An Especially Poignant Mass
Welcome home, Dominic

I've made no secret how I feel about 98% of the world being sheep, 1% being wolves, and 1% being sheepdogs... or in the case today, either sheepdogs or shepherds.

Today at Mass in Camp Lejeune, Father welcomed home a young Marine who literally got off the plane this morning from a combat tour in Afghanistan.

Today's reading from The Holy Gospel of St. John, from the Douay-Rheims Bible - John 10: 11-16. Keep these two images in your mind as you read today's Gospel.


I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and flieth: and the wolf catcheth, and scattereth the sheep: And the hireling flieth, because he is a hireling: and he hath no care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep.

And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.