The Repose of Our Venerable Father Constantine the Philosopher, in the Monastic Life, Cyril, Teacher of the Slavs (869); and our Venerable Father Auxentius (457-74); and the Venerable Maron the Wonderworker and Hermit
Hebrews 7:26-8:2; John 10:9-16
Polyeleos Feast
Read John 10:9-16
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
The image of Christ as the Good Shepherd is one that perhaps does not have as deep an impact on us today as it should, especially given that many of us have never spent time around flocks of sheep let alone met a shepherd. Yet, to Our Lord’s hearers in today’s Gospel this image would have been a familiar one given the prevalence of sheep herding in the Holy Land. The image of Christ with a sheep on his shoulders is one of the earliest iconographic images that we can find in the ancient catacombs and ruins of ancient churches in the Mediterranean region. This beautiful image of Christ gathering all of us unto Himself for our salvation is one we should reflect on especially as it indicates to us how precious we are to God and how much he cares for us.