The Shepherd who would leave the rest of His flock to look for the one who had strayed.

This is the kind of shepherd we have in Christ. He is the Shepherd who created each one of us out of His profound love and as an individual. Each one of us matters, each one of us has a unique mission that no-one else can fulfill. When even one of us strays, then the rest of the flock is the poorer. Some of us are called to be teachers, some to be doctors, scientists or lawyers. Some of us are called to the married life, while others are called to blessed singleness. There are those who have special vocations to the religious life or to the priesthood.

It is the latter group whom we remember this Sunday, known as Good Shepherd Sunday or Vocations Sunday. This weekend, we are asked to pray for those who have dedicated their lives to shepherding the Christian flock: our deacons, priests and bishops. At the same time, we are asked to pray for more vocations so that we may have shepherds in the future. We are asked to give practical support too, by way of donating to the Priest Training Fund which pays for the training of our future priests. It costs approximately £50 a day to train a man for the priesthood for six or even seven years.

Your prayers as well as your financial assistance go a long way in ensuring that we continue to have good shepherds who will guide us and show us the path to Christ, today and tomorrow.