CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) - Anyone who has experienced the loving and generous care of a true mother, father, priest, deacon or religious will know what a true shepherd really is. 

True shepherds give their lives to those who have been entrusted to them.  They do not live for themselves.  Marriage and consecrated life are essentially vocations to shepherd others.

"Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 23: 1).

Immature shepherds who are absorbed with themselves produce dysfunctional homes and spiritually unattended parishes.  They are unwilling to love those who have been assigned to their care.

Sheep without a shepherd cannot find the way.  People who are abandoned will eventually be lost.  Life, especially today, is filled with many challenges, and sheep without a shepherd will be overwhelmed and frightened.

Sheep without a shepherd will not know where to pasture.  By nature, we have deep spiritual desires.  If we do not eat what is good, we will feed upon the garbage of the world.

We need the sustenance that will help us continue through the journey of life without becoming discouraged.  We need the inspiration that can pull us through our difficult moments.  When we eat the garbage of the world, our hearts will remain restless and our souls will be starving.

Happy homes are found where parents love their children unconditionally.  Flourishing parishes are found where the sheep have plenty of good grass.

Sheep without a shepherd have no defense against the wolves of this world. 

The human person is a social being and is incapable of living life alone.  No one by his own efforts can defend himself from the temptations that assail him and from the evil of the world that attacks him. 

In most cases, our land has become a land of orphans.  Many children have become orphans of living parents.  Many priests have become isolated from their brothers in the priesthood.  The sheep are without shepherds.   

"Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 23: 1).

Faith filled communities have become a safe haven for the orphans.  True priests are ministering to the starving.  True Catholics are ministering to their priests.  Priests are ministering to each other. 

Throughout the nation, the orphans gather in order to hear the Word of God, feed on the Bread of Life, and experience the loving care, affection and understanding of real people that desire to shepherd to one another. 

Catholic priests who spend substantial time each week preparing a Sunday homily that will teach, console and inspire their people; priests who are available 24 hours a day for the urgent needs of their sick and dying parishioners; priests who dedicate long hours each week to the confessional are true shepherds of the flock.

Parents who are home with their children; parents who have dinner with their children each night as a family; parents who review every book, every television program and every CD; parents who are dedicated to really parenting their children are true shepherds of their homes. 

True shepherding is a life of total self-giving.  The true shepherd needs time for renewal in order to shepherd the flock.  "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (Mark 6: 31). 

The true shepherd needs to spend time daily with Jesus, the chief shepherd.  He will give us the strength, the inspiration and the sustenance to shepherd the flock. 

Periodic moments of solitude and silence are essential for the continued ability to give unconditionally.

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Father James Farfaglia, is a contributing writer for Catholic Online and author of Get Serious! - A Survival Guide for Serious Catholics.