At that time, Jesus said:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30 NIV)

The invitation of Jesus, through the Gospel of John is for us who are accustomed to hear the voice of the Lord. Ours is not a generation that habitually listens. The voice of the Lord one hears in silence. If I do not obtain silence inside, I will not hear the voice of the shepherd and the shepherd is Jesus Christ himself that is in the middle of the noisy society with a media favoring commerce, he comes to invite us to listen to His voice.

The first step to walk at the side of the good pastor is the learn to listen. In our houses, in our spiritual life and in our family life, we should exercise listing to the shepher and to others. It risk for those that do not learn to listen is th become sheep without a shepherd that fallows whatever to false pastures.

The second step for walking with the master is to spend time and to be with and to know the other. This means that our identity enriches itself with the identity of the other.

We need to spend time with the good Shepherd. To know for where God wants to bring us and therefore it is necessary to be with Him in prayer and also in the presence of the family of values.

The third step is to follow and only to be able to follow someone when you decide to do som concretely. A strong decision and rooted permits that our faith obtains the mercy of God.

God is our shepherd and He knows us, therefore, will he ask something that we cannot do. Therefore, it is not necessary to have fear of being abandoned by God. He is the good shepherd who cares for his sheep. Decide today to know the true pastor and ask the grace of following him, in order that when the voices of this world scream against God, you will know to recognize only the voice of the Lord.

Fr. Marcio Mendes

New Song Community (Canção Nova) Curitiba, Brazil

Translated from Portuguese.