REGNUM CHRISTI
DAILY MEDITATIONS

February 8, 2025 – Jesus, The Shepherd King

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Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 

 

Mark 6:30-34

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

 

Opening Prayer: Jesus, bless me as I hear your sacred word. Help me to listen to your voice and follow you always.

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. Servant Leadership: Jesus called the Apostles to servant leadership in imitation of him. Jesus told his Apostles, “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:43-45). Servant leaders put the needs of the people before their own needs. The Apostles, for example, were so busy serving the people that they did not even have a chance to eat! St. John Paul II taught what he called the law of the gift: “We become most truly human in the measure in which we go out of ourselves and give ourselves for the sake of others.” This means we find true meaning and joy in our lives precisely to the degree that we give our lives away to God and others.                                                                                                                                                                                               
  2. The Good Shepherd: When Jesus looked at the people, he saw their need. They were confused, disordered, and sinful, and there was no one to lead them out of this condition. They were sheep without a shepherd wandering aimlessly: “We had all gone astray like sheep, all following our own way” (Isa 53:6). They were also unprotected from predators; they were vulnerable to wolves, thieves, and bandits (cf. Jn 10:7-12). Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He leads, guides, protects, feeds, and cares for us. If we allow him, Jesus protects us from modern predators who would distract us, steal our peace, or otherwise harm us.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
  3. Israel’s True Shepherd: The people of Israel had been sheep without a shepherd for hundreds of years. In the years after King David, Israel had a line of corrupt, inadequate rulers. Consequently, they were conquered, exiled, and taken to Babylon. When they returned, they were ruled over by vassal kings who had their own interests in mind, not those of the people; King Herod was only the latest in a long line of “kings” who answered to Rome and controlled the Jewish people. Jesus, the true King of Israel, revealed himself to be a shepherd ruler, modeling his ancestor David. This scene precedes the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. As this Gospel passage continues, Jesus demonstrates how a good king cares for his people: he teaches them (v. 34), creates order (v. 39), and feeds them (vs. 41-42). Are we teachable? How can we allow Jesus to create order where there is disorder in our life? Do we allow Jesus to feed the hungry parts of our soul?

Conversing with Christ: My Jesus, thank you for being the true shepherd King. I want to sanctify you as Lord of my heart and enthrone you as King there (cf. 1 Pet 3:15). I am sorry for the times when I have not allowed you to guide and rule my heart and for when I have wandered away from your care. Thank you for coming to find me when I have strayed from the flock (cf. Lk 15:4). May I always listen to your voice and follow you, my Good Shepherd.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will read John 10:1-18 and meditate on the image of you as my Good Shepherd.

Carey Boyzuck is a wife, mother, freelance writer, and lay member of Regnum Christi. 

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!