The Messiah Will Come
“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me.”
John 10:14
This Christmas, the lovely small card shown above, came in the mail as part of a Christmas message from The Sisters of the Priory of Our Lady of Ephesus.
“He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd: He shall gather together the lambs with his arm, and shall take them up in His bosom, and He Himself shall carry them that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11
I painted a copy to show my Sunday School students, since art is a big part of our learning together. The lovely card and passage motivated me to learn more about Isaiah’s prophesy.
The passage on the USCCB website below is slightly different.
“Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
leading the ewes with care.” Isaiah 40:11
Both are beautiful, and will help me as a teacher discuss Jesus Christ, as a “shepherd” with my students.
The Verse in Handel’s “Messiah”
The Verse as a Modern Song
The children will enjoy singing part of a well known version of this song and verse with “Like a Shepherd He Feeds His Flock”
“Like a shepherd He feeds his flock and gathers the lambs in His arms,
Holding them carefully close to His heart, leading them home.
Say to the cities of Judah:
Prepare the way of the Lord.
Go to the mountaintop, lift your voice:
Jerusalem, here is our God.”
Bob Dufford, SJ
© 1993 Robert F. Connor, SJ New Dawn Music Published by OCP Publications
Thanks to The Sisters for their Lovely Card and Message.
The Sisters’ website states they are: “Totally consecrated to the Queen of Apostles, we take Our Lady’s hidden life at Ephesus as an inspiration for our own. We seek to be what she was for the early Church: a loving and prayerful support to the Apostles, the first priests, and daily offer prayer and sacrifice for the sake of her spiritual sons.”
Caroling at Ephesus from Benedictine Sisters on Vimeo.