Good Shepherd - The Lord is my Shepherd (2024-04-14)

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen

Dear Faithful,

Psalm 22 which begins with the words, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” is probably one of the best known, most often quoted and memorized of all David’s beautiful hymns. The Fathers of the Church saw in this Psalm both a prophecy and a summary of the mysteries of Christian initiation: 

“By this Psalm, St. Gregory of Nyssa says, Christ teaches the Church that, first of all, you must become a sheep of the Good Shepherd: the catechetical instruction guides you to the pastures and fountains of doctrine. Then you must be buried with Him into death by baptism. But this is not death, but a shadow and image of death. Then He prepares the mystical table. Then He anoints you with the oil of the Spirit” (St. Gregory of Nyssa).

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. 

“David invites you to be one of the sheep whose Shepherd is Christ and who lack no good thing. The Good Shepherd makes Himself everything for you: pasture, water of rest, food, dwelling place, and the way of righteousness, and He gives you the Comforter, distributing His grace according to your needs” (St. Gregory of Nyssa). 

Those who belong to Christ “have as their guide not a simple holy man, as Israel had Moses, but the Prince of Shepherds and the Teacher of doctrine, in whom are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (St. Cyril of Alexandria). 

One reads in the book of Isaiah: “He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are young...they shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them... (Isaiah 40:11; 49:10). 

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

“The place of verdure (green pastures) means the ever-fresh words of Holy Scripture, which nourishes the hearts of believers and gives them spiritual strength” (St. Cyril of Alexandria). 

After having fed the person who comes to Him in faith with His word, the Lord leads him to the waters of baptism, making him a sheep of His holy flock, whose destiny is only to enter into God’s rest. 

“There remains therefore a rest to the people of God...Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest...” (Hebrews 4:9,11). 

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

David speaks of his own experience: after having learned of God’s ways he strayed from the paths of righteousness and fell into deadly sin. His experience in this Psalm becomes a prophecy: anyone, no matter how far he may have strayed from God, in Christ may be converted and return to the way of righteousness and learn to do God’s will. 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me. 

“It is necessary for you to be buried in death with Him by baptism. But it is not really death, but a shadow and image of death” (St. Gregory of Nyssa). 

Your rod and your staff they comfort me. 

“He comforts the believer, or guides him (“into all truth”), with the rod and staff (the Shepherd’s crook) of the Spirit, for the One who guides or comforts is the Spirit, the Paraclete.” (St. Gregory of Nyssa). 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; You anoint my head with oil.

“In these lines the Word clearly designates the sacramental unction (chrism) and the holy sacrifice of Christ’s table” (Eusebius of Caesarea). 

Your cup which inebriates me, how excellent it is!

But the inebriation which the Lord’s chalice gives is not similar to that of profane wine. It intoxicates in such a way that it does not make one lose his reason; it leads souls to spiritual wisdom...” (St. Cyprian of Carthage). 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

My dear Brethren,

Our Lord Himself is the Good Shepherd.

He has proven through His Passion and death how dear we were to Him.

Let us cherish His company, as we would for someone who would have saved our life from a certain death.

Let us experience how true these words of the psalmist are: “Taste and see how sweet the Lord is. Blessed is the man who hopes in Him.” Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen

fr. Benoît Wailliez