Volume II/Issue 29/September 2018

God Wants A Fiat

No God does not want a car.

Mary answered the Angel Gabriel: “Ecce ancilla Domini: fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.” This translates as: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.” God desires this same fiat from us, that is He wants instant and complete obedience to His holy will. Daily we pray: “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,” expressing our own desire for this complete conformity to the will of God.

Now we may say we desire total conformity with the Will of God, but do we live out that desire, or are we just giving God lip service. Could Jesus say of us: “Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying: This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me”? (Matthew 15:8) How far is our heart from Jesus?

Let us examine ourselves very carefully on this point. If Jesus were to appear to us today, and ask us to make a large sacrifice, what would our answer be? Let us look in Scripture.

Let us first go to the ninth chapter of Acts: “ [1] And Saul, as yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, [2] And asked of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues: that if he found any men and women of this way, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. [3] And as he went on his journey, it came to pass that he drew nigh to Damascus; and suddenly a light from heaven shined round about him. [4] And falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [5] Who said: Who art thou, Lord? And he: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad. [6] And he trembling and astonished, said: Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?”

Let us pray sincerely: “Lord, what will You have me do?” What does God want from me today? This should be the subject of our prayers and our meditations. What does God want from each and every one of us today?

Six other times, Scripture recounts Jesus calling men to the Apostolate. The fourth chapter of Saint Matthew's Gospel recounts four of these men being called: “ And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers). And he saith to them: Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men. And they immediately leaving their nets, followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them. And they forthwith left their nets and father, and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-22)

And Matthew 9:9: recounts: “And when Jesus passed on from hence, he saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: Follow me. And he rose up and followed him.”

Notice that all followed Jesus immediately, when He called them.

Is our obedience to God's will as prompt as these or do we say by our actions to God: “God, if I have anything left at the end of the day I will give it to you.”

In the Old Testament God commanded: “The first of the fruits of thy ground thou shalt offer in the house of the Lord thy God.” (Exodus 34:26) and in the New Testament: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Luke 12:31)

Let us look at a man, who was prompted by the Holy Ghost to come to Jesus. In the 19th chapter of Saint Matthew's Gopsel (verses 16-25) we read his story. In verse 16 we read: “And behold one came and said to him: Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting?” Then Jesus questions him on his observance of the Commandments and he answered (20): “All these I have kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me?” This man knew that God was asking more from him, which is why he came to Jesus. In the next verse we read: “Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.” Jesus is calling him to join Him and follow Him. In the next verse we read: “And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad: for he had great possessions.” Consider this terrible choice. This man, who was an upright man, felt that God was calling him to do more. He came to Jesus, because of this. Jesus called him to a more perfect life. This poor man went away and rejected the call of Jesus. He rejected the will of God. The Fathers of the Church believe that he lost his soul. Are we acting like this rich man? Are we refusing God's call on our own lives?

Are we giving God his fiat, or are we getting in the fiat and driving away from God?

Let us give God our fiat as the Blessed Virgin Mary did and say to whatever God asks of us: “Let it be done unto me, according to Thy word.

The Funny Pharmacy

A joyful mind maketh age flourishing: a sorrowful spirit drieth up the bones. - Proverbs 17:22 

The Pope Speaks: September 2018 

Duty of Catholics to Their Fellow Catholics and the Church

Father Leonard Goffine in his work on the Ecclesiastical Year writes: “In the market-place, that is the world, they are standing idle who, however much business they attend to, do not work for God and for their own salvation; for the only necessary employment is the service of God and the working out of our salvation. There are three ways of being idle: doing nothing whatever; doing evil; doing other things than the duties of our position in life and its office require, or if this work is done without a good intention, or not from the love of God.”

Most today are idle couch potatoes. In church, they merely take up space in a pew once a week, but have no real commitment to Christianity. Let us consider the three ways we can be idle.

