Series on “The Father” by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR (Part 11)
What are you willing to lay down for your sheep as a shepherd? For shepherds nowadays, and even in the time of the Apostle, the sheep are for the shepherd’s sake; they serve him. It’s not like vice versa: sheep are the product, and we get them to pasture so they can grow, so we can slaughter them. But this wasn’t the case for Jesus. He said, “I am the good shepherd, “and I lay down my life for my sheep.
Jesus loves us this way. He wants to be so close and hold us intimately, and he doesn’t want us to be lost. He doesn’t want us to be far away, but he wants to feed, protect, clothe, and hold us. In this episode, as we bring our series on the book The Father to a close, we will be reflecting upon Jesus as the Good Shepherd and what this reveals to us of the heart of God as we talk about a story of a Father who freely lays down his life to save his son, and in doing so, loses his own life.
You can get your copy of Habits for Holiness by Fr Mark-Mary Ames, CFR at https://ascensionpress.com/thefather
As we grow, we want to keep focusing on quality and bringing you new features that have a cost. So, in our Franciscan way, we’re asking: Would you consider becoming a monthly donor if you’ve been loving the Poco a Poco podcast? No gift is too small! 100% of donations will go to the Poco a Poco podcast and are tax-deductible. Spirit Juice Entertainment Group (SJEG) is the non-profit arm of Spirit Juice Studios. It is a 501(c)3 organization that relies on your support to continue creating original, authentically Catholic content that reaches thousands of people each week through our website and social media channels.
Start a new monthly donation and receive an array of Poco a Poco and Spirit Juice swag in gratitude for your generosity. For more information, please visit our Poco a Poco Support page.
To qualify, you must donate a minimum of $10 per month. All gifts in between will be rounded down to the nearest package amount. Please allow 6-8 weeks for your package to be shipped. Questions? Contact us at donate@spiritjuice.org. Your donation is tax-deductible within the United States, and we will provide a tax receipt for your records.
-
The Resourcefulness of God
The Lord doesn’t need a perfect moment to do what he does. He can use—and has used — all the secular events and moments in history to bring about his plan. The detours and decisions and even things that feel like inconveniences — he’ll work with it all. And it’s not that he’s just done this once or twice…
-
House of Prayer, Not Den of Thieves
Sometimes we need someone to fight for us, to respond forcefully to injustice in our lives. Jesus does this, as he did in the temple – He’s not afraid to clean house. The Divine Physician heals us, though the medicine isn’t always tender and gentle. The medicine that’s needed is tougher, and the only way to remove…
-
Surrender Authority
How does Jesus have authority? It is through His obedience to the Father. But one incredible reality of Jesus is that in His authority, He takes all the stench to the cross, where it will be killed in His crucifixion. His authority does not lord it over us and does not force us to bow down and tremble before Him. But it allows Himself to be emptied and clothed with…
