>> A READING FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. WOE TO THE SHEPHERDS WHO MISLEAD AND SCATTER THE FLOCK OF MY PASTURE, SAYS THE LORD. THEREFORE, THUS SAYS THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, AGAINST THE SHEPHERDS WHO SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE. YOU HAVE SCATTERED MY SHEEP AND DRIVEN THEM AWAY. YOU HAVE NOT CARED FOR THEM, BUT I WILL TAKE CARE TO PUNISH YOUR EVIL DEEDS. I MYSELF WILL GATHER THE REMNANT OF MY FLOCK FROM ALL THE LANDS TO WHICH I HAVE DRIVEN THEM AND BRING THEM BACK TO THEIR MEADOW. THERE THEY SHALL INCREASE AND MULTIPLY. I WILL APPOINT SHEPHERDS FOR THEM WHO WILL SHEPHERD THEM SO THAT THEY NEED NO LONGER FEAR AND TREMBLE. AND NONE SHALL BE MISSING, SAYS THE LORD. BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL RAISE UP A RIGHTEOUS SHOOT TO DAVID. AS KING HE SHALL REIGN AND GOVERN WISELY, HE SHALL DO WHAT IS JUST AND RIGHT IN THE LAND. IN HIS DAYS JUDAH SHALL BE SAVED, ISRAEL SHALL DWELL IN SECURITY. THIS IS THE NAME THEY GIVE HIM, "THE LORD OUR JUSTICE." THE WORD OF THE LORD. >> THANKS BE TO GOD. (ORGAN) >> ♪ THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT ♪ >> ♪ THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT ♪ >> ♪ THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT ♪ ♪ FLESH AND GREEN ARE THE PASTURES WHEN HE GIVES ME REPOSE ♪ NEAR RESTFUL WATERS, HE LEADS ME, HE REVIVES MY SOUL ♪ >> ♪ THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT ♪ ♪ HE GUIDES ME ALONG THE RIGHT PATH FOR THE SAKE OF HIS NAME, THOUGH I SHOULD WALK IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, NO EVIL WOULD I FEAR FOR YOU ARE WITH ME ♪ ♪ YOUR CROOK AND YOUR STAFF WILL GIVE ME COMFORT ♪ >> ♪ THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT ♪ ♪ YOU HAVE PREPARED A TABLE BEFORE ME, IN THE SIGHT OF MY FOES ♪ ♪ MY HEAD YOU HAVE ANOINTED WITH OIL, MY CUP IS OVERFLOWING ♪ >> ♪ THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT ♪ ♪ SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE ♪ ♪ IN THE LORD'S OWN HOUSE SHALL I DWELL FOR LENGTH OF DAYS UNENDING ♪ >> ♪ THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT ♪ >> A READING FROM THE LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS. BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IN CHRIST JESUS YOU WHO ONCE WERE FAR OFF HAVE BECOME NEAR BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. FOR HE IS OUR PEACE, HE WHO MADE BOTH ONE AND BROKE DOWN THE DIVIDING WALL OF ENMITY, THROUGH HIS FLESH, ABOLISHING THE LAW WITH ITS COMMANDMENTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS, THAT HE MIGHT CREATE IN HIMSELF ONE NEW PERSON IN PLACE OF THE TWO, THUS ESTABLISHING PEACE, AND MIGHT RECONCILE BOTH WITH GOD, IN ONE BODY, THROUGH THE CROSS, PUTTING THAT ENMITY TO DEATH BY IT. HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR OFF AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR, FOR THROUGH HIM WE BOTH HAVE ACCESS IN ONE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER. THE WORD OF THE