In Honor of Good Shepherd Sunday

In honor of Good Shepherd Sunday, I have a few stories from Sicuani.

On one occasion we IHMs were on a retreat day at our bishop`s compound outside of town.

As I was trekking across a field, on the way to a gazebo for some quiet time a flock of sheep surrounded me, gazing up into my face. Looking to the right and to the left, I wondered what they were trying to tell me. Turning around, I noticed that the water trough over by the fence was empty. Filling it from the faucet was all that was needed to slake the thirst of my wooly friends. The precious moments of their non verbal
communication left a smile on my face all day.

Another time, I was upstairs gazing out my window at a pack of alpacas trotting down the street when a sudden hailstorm caused them to stop and form a huddle. The shepherd took his lazo and hung it around their necks to give them a sense of protection. Actually, I thought he was going to whip them home to their corral. Then the words of Hosea entered my thoughts, “I led them with cords of human kindness with bands of love.” -Hosea 11:4.

Talk about visualizing the Word of God!

Then, there was another day I was visiting one of our neighborhood schools. As I entered the street after class, it was obvious that our neighbor, Santiago, was struggling to control his flock of sheep as the lambs were hopping and leaping all over the place, so I offered to help. He told me to go to the other side of the road across from him and to extend my arms and slowly wave them up and down while softly saying “Sh, Sh….” Incredibly, the lambs got in line with their parents while we shepherded them three blocks up the street to our corner when he got them into their corral. I wonder if our Guardian Angels do the same for us?