Reflections of the Kingdom

The Good Shepherd Lectionary:  49 Reading 1 -  Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 23: 1-6 Reading 2 -  1 Peter 2:20b-25 Alleluia - John 10:14 Gospel -  John 10:1-10 I am the good shepherd, says the Lord! So we have reached the mid-point of the Easter Season and come to what is unofficially known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because every year at this time we read from John 10, the famous “Good Shepherd Discourse.” For the most part, the readings are focused around the idea of Jesus Christ as our divine Shepherd. But what is a shepherd like? Now, let’s be honest: most of us have never actually spent much time with a literal sheep. We tend to romanticize them as fluffy, docile creatures on greeting cards. Case in point, despite having midwestern farmers as parents, my experience with sheep is limited to petting zoos and the movie Babe … where except for a very talented pig, Shepherds often drive sheep in different directions using dogs to intimidate them...

The 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises   The Spiritual Exercises are a collection of meditations, contemplations, and practices developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola between 1522–1524 after his own radical conversion, and officially published in 1548 as the foundational handbook for Ignatian spirituality and the training of the  Society of Jesus  (Jesuits). They are designed to help a person discern God’s will and reform their life in freedom from disordered attachments.  Ignatius intended the Exercises to be given by a spiritual director , not self‑guided. They function as a framework for a retreatant’s encounter with God.  The Exercises are structured into four thematic sections, traditionally called "weeks," though their actual duration can vary depending on the retreat format.  These “weeks” are not literal seven‑day periods but movements of the soul. The Four “Weeks” (Phases) First Week (God’s Love and Human Sin): Reflection on t...