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St. James Weekly Epistle
Approaching the Fourth Sunday of Easter
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ
 The Lord is my shepherd _________. He makes me lie down _________. He leads me _________. He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths _________. My hunch is that many of you could fill in the blanks from at least 3 of the four verses from Psalm 23 cited above. The words of the Psalmist, traditionally understood to be King David, have sustained people of faith, and perhaps cats too, for centuries. I've heard people with severe Alzheimer's Disease recite the verses word for word when they had no idea who I was. I've witnessed people who declare their lack of faith in God know it by heart as well. The Christian tradition's most popular psalm shows up in our Episcopal Church Sunday worship services about five times a year. Thousands upon thousands of people speak its truth from their hearts' yearnings each day.
I believe that "The Good Shepherd" psalm speaks about an almost an unobtainable yet enduring type of faith. A devoted reader of The Book of Psalms will quickly note that the author(s) of the Psalm express many other emotions such as confusion, anger, despair, grief as well as praise, adoration, and hope. However, Psalm 23 along with this Sunday's Gospel passage provide wonder-full sources of inspiration for us to rest upon during life's most difficult and joyous times alike.
One of the Irish Jesuit authors of the Sacred Space webspace captured the true essence of what it means to be someone who believes in the truths of Psalm 23 and Jesus the Christ's resurrection. He wrote: "The graced side (of Christian faith) shows that for those who truly accept that Jesus is risen, everything is changed and made new. Hope replaces cynicism and despair. The sadness of existence begins to throb with divine mystery."
I invite you to join in the chorus of those who recite and give thanks for The Good Shepherd known as Jesus, The Anointed One, who came to dwell with us and who continues to abide with us in the deepest most enduring truths of The Bible. May Christ's presence confirm for you the proof of God's everlasting Grace in all conditions of life, as well as sustain your confidence in God's steadfast love today and for all times, known and unknown alike.
The Lord is My Shepherd, I don't need a thing (there's one and a certain answer for you :-))
Blessings Along The Way, Jim+
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