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The Shepherd's Guild

                                              Our Lord is Our Shepherd

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                            23rd Psalm

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.   
-- KJV

                                              The Last Judgment

The Reading is from Matthew 25:31-46

The Lord said, "When the Son of man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

 

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Isaiah 40:11 (New King James Version)

11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
      He will gather the lambs with His arm,
      And carry them in His bosom,
      And gently lead those who are with young.
      

Ezekiel 34:11 (New King James Version)

God, the True Shepherd
   
‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

John 10:2 (King James Version)

"But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep."

John 10:11 (King James Version)

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."

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The Good Shepherd: Early Christian catacomb art

John 10:16 (King James Version)

"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."


1 Peter 5:4 (King James Version)

And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.


Psalm 80:1 (King James Version)

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.


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5th-century icon at Ravenna

We should remember what name Christ calls His people, what ttle He gives to His flock. He calls them sheep, that their Christian innocence might be like that of sheep. He calls them lambs, that their simlicity of mind might imitate the simple nature of lambs. Why does the wolf lurk under the appearance of sheep? Why does he who falsely claims to be a Christian dishonor the flock of Christ? To put on the name of Christ and not to walk in the way of Christ is a mockery of the Divine name and desertion of the way of salvation. Christ teaches that one who keeps His commandments will receive life, and one who hears and does His words is wise.
 
                                                   St. Cyprian of Carthage