Doing nothing at all is the simplest, because we simply do not even begin a work. Doing evil is simply doing what we should not do. And then we can be doing the wrong things rather than what we should be doing. It is easy to get busy doing something and convince our self that we are working for God, when in fact we have the wrong intention or what is worse going about things in a way other than God wills.

“Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) When we get our priorities straight and act accordingly, then God will supply all of our needs. If God is not supplying our needs, it may be because we are acting outside of His will. When we say the Our Father do we truly mean: “Thy kingdom come?”

The holy Cure of Ars tells us that hearing the Word of God is more pleasing to God than receiving Holy Communion. In fact, we need to hear the Word of God in order to be properly prepared to receive Holy Communion. Without the Word of God in our lives, Holy Communion can do nothing for us.

What has happened to us is that we have become happy sitting idly on the fence, while a very few are fighting for Almighty God and His rights. We have decided not to make a decision, which is a decision itself. We will not make a true commitment to serve Almighty God and His holy Church.

Let us remember that we go to Heaven. That is, we commence the journey to heaven and go step by step closer to Almighty God. At death we merely complete the last few feet of our journey to heaven. To get to hell, all we need to do is stay where we are at or take the wrong road. For those who rely on Purgatory, remember that the road to Heaven goes through Purgatory. Let us consider that the road to heaven is a long road trip in a car. We get in the car and pull out of our driveway and leave the world behind us and head into Purgatory. Yes we can do our Purgatory here. If our car breaks down, then we wait along the side of the road waiting for the bus to come by and pick us up and take us the rest of the way home to Heaven. We will never get to heaven, if we do not get in the car, put it in gear and back out of the driveway. Don't forget your road map, Sacred Scripture. You don't want to get on the wrong road. Chart your course and get underway. A GPS God Positioning System is also useful, and you can get one of those from the Church. Also the Church has other helps along the road to Heaven.

“And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.” (III Kings 18:21) It took a miracle to get these people off of the fence. We should not wait for a miracle. Jesus said: “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.” (Matthew 12:39) We need to find the Church and get to work in the Church.

What is our duty as a Catholic? Is it sufficient to sit on the fence and remain idle. Is it enough to fill a pew every Sunday? The Pharisee bragged about what he did: “I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess.” (Luke 18:12) We read that he was not justified before God.

Saint Thomas Aquinas writes: “In cases of necessity where faith is in danger, every one is bound to proclaim his faith to others, either to give good example and encouragement to the rest of the faithful, or to check the attacks of unbelievers:” If we are not in a case of necessity now, then I don't want to see one. With the Psalmist (11:2-3) we can say: “Save me, O Lord, for there is now no saint: truths are decayed from among the children of men. They have spoken vain things every one to his neighbour: with deceitful lips, and with a double heart have they spoken.”

Today, especially, we are bound to proclaim our faith in word and deed. We must at least encourage the rest of the faithful as Saint Thomas says. Therefore we must get down off of the fence and join with the Pope and those faithful to him.

Cardinal Joseph Sarto gave a speech: “In other times it was the Pope and Bishops who intervened in the defense of their children, threatened by the savage invasions of the barbarians; today it must be the children who will rise up in defense of their Father, the laity in defense of the Hierarchy.” He was soon elevated to the pinnacle of the hierarchy as Pope Pius X. Over a century ago, this saint considered that the Pope was in need of assistance. The Pope still had a college of College of Cardinals and many other assistants. Today the Pope has a very small staff, lives in an hundred twenty year old house in need of repairs, etc.

Pope Pius X also said: “Because moreover this Church is not built in the air, but does Her work in this our sublunar world, having a Supreme Head, Bishops and priests, Catholic Action is directed toward the defense of and revindication of the rights of the Roman Pontiff, who is to the Church of Jesus Christ what the head is to the body, what the foundation is to the building, for where the Pope is there is the Church. The more open the war against the Pope is the more active, the more resolute should Catholic Action be in defending and maintaining the inviolable rights of the Sovereign Pontiff.”

