Have you ever wondered why the good shepherd with the sheep is so popular in the gospels. While sheep are inclined to stray from the pen and go beyond the pasture, we too can stray from the life of grace. Sin causes a disconnect between reason as a segue to a lived faith response.
For sure, the pervasiveness of sin has dire consequences. Although the prophet Isaiah encouraged the Israelites to return to Jerusalem (pasture) after their long exile in Babylon (which resulted from not following God), some of them did not return because they feel that they would be better off in exile (Isaiah 40:1-11). What a sad state of affairs that they should settle for exile over God’s abundant grace. Sin diminishes sharing life with God.
Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter, “The Joy of the Gospel” paints a picture of how God desirers that we return home to grace. Moreover, the door (pen) is always left open for us to return. May we heed God’s invitation of grace during Advent as we prepare for Christmas.
