Taste and See: Love and care for us

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for 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 kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Responsorial Psalm for the 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Psalm 22(23)

What a shepherd!

Shepherds generally take care of their sheep for the sake of the return they hope to make – from the milk or cheese or wool, or flesh they will harvest.

Our God shepherds us simply for love’s sake, for care of us.

• For whom do you show that same selfless love?
• For whom might you show such love?

Shepherd from Nativity. St Philip’s Anglican Cathedral, Birmingham. © 2018, Allen Morris