These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

Saturday, Week XXV, Ordinary Time

Responsorial Psalm (Jer 31:10,11-12ab,13)
R.    The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.


Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
 proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
 He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
 he guards them as a shepherd guards his flock.


R.    The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.


Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
 and young men and old as well. 
I will turn their mourning into joy,
 I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.


R.    The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

When we are devastated and depressed, we feel that we will never be happy again. But God has other plans . . . to turn our mourning into joy. Why don’t they ever talk about making merry and dancing when they talk about heaven. We certainly could use some good news for a change! Well, the prophet reminds us that the Lord guards us as a shepherd guards his flock. “O nations, hear the word of the Lord!”