LORD. >> THANKS BE TO GOD. >> ♪ ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, SAYS THE LORD, I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> FATHER: ♪ DOMINUS VOBISCUM ♪ >> ♪ ET CUM SPIRITU TUO ♪ >> FATHER: ♪ LECTIO SANCTI EVANGELII SECUNDUM MARCUM ♪ >> ♪ GLORIA TIBI, DOMINE ♪ >> FATHER: THE APOSTLES GATHERED TOGETHER WITH JESUS AND REPORTED ALL THEY HAD DONE AND TAUGHT. HE SAID TO THEM, "COME AWAY BY YOURSELVES TO A DESERTED PLACE AND REST A WHILE." PEOPLE WERE COMING AND GOING IN GREAT NUMBERS, AND THEY HAD NO OPPORTUNITY EVEN TO EAT. SO THEY WENT OFF IN THE BOAT BY THEMSELVES TO A DESERTED PLACE. PEOPLE SAW THEM LEAVING AND MANY CAME TO KNOW ABOUT IT. THEY HASTENED THERE ON FOOT FROM ALL THE TOWNS AND ARRIVED AT THE PLACE BEFORE THEM. WHEN HE DISEMBARKED AND SAW THE VAST CROWD, HIS HEART WAS MOVED WITH PITY FOR THEM, FOR THEY WERE LIKE SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD. AND HE BEGAN TO TEACH THEM MANY THINGS. ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ LAUS TIBI, CHRISTE ♪ >> A FEW NIGHTS AGO, I WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING TO SLEEP. SO, I THOUGHT, WHAT'S ON CATHOLIC RADIO AT 11:00 PM? TURNING ON THE RADIO, A WONDERFUL PROGRAM, THE JOURNEY HOME WITH MARCUS GRODI. HE WAS TALKING WITH SCOTT HAHN, TWO OF OUR FAVORITES ON EWTN. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THEIR OWN CONVERSIONS TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH. AND THE BLESSING THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THEM AS INDIVIDUALS AS THEIR FAMILY. IN FACT, MARCUS WENT ON TO SAY THAT HIS OWN SON, PETER, HAS JUST BEEN ORDAINED TO THE PRIESTHOOD. SCOTT HAS TWO SONS IN THE SEMINARY. I THINK ONE OF THEM WAS JUST ORDAINED TO THE TRANSITIONAL DIACONATE, SOON TO BE ORDAINED OR PERHAPS HAS BEEN ALREADY ORDAINED. BUT YOU CAN SEE WHAT THEY FOUND IN SOMETHING THAT THEY FOUND AND TREASURED WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY PASSED ON TO THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR FAMILIES, WHAT THEY LOVED. IN FACT, RECENTLY, WE HAD IN THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER, THE NEWSPAPER, THERE WAS THREE PEOPLE THAT CAME INTO THE CATHOLIC FAITH AND HOW THE EUCHARIST WAS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF WHAT BROUGHT THEM INTO THE CATHOLIC FAITH. SCOTT HAHN IS ONE OF THE STORIES THAT WAS TOLD, AS WELL AS BISHOP CONLEY IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA; AND ANOTHER YOUNG LADY. I WAS SPEAKING WITH SOMEBODY WHO TRANSCRIBES FOR THE JOURNEY HOME. SHE SAID, THERE'S A COMMON THEME OF THE DIFFERENT CONVERSION STORIES THAT COME INTO THE CATHOLIC FAITH. THEY ARE SEARCHING, LOOKING, STUDYING, AND THEN, THERE COMES A POINT WHEN SUDDENLY THEY PERCEIVE THE REALITY AND THE TRUTH OF THE EUCHARIST. AND SHE WENT ON TO SAY THAT A NUMBER OF THEM GET CHOKED UP AT THAT POINT BECAUSE THEY HAVE LIVED THROUGH THEIR LIVES AND LOOKING FOR SOMETHING MORE AND THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE DRAWN INTO THE CATHOLIC FAITH. THEN, THEY