Hear His Voice-Follow Him Five year old Aaron was teaching Grandma how to use the radio in her new car and showing her what the other buttons meant. Then he said, “Grandma, you are missing buttons. You don’t have a GPS ones like on Dad’s car! How do you know where to go?” When they got home, Grandma turned to Aaron and showed him the new road atlas she had just purchased. Aaron was fascinated by the paper map and spent over an hour studying it and asking questions. He asked his Grandmother, “Is this newer than Dad’s GPS?” Our Gospel today point to another guide, one not new at all, but one that will never be outdated and will never mislead us! This guide is Jesus himself, the Good Shepherd. Jesus can only be our guiding Shepherd if we become familiar enough with his voice so that we can follow him. Following his voice is the only way to new and abundant life. In 1963 Pope Paul VI designated Good Shepherd Sunday as World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, protects us as his flock and promises us the gift of eternal life. As followers of Jesus we are called to remain faithful to the grace of God. As we celebrate this feast we pray for fidelity to our vocation. The Church invites us to honor the vocation of all Christians given at baptism. May we who have dedicated our lives to God through the vocation of marriage, priesthood, diaconate, consecrated life, and the single life remain faithful to our commitments. May those who are discerning their life vocation listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd to guide them. And we pray: Gentle God, You call us by name and lead us to life. Through baptism you commission us to proclaim the Good News. Bless and strengthen all men and women, lay and ordained, who serve in the Church. Guide and give wisdom to those discerning their vocation. Enrich our Church with dedicated married and single people, with priests, religious and deacons. Filled with joy and your Holy Spirit may we follow Jesus, our Good Shepherd, now and always. Amen. © 2010NCCV www.nccv–vocations.org