Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/95

 Job xxiii. 11, “ My foot hath held His steps : His way have I kept.” He who so follows Him in these steps shall come to the joy of eternal blessedness: S. John viii. 12, “ He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life to which may Christ Himself, the Light and the Life, bring us. Amen.

In these words three things are to be noted—firstly, the great goodness of Our Lord Jesus Christ, “I am the Good Shepherd secondly, His great love, “ I lay down my life thirdly, the holiness and goodness of His elect, “for the sheep.”

I. On the first head it is to be noted, that there are three reasons why Christ is called the “ Good Shepherd,” since His office is threefold—(1) to defend the sheep; (2) to lead and feed them in good pastures; (3) to restore those who are wandering. So Our Lord Jesus Christ, firstly, defends His sheep (1) from lions, i.e., devils; (2) from wolves, i.e., tyrants; (3) from bears, i.e., heretics: Ezek. xxxiv. 8, 10, “ Surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became meat to every beast of the field ..... I will deliver My flock from their mouth;” S. John x. 28, “They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” Secondly, Christ feeds all His sheep in the meadow of scriptural grace and glory : Ezek. xxxiv. 14, “I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be ..... In a fat pasture they shall feed upon the mountains of Israel.” Thirdly, He will restore those who are wandering: S. Luke xv. 4, “ What man of you having an hundred sheep.” Ezek. xxxiv. 16, “ I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away.”

II. On the second head it is to be noted, that Christ gave three things for us, in which His great love for us is seen (1) Food for the body: S. Matt. xxvi. 26, “Take, eat, this