COME TO PERCEIVE BY FAITH THE REALITY OF THIS TRUTH OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND HOW SO MANY OF THEM GET CHOKED UP. SCOTT TALKS ABOUT THE FIRST MASS THAT HE ATTENDED AND HE WAS JUST GOING THERE AS A DOCTORAL STUDENT TO SEE WHAT THE CATHOLIC MASS WAS ALL ABOUT. AND WHEN HE SAW THE HEADS BOWED, DURING THE CONSECRATION, AND THE PEOPLE KNEELING, HE SAID THAT HE SAW THAT THEY WERE COMING UP THEN TO RECEIVE THE HOLY EUCHARIST, THAT HE HIMSELF SO LONGED TO JOIN THEM. AND HE FELL HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH THE EUCHARIST. SO, THIS IS THE GREAT TREASURE THAT WE HAVE ON THIS EARTH. I HAVE REPEATED IT MANY TIMES AND I'LL REPEAT IT MANY MORE BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A WONDERFUL TRUTH. WE CAN NEVER REALLY EXPRESS THE BEAUTY OF IT. OUR MUSIC, WE HOPE, ENHANCES THE LITURGY, HELPING US TO LIFT OUR MINDS AND OUR HEARTS. ONE OF THE REASONS I BEGIN WITH THIS IS BECAUSE IN TODAY'S GOSPEL, GOSPEL OF MARK 6, THE BEGINNING OF WHAT'S BEEN CALLED THE BREAD DISCOURSE IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK. SO, IT'S IN THIS SECTION, CHAPTER 6, 7, AND 8, HE USES THE GREEK WORD, ARTOS, BREAD, SOME 17 TIMES. 17 TIMES HE IS REFERRING TO THE BREAD. AND WE DON'T HEAR IT IN TODAY'S GOSPEL OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE GOSPEL WHICH IS REALLY RELATED TO THE GOSPEL TODAY, WHICH IS WHY I'M TALKING ABOUT IT, THAT HE'S GOING TO BE FEEDING 5,000 MIRACULOUSLY WITH THIS BREAD AND WITH THE FISH. SOME OF OUR CHURCH FATHERS, THE DEEP TEACHERS OF OUR FAITH, SO CLOSE TO THE INCARNATION, THAT THEY SEE THIS AS AN ANTICIPATION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST. IN FACT, WE COULD SAY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT TODAY'S GOSPEL TOGETHER WITH THE GOSPEL THAT FOLLOWS THE FEEDING OF 5,000, YOU HAVE REALLY THE STRUCTURE OF THE MASS. SO, THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MESMERIZED BY THE LORD'S TEACHING. THERE'S SOMETHING MORE ABOUT THIS MAN, MORE ABOUT HIS WORDS. AND THEY ARE GOING TO GO BY A BOAT, TO A PLACE TO REST. AND THE PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT IT AND HOW MANY PEOPLE, THE NEXT GOSPEL, THE VERSE TELLS US, 5,000. THAT'S A LARGE CROWD. AND THEY WERE SO TAKEN WITH HIS WORDS THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN STOP TO EAT. THEY WERE JUST GETTING THEIR SOULS FED WITH A GREATER FOOD, A FOOD THAT WAS FEEDING THEIR SOULS. ISN'T THAT WHAT THE BEAUTY OF THE LITURGY DOES? IT FEEDS OUR SOUL SO DEEPLY. SO, THEY WERE THERE AND THE APOSTLES SAY, WELL, SEND THEM AWAY SO THEY CAN GET SOMETHING TO EAT. AND WHAT DOES THE LORD DO? HE FEEDS THEM. THIS IS THE STRUCTURE OF THE MASS. WE FIRST HAVE THE LITURGY OF THE WORD. THEN WE HAVE THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST. SO, WE NEED TO HEAR TRUTH. I HAVE A PRIEST FRIEND. HE SAYS THAT TRUTH IS HEALING. HE HAS FOUND THAT TRUTH IS HEALING BECAUSE TRUTH IS ABOUT REALITY, ABOUT THE WAY THINGS REALLY ARE. ISN'T THAT WHAT WE ALL WANT? WE ALL WANT TO