Hearing the Shepherd’s voice

Let me begin with a story. One day a newly installed pastor walked around the streets of his new parish to acquaint himself with the people of the neighborhood. One of his first stops was at the local shoemaker’s shop.

 

The pastor talked to the cobbler, using, at times, some lofty theological language. The cobbler replied with keen understanding and deep spiritual insight that left the pastor astonished. “You shouldn’t be cobbling shoes,” stated the pastor. “A man with your understanding and clear manner of expressing those thoughts should not be doing such menial work.”

 

The cobbler was quick to reply, “Pastor, you better take that back now!” “Take what back?” asked the pastor.

 

“Take back,” responded the cobbler, “that I’m doing menial, secular work. Do you see that pair of boots on the shelf? They belong to the son of Widow Smith, whose husband died last year. She’s supported by her only child, who manages to keep a roof over their heads by working outdoors every day. I hear bad weather is in the forecast, and I felt the Lord saying to me, ‘Will you cobble Widow Smith’s boy some shoes so he won’t catch cold and come down with some sickness?’ I replied, ‘Certainly, Lord, I will.’”

 

Looking at the pastor, the cobbler said, “Pastor, you preach your sermons under God’s direction, I trust. And I will cobble that boy’s boots under God’s direction. Then, one day, when the final rewards are given out, the Harvest Master will say to you and to me the same approving pronouncement—‘ Well done, my good and faithful servant.’”

 

In today’s gospel Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Sometimes, we can make following Jesus something high-falutin and important sounding, and somehow separated from everyday life. Sometimes, we limit the word “vocation” to a calling within the Church to the priesthood or the religious life. But the story of the cobbler and the pastor reminds us that, no matter what we are doing, we can bring God into our everyday life by listening to the voice of the Shepherd and allowing his words make a difference in how we do things.

 

Recently, I came across a rewording of Jesus’ teaching of the Beatitudes—a wording that helps to bring the high-sounding words of the Bible down into the everyday. Here are a few examples…

 

Blessed are they who grieve for the lost and struggle to cope and continue—the single parent trying to raise a family alone, the mother or father who keep an open heart and outreached hand to the wayward son or daughter—for they shall be comforted.

 

Blessed are they who find their joy in the happiness of others—the devoted parent, the dedicated teacher—for they shall inherit the earth.

 

Blessed are they who manage to see beyond their own interests and needs to the greater common good and their responsibility to others—for they shall be satisfied.

 

Blessed are they who treat classmates, coworkers and employees with respect and dignity, who remember that they have been forgiven by a compassionate God and readily extend forgiveness and compassion to others—for they shall receive mercy.

 

Blessed are the peacemakers, those who possess that rare gift for bringing people together when anger and selfishness threaten to drive them apart, who readily take the first step in forgiving and being reconciled with others, who bring healing to those who have been hurt, forgotten or marginalized—for they are the sons and daughters of God.

 

And, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, who does these things better than mothers? Here’s one story, one tribute to mothers…

 

The harried young mother was beside herself when the telephone rang, and she heard with relief the kindly voice on the line, “Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”

 

“Oh Mother,” she said, breaking into tears, “it’s been an awful day. The baby won’t eat, the dishwasher broke down. I tripped up the stairs and sprained my ankle. I haven’t had a chance to go shopping and the house is a mess. And to top it off, we’re having company for dinner tonight.”

 

“There, there, darling, everything will be all right,” the soothing voice on the line said. “Now sit down, relax, and close your eyes. I’ll be over in half an hour. I’ll pick up a few things and cook dinner for you. I’ll take care of the house and feed the baby. Also, I’ll call a repairman I know who will be at your house to fix the washer this afternoon. Now stop crying. In fact, I’ll call George at the office and tell him to come home early.”

 

“George?” the distraught wife exclaimed. “Who’s George?”

 

“Why, George…you know, George, your husband!”

 

“But my husband’s name is Frank.”

 

A brief pause ensued, then the voice hesitantly asked, “Excuse me, is this 555-1758?” A tearful reply said, “No, this is 555-17 8 8.”

 

“Oh, my, what a dreadful mistake,” apologized the embarrassed voice on the phone. “I’m so terribly sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number.”

 

Another brief pause before the would-be daughter asked, “Does this mean you’re not coming over?”

 

To all mothers, who hear the Shepherd’s voice and follow him…Happy Mother’s Da

You might also like

Father's Homilies

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent November 30, 2025

By Charlene Currie • December 4, 2025
How Far Do You Want to Go?