When we think of the Church we get confused with church buildings. Church buildings are not the Church, the Faithful are. The Pope is the shepherd of the sheepfold and should be surrounded by sheep (Bishops) and lambs (priests and people). The Church has been reduced to a handful, but we read about this in Sacred Scripture. Jesus said: “But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8) Isaias says: “And they that remain of the trees of his forest shall be so few, that they shall easily be numbered, and a child shall write them down.” (Isaias 10:19)

“You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) Many today are happy putting their light under a bushel basket, when all of us are called to be the light of the world. Putting our light under a buchel basket is a spiritual fire hazard.

It is time we get off of the fence and get with Jesus Christ and His Church under the Pope. Let us let our light shine before men.

Evagrius the Solitary

Saints from East and West

Saints whose feasts are celebrated this month

September 17 (Byzantine) - Saints Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope, and Charity

The Holy Martyresses Faith, Hope, and Charity were born in Italy. Their mother, Saint Sophia, was a pious Christian widow. Having named her daughters with the names of the three Christian virtues, Saint Sophia raised them up in love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Sophia and her daughters did not hide their faith in Christ and they openly confessed it before everyone. The official Antiochus made denunciation about them to the emperor Adrian (117-138), who ordered that they be brought to Rome. Realising that they would be taken before the emperor, the holy virgins prayed fervently to the Lord Jesus Christ, asking that He should send them the strength not to fear impending torture and death. When the holy virgins with their mother came before the emperor, everyone present was amazed at their composure: it seemed that they had been called out to some happy festivity, rather than to torture.

Summoning the sisters in turn, Adrian urged them to offer sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. The young girls (Faith was 12, Hope was 10 and Charity was 9) remained unyielding. Then the emperor gave orders to fiercely torture them: they attempted to burn the holy virgins over an iron grating, they threw them into a red-hot oven and then into a cauldron with boiling tar, but the Lord by His Unseen Power preserved them. The youngest one, Charity, they tied to a wheel and beat at her with canes, until her body was covered all over with bloody welts. And undergoing unreported torments, the holy virgins glorified their Heavenly Bridegroom and remained steadfast in the faith. The tormentors subjected Saint Sophia to another and grievous torture: she was forced to look upon the suffering of her daughters. But she displayed adamant courage and during this whole while she urged the girls to endure the torments in the Name of the Heavenly Bridegroom. All three maidens with joy met their martyr's end. They were beheaded.

In order to intensify the inner suffering of Saint Sophia, the emperor decided to let her take up the bodies of her daughters. She placed their remains in coffins and reverently conveyed them on a wagon beyond the city and buried them on an high place. Saint Sophia sat there for three days not leaving the graves of her daughters, and finally she gave up her soul to the Lord. Believers buried her body there also. The relics of the holy martyresses since the year 777 rest in Alsace, at the church of Saint Trophimus in Eschau.

"Faith, Hope, and Charity, holy branches of noble Sophia, by grace made Greek wisdom foolishness. They have contested and won the Victory and have been crowned by Christ the Master of all." - Kontakion of St Sophia and her Three Daughters, Tone 1.

