The Good Shepherd

Fr. Roger Landry from the Diocese of Fall River has a website where he posts many of his homilies and other information.

Here is just one moving reminder from his homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter.

"At the end of March, I was invited to Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida, to give some talks to the college students and seminarians. They had just receive the donation of several modern bronze statues. The statues I was shown by the provost of the college were all too modern for his and most of the students tastes. But later, as I was walking around the campus, I saw one statue that I’ll never forget. It was of a hooded man sitting on the outdoor steps leading to the refectory stretching out his hand like a beggar. In the afternoon sunlight, at first, I thought it was a real man and not a statue — an image which stood out in sharp contrast to the surroundings in one of the wealthiest places in our country. So I drew closer to look at the statue more closely. Then I saw the outstretched hand and noticed something peculiar about it. There was a hole in the middle of it — a scar, left by a nail mark. I was stunned. That was a statue of Jesus Christ begging, reminding all of the students to look beyond the appearances and see Christ in the disguise of those asking for alms. This is a lesson that is likewise important for all of us. Christ with his hand stretched out right now."

His site can be found at www.catholicpreaching.com