A Tic In The Mind's Eye TM
Spirituality with a lemon twist by Joe Speranzella, SFO

A Tic In The Mind's EyeTM Comics
Available Exclusively at Lulu.com

Now at the .

Thursday, November 20, 2008

A prayer to the Good Shepherd

From Today's Office Of Readings:

St Gregory of Nyssa's commentary on the Song of Songs

A prayer to the Good Shepherd

Where are you pasturing your flock, O good Shepherd, who carry the whole flock on your shoulders? (for the whole of human nature is one sheep and you have lifted it onto your shoulders). Show me the place of peace, lead me to the good grass that will nourish me, call me by name so that I, your sheep, hear your voice, and by your speech give me eternal life. Answer me, you whom my soul loves.

I give you the name ‘you whom my soul loves’ because your name is above every name and above all understanding and there is no rational nature that can utter it or comprehend it. Therefore your name, by which your goodness is known, is simply the love my soul has for you. How could I not love you, when you loved me so much, even though I was black, that you laid down your life for the sheep of your flock? A greater love cannot be imagined, than exchanging your life for my salvation.

Show me then (my soul says) where you pasture your flock, so that I can find that saving pasture too, and fill myself with the food of heaven without which no-one can come to eternal life, and run to the spring and fill myself with the drink of God. You give it, as from a spring, to those who thirst – water pouring from your side cut open by the lance, water that, to whoever drinks it, is a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

If you lead me to pasture here, you will make me lie down at noon, sleeping at peace and taking my rest in light unstained by any shade. For the noon has no shade and the sun stands far above the mountain peaks. You bring your flock to lie in this light when you bring your children to rest with you in your bed. But no-one can be judged worthy of this noonday rest who is not a child of light and a child of the day. Whoever has separated himself equally from the shadows of evening and morning, from where evil begins and evil ends, at noon he will lie down and the sun of righteousness will shine on him.

Show me, then (my soul says), how I should sleep and how I should graze, and where the path is to my noonday rest. Do not let me fall away from your flock because of ignorance, and find myself one of a flock of sheep that are not yours.
Thus my soul spoke, when she was anxious about the beauty that God’s care had given her and wanted to know how she could keep this good fortune for ever.

Social bookmark this

posted by Joe S. at 11/20/2008 09:25:00 AM

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home

Powered for Blogger by Lots of Coffee



©2005-2009 Joe Speranzella unless otherwise noted.

Cartoonist and Author Joe Speranzella has degrees in Biblical Studies and Christian Counseling as well as experience as a Spiritual Counselor for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He has studied Theology and Spiritual Direction at The College of St. Catherine in St. Paul MN, and is currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity in Religious Studies. He and his wife live in Virginia with their 7 children and 2 dogs.

deer have hid on this site.

Free Guestmap from Bravenet.com

Blog Advertising - Get Paid to Blog

Universalis

This site brought to you by:

Free Advertising


Sitewide Disclosure.

Disney

 

The Best Family
On Earth!

www.flickr.com
what is this?
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from joe_spez. Make your own badge here.
Pin Me!
100 things about me!
Videos!

This Is God
Return To Innocence
Better Off Alone
Don't Come Around
Here No More

That's The Way God
Planned It

This Must Be The Place
Talk
Feel The Vibe
Share Your Life Verses
**Tic's Used Books**

Get A Tic In Your Mailbox:

Enter your Email


Preview

Follow me!

Recent Tics
  • Seeing Cheap!
  • He gave his life for the unity of the Church
  • The special obligations of our ministry
  • Leadership: This Election and Social Justice
  • Electioneering in PA
  • Hot Air Parodies ACORN!
  • We must re-educate our minds towards peace
  • Why One Presidential Debate Is Enough
  • Wisdom's likeness and image is created in God's works
  • Just Like A Good Neighbor

The Hunger Site


My blog is worth $10,563,228.48.
How much is your blog worth?

My Associated Content

PPP Direct

Pro Audio Video Tutorials for Musicians
Pro Tools, Cubase, Sonar, Digital Producer, Acid, GarageBand, Audition, Sound Forge, Live,
Mixing & Mastering
Digital Music Doctor

Buy My Stuff!

Powered by Blogger

RSS Syndication

Google PageRank Checker

Personal Blogs Blog Directory

Who Gets Me
ChristiansUnite.com
WebComics.com
Onlinecomics.net

Web Rings
<< " Comic Bloggers " >>
<< " Blogs Illustrated " >>
<< " St. Blogs Parish " >>
<< " Christian Bloggers " >>
<< " Writer's Block " >>

ss_blog_claim=3391fd4157ae93a5b5365bd278cc0023