Known, Held and Led

05-11-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Augustine Acheme, VC

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we are invited to rest in the simple but profound truth: we are known. Not in passing, not abstractly, but intimately and personally. Jesus does not speak of crowds or concepts- He speaks of sheep. Vulnerable, dependent, yet chosen and beloved. He says, “I know them,” and in that knowing, we find comfort, identity, and direction.

In a noisy world full of competing voices, the voice of the Shepherd stands apart. It does not coerce or confuse; it calls. His voice is not always loud, but it is always loving. The question is: do we listen? Do we still our hearts long enough to recognize the Shepherd’s voice amid the noise of fear, pressure, and distraction?

Jesus not only knows His sheep- He holds them. “No one can take them out of my hand” (John 10:28). What an astonishing promise. In Christ, our belonging is secure. Even in times of doubt, dryness, or suffering, He holds us. No failure, no fear, no darkness can pry us from the grip of divine mercy.

The second reading from Revelation gives us a glimpse of the fulfillment of this promise: a multitude in white robes standing before the throne, their tears wiped away, their thirst quenched by the Lamb who becomes their Shepherd (Rev 7:17). This image is not just a distant hope- it’s the trajectory of every life held in the hand of Christ. The Shepherd doesn’t only walk with us in the valleys- He leads us home.

And yet, His voice may lead us to hard places. Paul and Barnabas, in the first reading (Acts 13), proclaim the Word with courage and face rejection and persecution. Still, they are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Why? Because they knew the Shepherd’s voice. They trusted His path. And that made all the difference.

St. John Vianney once said, “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.” And we might add: the Christian life is the echo of the voice of Jesus. We are called to tune our hearts to that voice- not just to be comforted, but to be led.

This week, sit with those words: “I know them.” Let them quiet your fears and anchor your hope. Listen for the Shepherd’s voice- not just in Scripture or silence, but in the people you encounter, the choices you face, and the moments of grace that pierce your day.

You are known. You are held. You are being led.

Fr. Augustine Acheme, VC