Homily for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe November 23, 2025

By Charlene Currie • November 28, 2025
Prairie Chickens and Eagles Homily for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe November 23, 2025 An American Indian tells about a brave who found an eagle’s egg and put it into the nest of a prairie chicken. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All its life the changeling eagle, thinking it was a prairie chicken, did what the other prairie chickens did. It scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects to eat. It clucked and cackled. And it flew in a brief thrashing of wings and flurry of feathers no more than a few feet off the ground. After all, that’s how prairie chickens were supposed to fly. Years passed, and the changeling grew very old. One day it saw a magnificent bird soaring far above in the cloudless sky. Hanging with graceful majesty on the powerful wind currents, it soared with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. “What a beautiful bird!” said the changeling eagle to its neighbor. “What is it?” “That’s an eagle—the chief of the birds,” the neighbor clucked. “But don’t give it a second thought. You could never be like him.” So, the changeling eagle never gave it another thought. And it died thinking it was a prairie chicken. Today, we are celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ is the King of all God’s creation. And yet, it is strange that the gospel passage chosen for this feast is the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion. Notice how weak he is. Consider how he is laughed at and made fun of. “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God….If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” So, the problem is one of expectations. The bystanders were looking for an eagle, and all they saw before them was a prairie chicken! And yet, at the end of the gospel, this prairie chicken seems to have some power that prairie chickens don’t normally have. When Jesus is asked by the thief being crucified with him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Jesus replies, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Hardly a promise that could be made by a prairie chicken! What’s going on here? I’d like to refer us to a passage we find in the writings of St. Paul, a section of his letter to the Philippians that is the second reading on Palm Sunday, when we reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus. Here it is: “Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus taught the way of humility and service. He came to raise others up, especially those who were bowed down by poverty or prejudice. He taught that there was no greater love than to lay down one’s life for the love of others. Greatness is found not in building oneself up at the expense of others, but in building up others, especially those who need it the most. So, Jesus emptied himself, to the point of looking like a prairie chicken, and in doing so he showed us the way to the eternal kingdom by means of humble service, that we might become who we truly are, eagles destined to soar beyond the clouds.

Homily for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time November 16, 2025

By Charlene Currie • November 28, 2025
Too Stubborn to Quit. Homily for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time November 16, 2025 The California coast was blanketed in fog July 4, 1952. Twenty-one miles to the west, on Catalina Island, Florence Chadwick, a 34-year-old-long-distance-swimmer, waded in to the water and began swimming toward the California coast. She had already conquered the English Channel, swimming in both directions. Now she was determined to be the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. As the hours ticked off, Chadwick fought bone-chilling cold, dense fog, and sharks. Several times, sharks had to be driven off by rifles. Fatigue never set in, but the icy water numbed her to the point of exhaustion. Straining to make out the shore through her swimmer’s goggles, she could see only a dense fog. She knew she could not go any farther. Although not a quitter, Chadwick shouted to her trainer and her mother in the boat and asked to be taken out of the water. They urged her not to give up, but when she looked toward the California coast, all she could see was thick fog. So after fifteen hours and fifty-five minutes of fighting the elements, she was hauled from the channel into the boat. Frozen to the bone and her spirit defeated, Chadwick was devastated when she discovered she was only a half-mile from the coast! She felt the shock of failure…. Two months later, Chadwick swam that same channel, and again fog clouded her vision, but this time she swam with her faith intact—that somewhere behind that fog was land. This time she succeeded. Not only was she the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, but she beat the men’s record by two hours. A line from this story that struck me was: “this time she swam with her faith intact.” Florence Chadwick was able to persevere to her goal because she believed she could do it. In today’s gospel passage, Jesus speaks about the challenges and threats that will be faced by the first disciples when they go out into the world and start proclaiming the message. He doesn’t mince words or paint a rosy picture. Tough times of suffering will come. But then he adds, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” In reflecting on this teaching, I was reminded of another Bible story. The disciples are in a boat crossing a lake. Jesus had stayed behind to spend some time in prayer. Then, late at night, he comes toward them, walking on the water. The disciples are frightened, thinking they’re seeing a ghost. Jesus tries to reassure them, when Simon Peter yells, “Lord, if it is really you, command that I walk on the water toward you.” Jesus invites him to do so, and Peter steps out of the boat and actually walks on the water toward Jesus. But then, he looks down and notices the threatening situation he is in. And he begins to sink. Jesus has to fish him out of the water and get him back into the boat (Cf. Matthew 14:22-33). What makes the difference? As long as Peter keeps his eyes on Jesus, he can do the seemingly impossible. When he focuses on the threat, he sinks. We find something similar in the writings of St. Paul. In his first letter to the Corinthians, he writes, “You know that while all the runners in the stadium take part in the race, the award goes to one man. In that case, run so as to win! Athletes deny themselves all sorts of things. They do this to win a crown of leaves that withers, but we a crown that is imperishable. I do not run like a man who loses sight of the finish line…” (1 Cor 9:24-26). So, when we have to face difficulties, when we live in hard times, when we feel left out or let down, how are we supposed to keep going? Florence Chadwick failed when she couldn’t see the finish line. When she found faith withing herself again, she was able to go back and reach her goal. Peter was even able to walk on water, but only as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. And Paul writes that he has been able to keep going, even while facing all sorts of hardships, because he has never lost sight of the goal. When facing challenges, a stubborn faith is required; perseverance is needed. It’s very easy to give up, to call it quits, to feel that there’s no way to face all the problems that pile up. We don’t have to face life’s challenges alone. Jesus is with us. And he asks us to be there for each other. He asks us to persevere, to have faith, to be too stubborn to quit.