KNOW THE REAL TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH AND WE WANT TO LIVE IN ACCORD WITH THE TRUTH SO WE CAN FLOURISH. THERE'S A HEALING ELEMENT TO THE GOSPEL, THE PROCLAMATION. THIS IS WHAT THE PEOPLE WERE DISCOVERING AS THEY HEAR THE LORD SPEAK. WHY IS THE LORD SPEAKING TO THEM AT LENGTH? HIS HEART WAS MOVED WITH PITY FOR THEM. HE KNEW THAT THEY NEEDED IT. JUST LIKE WE NEED IT TODAY. RECENTLY, DOUG KECK AND I DID A BOOKMARK ON THE BOOK WRITTEN BY MOTHER ANGELICA, LIVING THE SCRIPTURES, LATE 1990s. MOTHER LOVED THE SCRIPTURES, OF COURSE, AND SHE WOULD TEACH ON THEM. MOTHER SAID WE NEED NOT JUST SEE THE SCRIPTURES AS A HISTORY BOOK OR INSPIRING STORIES BUT THINGS IN WHICH HE'S SPEAKING TO US TODAY. WE NEED TO APPLY IT TO OUR LIVES WHAT HE IS SAYING. AND BEAUTIFULLY, SHE DOES IN SO MANY WAYS. SO, THAT'S THE WAY THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT GOD'S WORD THAT WE HEAR IN THE MASS, THE LITURGY OF THE WORD. WHAT IS JESUS SAYING TO ME TODAY? WHAT IS THE WORD THAT STRUCK YOU IN TODAY'S MASS, IN THE PRAYERS, PERHAPS, THE GLORIA, IN THE WORDS OF THE MASS? I NEVER CEASE TO JUST LOVE THAT WORD WHERE IT SAYS, HE WAS MOVED WITH PITY. HE WAS NOT UPSET, OH, NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET OUR REST! HERE'S ALL THESE PEOPLE. NO, RATHER, HIS OWN COMFORT MUST TAKE SECOND PLACE, AND THAT OF THE APOSTLES, TOO. HE SEES THAT THEY ARE LIKE SHEEP. THEY ARE JUST LOOKING FOR SOME DIRECTION, SOME GUIDANCE IN THEIR LIFE. AND HE TEACHES THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE LIKE SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD. AS JEREMIAH PROPHESIED, ABOUT THE BAD SHEPHERDS, THEY ARE DRIVING THEM AWAY AND NOT CARING FOR THEM. SO, I MYSELF WILL GATHER THE REMNANT OF MY FLOCK FROM ALL THE LANDS. I WILL BRING THEM BACK TO THEIR MEADOW. SO, THAT TIES IN WITH OUR PSALM TODAY, PALM 23, A FAVORITE FOR US CHRISTIANS, RIGHT? THAT HE'S LEADING US TO VERDANT PASTURES. VERDANT MEANS THEY ARE VERY RICH AND GREEN, VERY NOURISHING. HE'S GOING TO GIVE ME REPOSE THERE. HE'S GOING TO BRING ME BY RESTFUL WATERS, GOING TO REFRESH MY SOUL. WHY? THE LORD, THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. HE'S GOING TO GUIDE ME ON THE RIGHT PATH. HE'S GOING TO GUIDE ME IN THE TRUTH. AND THEN, HE'S GOING TO SPREAD A TABLE BEFORE ME. OR OTHER TRANSLATIONS, HE'S PREPARED A BANQUET FOR ME. THAT'S WHAT HE DOES EVERY SUNDAY. EVERYDAY, IF WE WANT. HE'S PREPARED A BANQUET FOR YOU. IF YOU ARE HIS SHEEP AND YOU HAVE HEARD HIS VOICE, HE KNOWS YOU BY NAME, AND HE INVITES YOU, CALLS YOU, THAT YOU MAY BE FORMED IN THE TRUTH, IN THE RIGHT PASS GUIDED BY HIS CROOK AND HIS STAFF, AND THAT YOU TOO MIGHT FEED ON THIS DIVINE LIFE THAT HE WANTS TO GIVE US, IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, FATHER MIGUEL GAVE YOU A HOME WORK ASSIGNMENT. MAYBE YOU REMEMBER IT. SOMEBODY SENT ME A TEXT, FROM A FAMILY IN IOWA, WHERE'S THAT FRUITS OF THE HOLY COMMUNION? FATHER MIGUEL SAID THERE'S EIGHT FRUITS IN THE CATECHISM, GO FIND IT. THAT'S YOUR HOME WORK