September 19 - Saint Januarius

Saint Januarius (Gennaro), a native some say of Naples, others of Benevento, was bishop of this latter city when the persecution of Diocletian broke out. Sossus, deacon of Miseno, Proculus, deacon of Pozzuoli, and Euticius and Acutius, laymen, were imprisoned at Pozzuoli by an order of the governor of Campania, before whom they had confessed their faith. Sossus by his wisdom and sanctity had earned the friendship of St Januarius, and upon the news that this servant of God and several others were fallen into the hands of the persecutors, the bishop determined to make them a visit to comfort and encourage them. He did not escape the notice of the keepers, who gave information that someone from Benevento had visited the Christian prisoners. The governor gave orders that Januarius, whom he found to be the person, should be arrested and brought before him at Nola, which was accordingly done. Festus, the bishop's deacon, and Desiderius, a lector of his church, were also taken, and had a share in the interrogatories and torments which the good bishop underwent at Nola. Some time after the governor went to Pozzuoli, and these three confessors, loaded with irons, were made to walk before his chariot to that town, where they were thrown into the same prison where the four martyrs already mentioned were detained. They had been condemned to be torn in pieces by wild beasts, and were then lying in expectation of the execution of their sentence. The day after the arrival of St Januarius and his two companions all these champions of Christ were exposed to the beasts in the amphitheatre, but none of the animals could be provoked to touch them. The people were amazed and imputed their preservation to magic, and the martyrs were condemned to be beheaded. This sentence was executed near Pozzuoli, and the martyrs were buried near that town.

The city of Naples eventually got possession of the relics of St Januarius, which in the fifth century were brought from the little church of San Gennaro near the Solfatara. During the wars of the Normans they were removed, first to Benevento, and some time after to the abbey of Monte Vergine; but in 1497 they were brought back to Naples, where he has long been honoured as principal patron.

Notwithstanding the heroic sanctity with which St Januarius conducted his life and with which he faced his martyrdom, in modern times the greater fame of St Januarius rests upon that "standing miracle" (as Baronius called it): the liquefaction of the relic of his blood which is preserved in the chapel of the treasury of the cathedral-church of Naples, a happening of which there are records for the past five hundred years. The relic consists of a dark, solid, opaque mass which half fills the small glass phial in which it is contained, the phial itself being fixed in a metal reliquary. Eighteen times a year, in connexion with the feast of the translation of the relics to Naples (Saturday before the first Sunday in May), the feast of the saint (September 19), and the anniversary of the averting of a threatened eruption of Vesuvius in 1631 (December 16), this relic is brought out and held by a priest in the presence of what is believed to be the martyr's head, exposed in a silver reliquary on the altar. Prayers are said by the people, especially as represented by a number of poor women who have a privileged position in the church and are known as the "aunts of St Januarius" (zie di San Gennaro). After a varying interval, from two minutes to an hour as a rule, the priest from time to time turning the reliquary upside down, the dark mass, hitherto solid and immovable, detaches itself from the sides of the glass, becomes liquid and reddish in colour, and sometimes froths, bubbles up, and increases in volume. This takes place not only in full view of the people but in close proximity to any accredited persons who may have been admitted to the sanctuary. The priest then announces, "The miracle has happened," Te Deum is sung, and the relic venerated by the congregation and clergy. Few, if any, alleged miracles have been examined more carefully, more often, or by people of more divergent views than this of the blood of St Januarius, and it may be safely affirmed that no expert inquirer, however rationalist in temper he may be, now denies that what is said to take place does take place. There is no trick, and there is as yet no completely satisfactory explanation (though many have been advanced, both by Catholics and others), except the explanation of miracle.

Books to feed your faith!

Traditional Sauerbraten

Prep: 15 m
Cook: 4 h
Ready In: 2d 4h 15m

Ingredients
3 pounds beef rump roast
2 large onions, chopped
1 cup red wine vinegar, or to taste
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white sugar
10 whole cloves, or more to taste
2 bay leaves, or more to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 gingersnap cookies, crumbled

Directions
Place beef rump roast, onions, vinegar, water, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, sugar, cloves, and bay leaves in a large pot. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning meat daily. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry with paper towels, reserving marinade.
Season flour to taste with salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle flour mixture over beef.
Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat; cook beef until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Pour reserved marinade over beef, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until beef is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove beef to a platter and slice.
Strain solids from remaining liquid and continue cooking over medium heat. Add gingersnap cookies and simmer until gravy is thickened about 10 minutes. Serve gravy over sliced beef.

