Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/260



I. Christ  had  destined  Peter  to  be  His  vicar  on  earth, because He  Himself  was  going  to  the  Father,  and  because His  flock  could  not  be  left  without  some  visible shepherd. Before He  gave  him  this  appointment,  He thrice  asked  him,  "  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou  Me?" (Jno. xxi.  15),  to  show  us  how  well  grounded  they  ought to be  in  the  love  of  God  who  undertake  the  care  of  souls. Pastors, parents,  and  masters  ought  then  to  be  forcibly actuated by  this  divine  principle,  for  they  have  all,  in their  different  departments,  the  care  of  souls. Examine yourself, and  discover  whether  you  have  a  sufficient  stock of this  sterling  and  necessary  virtue  to  discharge  the duties of  your  calling,  as  they  should  be.

II. Christ, when  Peter  had  said  that  he  loved  Him,  rejoined, "  Feed  My  iambs — Feed  My  sheep." The faithful are  the  flock  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  Apostles  and their successors  are  commissioned  to  feed  this  flock,  by teaching,  preaching,  and  administering  the  sacraments, and by  giving  good  example. Those who  have  embraced this  calling  have  an  important  duty  to  perform. Let them  remember  with  fear  and  trembling  the  prophetic description  of  the  bad  pastor  of  Israel:  "Woe  to the  shepherds  of  Israel,  that  fed  themselves:  you  ate  the milk,  and  you  clothed  yourselves  with  the  wool,  and  you killed  that  which  was  fat,  but  my  flock  you  did  not  feed." (Ezech. xxxiv.  2.)  Let  the  faithful,  too,  remember  that they owe  respect  to  those  whom  Christ  has  commissioned to feed  them;  that  the  validity  of  sacraments  is  independent of  the  virtues  or  the  vices  of  lawful  pastors,  and that submission  to  them  is  a  duty.