Sunday Reflection -- I wanna be a sheep

Today's reflection comes to you from

Matthew 5: 31-40, 

First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament (Downer's Grove IL: InterVarsity Press 2021, ISBN 978-0-8308-1350-6).

I've been feeling lately like my moodlings have had too much gloom in them, so I've decided to share only the first half of today's reading from Matthew's Gospel (aka Gift from Creator Tells the Good Story) -- out of my favourite translation of the New Testament. The Son of Man is the True Human Being or Chief, angels are spirit-messengers, and the sheep are good-hearted ones.

And don't we all want to be good-hearted ones?

When the True Human Being comes in all of his power and shining-greatness, along with all of his spirit-messengers, he will sit down in his seat of honour. All nations will be gathered and come before him. He will choose between them like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right side and the goats on his left.

Then the Chief will say to the sheep on his right, 'The blessing of my Father rests upon you. Come into the Land of Creator's good road that has been prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was hungry and you fed me. I was a stranger and you gave me lodging. When I needed clothes, you gave me something to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in prison, you visited me.'

'When did we do all these things for you?' the good-hearted ones asked.

'I speak from my heart,' he answered them, 'whatever you did for the least important of my fellow human beings who needed help, you did for me.'  

Creator,

True Human Being,

Spirit of all that Is, 

too easily we forget
that you have done all these things for us --
we are fed, clothed and cared for 
by your generosity.

We can't make anything grow
or happen
without your help --

your strength in our bodies,
your intelligence in our minds,
your spirit in our souls.

Help us to remember
that we are called to help others
as generously

as you help us.

+Amen

(And just for the fun of it... I'm including a wee video to show that baby sheep can bounce like baby goats do!)