Grandmother's Pound Cake

Prep: 30 m
Cook: 1 h 10 m
Ready In: 1 h 40 m

Ingredients
2 cups butter
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 8x4 inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper. Alternately use a large bundt-style pan or pan of your choice.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated.
Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. After removing them from the oven, immediately loosen cake edges with a knife. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans. Strip off the parchment paper and cool completely on wire racks.

Video sermons and instructions: Both brand new and from years past!

15th Sunday after Pentecost, 2011
 

Ember Sunday, 2012
 

Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2014
 

VIE CATHOLIC RADIO EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER

We have people from all over the world that tune in to the VIE Catholic Radio network! Over the last month our numbers continued to improve! We were up 27% in Unique Listeners, 3% on how many times they tuned in, And 18% in the length of time listened. This is no small feat, and we are so grateful to all of you who keep spreading the word. Be sure to keep telling your friends about the good programming you'll only get on VIE Catholic Radio. There really is something for everyone to enjoy. 

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Catechism Catch-Up

A Description of the Church; The Sheep of God

The Church is "also called the flock of the sheep of Christ, of which He is the door and the shepherd."- Catechism of the Council of Trent

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he hath let out his own sheep, he goeth before them: and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. John 10:2-4

I am the good shepherd; and I know mine, and mine know me. John 10:14

Why does God call us sheep?

 Before you jump to the conclusion that I am saying Christians are "brainless" sheep, read this post completely.

Why does He call us SHEEP? (The Bible makes reference to sheep no less than 220 times). A few of the more notable passages that come to mind are the 23rd Psalm ( Or in your douay rheims it is Psalms 22), Isaias/ Isaiah. 53:6 and John 10.

There are many references to His People being sheep. So why not something more powerful, like a ram or horse? Why not something more graceful and valued, like a prized bird? Well, God chose to use the word sheep to identify His followers, as we are "His sheep." Our shepherd, Jesus, is leading the way, so let's look at the facts about sheep-the nature of sheep.

Sheep aren’t intelligent.

Sheep are not known to be smart or cunning animals when it comes to safety; rather, they are susceptible and tend to wander away from the protection of the shepherd. Compared to the wisdom of God, all knowing, all loving, human intelligence doesn't compare.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. (1 Corinthians 3:19).

People tend to wander away from God, from everything that is right and holy.

Sheep respond to the shepherd's voice.

The voice of the shepherd brings comfort and security to the sheep. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice: and I know them, and they follow me. ” (John 10:27 ).

Sheep are Directionless - Sheep get lost easily.

Individual sheep easily wander away from the flock while they graze. When even one sheep goes astray, the shepherd goes after it and restores it to the flock. As Isaias/Isaiah 53:6 indicates, “All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way:” If a sheep wanders off from the rest of the herd, it will have a hard, if not impossible time, finding its way back. They have no sense of direction. So it is with those outside the Lord, there is simply no sense of spiritual direction in their lives. They cannot find their way to the Lord by themselves.

Sheep are weak and need a shepherd

People are spiritually weak and need the Shepherd. In a human's unsaved, deprived mind, you will find that humans are always weak, foolish and ignorant. That is why they always need the shepherd to care for them. Sheep need someone to protect them. Ever seen a “Beware of Sheep” sign posted on someone’s gate? Have you ever seen a wide-eyed animal fleeing for its life from a bleating lamb? Never! Sheep aren’t dangerous they’re virtually defenseless. All they can do is freeze in their tracks, or at best run. Without claws, sharp teeth, speed, or a resounding roar to make predators think twice before pouncing, sheep are easy prey. They can’t scamper up a tree, camouflage their color, or even swim. When they sense danger, the poor, timid sheep panic. Jesus disciples must have shuddered with fear when He told them, “Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves.” (Matt.10:16a). A sheep’s best defense is to stay close to the shepherd and remain with the herd. The same is true with us, isn’t it? When we’re out of fellowship with God and isolated from other Christians, we’re most vulnerable. We need the Shepherd’s wisdom and strength to survive, as well as the comfort and encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Sheep become restless.