ASSIGNMENT, GO FIND IT AND READ IT. AND THEY DID. SO MY HOME WORK ASSIGNMENT FOR YOU TODAY IS CATECHISM 1345. IT'S EASY TO REMEMBER, 1, SKIP 2 - 3, 4, 5. AND WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO FIND THERE IS THE HEADING IN THE SECTION OF THE CATECHISM, THE MASS OF ALL AGES. SO, IS THE MASS A MODERN INVENTION SOMETHING THAT THE MEDIEVAL TIMES CAME UP WITH, NO. IT'S THE MASS OF ALL AGES, THESE TWO ELEMENTS, THE LITURGY OF THE WORD AND EUCHARIST, HAVE BEEN AT THE HEART OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP FROM THE BEGINNING. GO TO CATECHISM 1345, WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO FIND HERE IS A LETTER WRITTEN BY A MARTYR, SAINT JUSTIN WHO DIED IN THE YEAR 155 A.D. THAT'S RIGHT AFTER THE TIME OF THE APOSTLES. HE'S WRITING A LETTER TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE CHRISTIANS DID WHEN THEY GATHERED ON SUNDAY. THEY GATHERED BACK THEN ON THE DAY OF THE RESURRECTION, WHICH IS ALSO SEEN AS THE DAY OF CREATION. IT'S ALSO THE DAY OF THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. THAT'S WHY WE GATHER ON SUNDAY. HE SAYS, THIS IS WHAT WE DO. WE HAVE READING FROM THE PROPHETS. AND THEN THE MEMOIRS OF THE APOSTLES, WHICH WE CALL THE GOSPELS. AND THEN WE ARE EXHORTED IN THE THINGS THAT WE JUST HEARD, WINE MIXED WITH BREAD AND WATER ARE BROUGHT UP. THE ONE WHO PRESIDES OFFERS THANKSGIVING. AND WHAT'S THE WORD? YOU SEE IT IN THE CATECHISM, EUCHARISTDANE. EUCHARIST, IT'S THE ONE WHO OFFERS THE EUCHARIST. NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST IN THIS SECTION, BUT LATER ON, HE SAYS, WE DO NOT RECEIVE THESE THINGS AS ORDINARY FOOD AND DRINK BUT AS THE FLESH AND BLOOD OF THE INCARNATE WORD SO WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT. SO, IT IS MY DEAR PEOPLE, THAT THIS IS OUR GREAT TREASURE, THE GIFT OF THE EUCHARIST. IF WE TOO WANT TO BE MESMERIZED BY THE LORD, SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO. READ THE GOSPEL, LIKE MOTHER SAYS. LET THE LORD SPEAK TO YOU TODAY. IT'S A LIVING WORD. THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WILL ESPECIALLY MOVE YOUR HEART WHEN YOU READ THE GOSPEL. CHOOSE A FAVORITE GOSPEL PASSAGE OF YOURS, OR CHOOSE THE ONE FOR SUNDAY, FOR TODAY. AND THEN, READ THROUGH IT, PRAY ABOUT IT. SEE WHAT MOVES AND STIRS IN YOUR HEART. THAT'S THE LORD SPEAKING TO YOU, TODAY. THEN RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN. IF YOU CAN RECEIVE EVERYDAY, DO IT! IF YOU CAN COME A COUPLE EXTRA TIMES DURING THE WEEK, DO IT. IF WE CAN SPEND TIME IN ADORATION, ONCE A WEEK, DO IT. YOU CAN DO IT EVERYDAY. SPEND TIME, DO IT. