In 2020, I had the opportunity to visit the Vatican and Rome. Our group, which consisted of the clergy of the Eastern Churches, was taken to visit the catacombs of Rome. These catacombs are labyrinths of narrow halls stretching about 900 kilometers, where, from the first century to the fourth century, Christians gathered to pray and bury their dead. Some archaeologists claim that around eight million people were buried in those catacombs between 72 and 410 AD.
These catacombs are full of impressive inscriptions, ornaments, and frescoes. They mainly depict Christian symbols—anchor, fish, dove, rainbow, and other frescoes that express the faith, hope, and trust in God of the Christians of the first centuries.
However, the most striking images are the murals of the Good Shepherd. The surprising thing is that in those images, instead of a lamb, a goat is drawn on the shepherd's shoulder. We know from Matthew's Gospel that goats symbolize sinners (Matthew 25:31-46). Early Christians saw in the person of Jesus the Good Shepherd, who even carries goats, that is, sinners, on His shoulders.
This depiction speaks volumes about the boundless love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Good Shepherd who doesn't just care for the righteous but also reaches out to the lost, the sinners, and the weary. He carries them on His shoulders, offering them His love and redemption. As He promises us in Ezekiel 34:16, " I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak. I will keep the captive and the mighty. I will feed everyone with justice."
Friends, this is the heart of our faith. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, seeks out each one of us, no matter how lost we may feel. He restores us when we are broken, wraps us in His love when we are injured, strengthens us when we are exhausted, and feeds us with His justice and grace.
Just as those early Christians found hope and comfort in the catacombs, we, too, can find our refuge in Jesus. No matter where we are in life, how far we think we have strayed, how feeble the voice of our prayer is, or how dark the forest of our hearts is, the Good Shepherd seeks us and calls us by our name. His love is not just for the righteous but for everyone, especially those who feel unworthy or lost.
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