in our hearts and in the world. Let us beg of Him to stand by us in trouble, and guide us on our dangerous way. May He, as of old, choose ‘the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty’!”
Then he ends with a short invocation that can easily be turned into a daily prayer. It is a beautiful prayer and reflects that desire to be protected by God in the present moment, along with the future hope of being led to a place where there is finally true and abiding peace.
May [God] support us all the day long,
till the shades lengthen,
and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over, and our work is done!
Then in His mercy may He give us safe lodging,
and a holy rest, and peace at the last!
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And today we celebrate...