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. BECAUSE WE'RE NO LONGER FEELING LIKE WE'RE DRIFTLESS, AIMLESS. WE'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE CHALLENGES OF THE WORLD TODAY? THIS IS AN IMPORTANT WORD THAT WE HEARD AT THE BEGINNING OF TODAY'S GOSPEL. THE APOSTLES GATHERED TOGETHER WITH JESUS. THAT WAS FIRST, SO HE HAD SENT THEM OUT, HE GAVE THEM AUTHORITY, POWER, AND THEY WENT OUT, THEY TAUGHT, THEY HEALED, THEY DELIVERED. AND NOW, THEY COME BACK TO BE WITH JESUS, TOGETHER WITH JESUS. THAT'S OUR LIFE, MY DEAR PEOPLE. THAT IS BEING WITH JESUS. HE SENDS US OUT, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE MASS. GO FORTH AND PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD. SO, YOU ARE SENT OUT AFTER MASS TO GO OUT, AND TO BE USED HOWEVER HE WISHES TO USE YOU. THAT'S THE DOCILITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. LORD, USE ME HOWEVER YOU WANT TO BUILD UP THIS KINGDOM ON THE EARTH. BUT IT'S NOT LONG THAT WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO JESUS. JESUS, I NEED TO BE RENEWED IN YOUR STRENGTH! I'M GETTING BEAT UP OUT THERE, I'M LOSING HEART, I'M GETTING DISCOURAGED. SO, JESUS, RENEW MY STRENGTH! THAT'S THAT COMING TO HIM, GOING OUT FROM HIM, COMING BACK TO HIM, GOING OUT AGAIN, COMING BACK AND FORTH. DAILY WE NEED THAT. AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCOVER IS THAT OUR WORDS AND WORK BEARS MUCH FRUIT THAN WE EVER COULD, IF IT'S OUR OWN AGENDA. THAT'S THE PROBLEM, IF WE FORGET TO PRAY, WE ARE TOO BUSY. EVEN FOR APOSTOLIC ACTIVITY, WE'RE JUST TOO BUSY. THEN IT HAS A DANGER OF BECOMING OUR OWN AGENDA. BUT IF WE'RE COMING BACK TO HIM, SITTING AT HIS FEET, BEING STILL. THE LORD SAYS TO THE APOSTLES, COME AWAY TO A DESERTED PLACE AND REST AWHILE. WE NEED TO BE STILL. WE NEED TO REST. WE NEED TO BE IN SILENCE. BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD, BEING BEFORE HIM. IF WE DO THAT, THEN WE'LL BE GUIDED BY HIS AGENDA WHICH IS GOING TO BEAR THE MOST ABUNDANT FRUIT. SO, ISN'T THIS A WONDERFUL TRUTH? WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS LIFE WITH ALL OF ITS CHALLENGES, DIFFICULTIES, FEARS, ANXIETIES, DISAPPOINTMENTS, TROUBLES, TRAGEDIES. WE'RE NOT ALONE. THE APOSTLES GATHERED TOGETHER WITH JESUS AND THEY REPORTED ALL THAT THEY HAD DONE AND TAUGHT. JESUS SOMETHING WONDERFUL HAPPENED. AND I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS A GOOD THING FOR US TO DO, AS WE EXAMINE OUR CONSCIENCES HOW WE FALL SHORT IN FOLLOWING THE LORD, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO THANK HIM FOR THE WAYS THAT HE USED US. TO REPORT TO HIM ALL THAT WE DID AND TAUGHT THAT DAY, WE PRACTICE CHARITY. WE BIT OUR TONGUE WHEN WE WANTED TO RETURN EVIL FOR EVIL PERHAPS. OR SOMEBODY WAS ENCOURAGED BY OUR PRESENCE OR OUR WORDS. AND THEN, WE SEE THAT THE FAITH IS A LIVING THING THAT IS CHANGING ME AND ALSO CHANGING OTHERS. THAT'S WHAT MARCUS AND SCOTT WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE BLESSINGS THAT IT BROUGHT TO THEIR HOME. HOW NOW THEY EVEN HAVE SONS WHO ARE GOING TO BE PRIESTS. JUST A JOY AND A WONDER AT THE WONDER THAT GOD DOES IN OUR LIVES. YES, LET US NEVER FORGET. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. I SHALL NOT WANT. IN VERDANT PASTURES HE GIVES ME REPOSE. BESIDES RESTFUL WATERS, HE LEADS ME. HE REFRESHES MY SOUL. HE GUIDES ME IN RIGHT PATHS. HE SPREADS THE TABLE BEFORE ME, PREPARES A BANQUET FOR ME. HE ANOINTS MY HEAD WITH OIL. MY CUP OVERFLOWS.