There are two major reasons why sheep become restless: hunger and bugs. Hunger: Sheep can graze peacefully for hours, but they become restless when food is scarce. Spiritual hunger occurs when the word of God is lacking. The Bible tells us that the Good Shepherd, “He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:” (Psalm 22:2 Douay Rheims).

A well fed sheep will not quickly feed at a stranger's hand, but hungry sheep will eat anything. (Stay full on God’s word). Bugs: There is in the Middle East a bug that torments sheep by landing and nesting on their heads. If the bug remains undetected by the shepherd, it will multiply and eventually blind the sheep. Shepherds in the Middle East routinely rub olive oil on sheeps' heads to prevent the bug from landing on them, thereby eliminating the problem. In Scripture, the devil is called Beelzebub (the lord of the flies). In the Spirit realm, therefore, bugs are symbolic of demons. The anointing of the Holy Spirit protects us from being harassed by demons.

A Sheep is a Personal, a Prized and a Precious Possession

This sheep belonged to the shepherd, he had paid a personal price to own it and wasn't going to stand idly by while it was lost. (Illustration. The price Jesus paid for the sheep - Illustration. Calvary )

Or know you not, that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God; and you are not your own? For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This sheep may have been no different from any other ordinary sheep, but it was special to the shepherd. To him, it was a prized possession. - To this shepherd, there were no big sheep and little sheep. Every sheep he had was precious in his eyes. So it is with the Lord. He loves all His sheep equally.

Sheep need plenty of water.

In the Bible regions, the shepherds had to get their sheep to water very regularly. As Christians, we need the living water of the Holy Spirit continually. We cannot go without it. John 7:38 says: "He that believeth in me, as the scripture saith, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." ; In dry spells they may not go to get water. They will mob round a tree in a dry paddock or an empty water trough until they die of thirst. They need someone to lead them beside still water. People are often helpless, easily intimidated and will head away from help when it is offered. They need a shepherd to guide them.

Sheep follow the voice of their own Shepherd (no other shepherd).

The Bible says the sheep know the voice of the shepherd. They are not without understanding! They follow the One whom they know. You may never have a complete understanding of your circumstances with all the answers to the questions of life, but you will understand the love of God and the importance of following the Lord to the green pastures and living water. The shepherd is at the front of the sheep and leads the sheep. The sheep know their shepherd, the sound of his voice and follow him. This is also the way that the sheep are separated into separate herds after grazing or sleeping together. The shepherd calls the sheep and they come. They need no markings to distinguish them - all they need is the sound of the shepherd's voice.

Sheep can not get up on their own.

If they fall down (“cast down”), they must have a shepherd to lift them up or they will die. 'Cast down' sheep. . . .This is an old English shepherd's term for a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot get up again by itself. A 'cast' sheep is a very pathetic sight. Lying on its back, its feet in the air, it flays away frantically struggling to stand up, without success.

Sheep must be sheared for its own good.

(We don’t like when “bad” things happen to us, but we must trust that it is for our own good). Whenever a shepherd finds that a sheep was cast down because it had too long and heavy a fleece, he soon took swift steps to remedy the situation. In short order he would shear it clean and so forestall the danger of having the ewe lose her life. This was not always a pleasant process. Sheep do not really enjoy being sheared and it represents some hard work for the shepherd, but it must be done. Actually when it is all over both sheep and owner are relieved. There is no longer the threat of being cast down, while for the sheep there is the pleasure of being set free from a hot, heavy coat. Often the fleece is clogged with filthy manure, mud, burrs, sticks and ticks. What a relief to be rid of it all!

Sheep must be lead to grass/just as the Holy Spirit leads us to what we need/God.

If left to themselves they will graze in the same place until all the grass is gone. A good shepherd leads them to the best places to graze to keep them healthy.

"He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake." Psalms 22:3 Douay Rheims

Sheep remain dirty until someone cleans them.

