Friends, welcome to Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. Word on Fire is an apostolate dedicated to the mission of evangelization, using media both old and new to share the faith on every continent and to facilitate an

encounter with Christ and his church.

The efforts of Word on Fire engage the culture and bring the transformative power of God's word where it is most needed.

Today we invite you to join Bishop Robert Barron as he preaches the gospel and shares the warmth and light of Christ with

each one of us. Peace be with you friends we come to the fourth Sunday of

Easter known as Good Shepherd Sunday, because Jesus says in the

Gospel, listen, I am the good Shepherd. A good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Now, here's what I find really interesting.

Shepherds.

I've never met a shepherd.

I don't know anyone that knows a shepherd.

It's a livelihood that exists still, but it's not

really part of the experience of most people in the West. But what is it about

that image that nevertheless seems to us across the ages from the pages of the Bible

to the present day. Somehow when we hear this imagery of the shepherd, it speaks to our hearts. You know Psalm 23, which we all love, the Lord is my

shepherd I shall not want. And I think of it a lot now that I'm Bishop of

the Diocese because when I come into mass as the

Bishop I'm wearing the mitre and I'm carrying the crosier and the crosier of

course is nothing but a shepherd's staff.

It has the crook at the end,

because the shepherd had to go get the sheep if they wandered.

It's got the other animal you have to fend off animals.

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