My Own Personal Shepherd

Homily for the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed of the Franciscan Family

Choosing readings for the observance that refers to our beloved confreres and sisters who have preceded us in death oftentimes finds us using Psalm 23 and the singing the praises of our shepherding God. I remember that at a funeral for one of my aunts who was not Catholic, her minister asked me if I would like to say a few words. Because I had not prepared anything specific, I relied heavily on the words of this particular psalm as I recalled memories of my aunt.

I always read the psalm with a little bit of irony. Anyone who knows anything about shepherds realizes that they are responsible for flocks of sheep, sometimes very large flocks. Yet the psalm sings of a very personal relationship between the shepherd and the sheep. We do not begin by saying, “The Lord is our shepherd,” or “beside restful waters he leads us.”

The irony is only strengthened when we hear Jesus refer to himself as the Good Shepherd or when he explains the parable of the lost sheep and the shepherd who leaves ninety-nine in the desert to look for the one who is lost.

There have been more than three thousand friars of Sacred Heart Province who have gone before me; and though I have not taken the time to count them, the names of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart which are posted on the wall outside the chapel are numerous.

As we celebrate their memory today, we do so mindful of the fact that our shepherding God has loved each and every one of them individually, has cared for and pastured each of them more like a parent then a shepherd. As we pray for them and with them today, we give thanks to Almighty God for the gift of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and love that he has shared with all of our brothers and sisters whom we remember today.