Sheepskin is full of an oil called lanolin. Lanolin comes through the skin and coats the wool. It conditions the wool so that the animal will stay warm in cold weather, but the oily wool is one of the most effective dirt-catching devices known to man. Every time a sheep lies down, grass, dirt, burrs, dust, and everything imaginable clings to its coat. Sheep are huge walking Velcro strips. 1

And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats:Matthew 25:31-32

The sheep in this passage are the righteous and the goats are the wicked and God separates them at this general judgment. We have discussed the attributes and characteristics of sheep already, but what about the attributes and characteristics of goats?

Goats are capricious. They are impulsive and unpredictable, devious and contrary.

If they are not poking their heads through fences, they may be standing on their hind legs, stretching for those tender leaves just out of reach. Goats are never content with what they have.
They are experts in opening gates and squeezing through small gaps because they hate to be confined. Fences that will handle sheep, cattle, and horses will not hold goats. They will work tirelessly to spring themselves from any situation they deem inhibiting.

Consequently, goats are not very good followers.

"Gregarious behavior" is a term that refers to the flocking or herding instinct which is found strongly in sheep, cattle, and horses. Again, this quality is rather weak in goats; they prefer leading or going off on their own. Meat packers use this instinct in sheep and goats to their advantage. They will train an old goat, appropriately called a "Judas," to lead sheep to the pens for slaughter. A well-trained Judas will lead group after group of sheep to the slaughter all day long. 2

Goats also possess a stubborn streak.

A friend once tried to move a goat in a certain direction. He grabbed it by the horns and pushed and pulled and tugged. No matter how or in what direction he tried to move the goat, it resisted. He could not budge it one inch. Then, when he let go, it just trotted off—in the direction the goat wanted to go in!

Another friend grew up on a farm and has a long experience with goats. As a youth he and his brother and sister more or less turned some goats into pets. Once, after the big noon meal, his mother took the kids down the road to their grandfather's house. Knowing they would not be gone very long, his mother decided not to clear the table. When they returned home, though, they found the biggest of the goats standing right in the middle of the table, amidst all the dishes and leftovers. The screen door had been no match for Billy!

One night before they had electricity installed in their house, his mother picked up a lamp and went to a back bedroom. Moments later the family heard her screaming, "Someone's in there!" Grabbing his gun, his father went to confront the intruder. Instead of a burglar, he found the same goat in the bed—under the covers!—with only his eyes peering out! Goats are intelligent and playful but impulsive, unpredictable, and devious.

By now, a goat's characteristics should be clear. They are not evil, but some of their traits could be deadly—spiritually—if found in a Christian. What would we call a Christian who is unpredictable? A goat! Or one who thinks he is above it all? A goat! Or one who independently does his own thing? A goat! What would we call a Christian who wants to take over, has trouble functioning in a group, and does not want to be led? A goat!

A sheep follows its Shepherd, peacefully moving forward with the flock. He is content to be led because he has faith in Him. A sheep responds to his Shepherd's voice and goes where He directs.

A goat follows only its own lead, creating disunity when he comes in contact with others in the flock. Because of his independent nature, he often finds himself in contention with the Shepherd for leadership of the flock, leading some astray. A goat often eats things sheep would avoid because they have no value and cause sickness. 3

These are serious spiritual characteristics. The Church should identify with the sheep. My question to you is this; at the day of the General Judgment, who will you be identified with the Sheep/Church who God allows to enter into life eternal? Or the Goats/The Wicked who are cast into the Lake of Fire?

They profess that they know God: but in their works they deny him; being abominable, and incredulous, and to every good work reprobate. Titus 1:16

(1) http://inhonoroftheking.blogspot.com/2011/04/why-does-god-call-us-sheep.html

(2) http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/505/Goats-Characteristics-of.htm

(3) http://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/ARTC/k/574/Goats-on-Left.htm

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