Of Sheep and G.O.A.T.

SS Medford, Pastor's Column, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C).

I was away with other priests this past weekend.  Once a year, I am blessed to spend a week or ten days with other priests who are members of an international priestly fraternity.

We stayed at a conference center in Delray Beach, Florida named Roseaire.  There we could relax, pray together, enjoy good fraternity and excurse into areas unknown or unseen.

The street to which led to our “home” is called Brady Drive. One of the participants who accompanied me is from Boston.  He proudly proclaimed that the street should be renamed since it had the surname of Tom Brady (the Patriots 6 time champion quarterback).  Father Dave proposed G.O.A.T. Drive—the Greatest of all Time Drive!

Funny how we can idolize sporting woman and men.  This moniker has come up recently with the woman’s world cup team (who may be easier on the palate, that they are the greatest, with an unmatched record).  Unfortunately, they are paid less than the men, for some unjust reason.

I digress.  Mariano "Mo" Rivera, also considered a "GOAT," was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Major League Baseball.  His first words of acceptance were (approximately), "I first have to thank the Lord, my Lord, Jesus Christ who has bestowed on me so many blessings, most especially faith in salvation." WOW!

Mo is not the greatest of all time.  Jesus is! How humble. True? Yes for me and you and I hope in the most grounded virtuous way that this is what we are teaching our children and grandchildren.

Oddly enough, Jesus does not think much of goats.  He uses them as an analogy for the damned. The sheep are righteous, for they seek their shepherd to guide them.  Goats are more independent and will revert to wildings at the first possibility. They will follow the shepherd when the pastures are ripe.  Once times become delicate and green meadows fade away, they bolt away, never to be seen again.

Our Gospel today points out that we should focus on heaven and not earthly things.  Unity of Life is a term that means that we should do everything governed by our faith—our politeness, our willingness to forgive (last week's Gospel) and our striving to become perfectly pleasant.  We bring all of these things to our everyday: work, school, vacation, or whatever we do in this time of our life. In this way, we are sheep who follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Let us become saints, what else is there!