I recently came back from South Dakota where I visited the Badlands, the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore with my buddy Fr. Malcolm McDonald. At Mount Rushmore we saw the faces of our four presidents carved in stone.
I am sure we have many images of our family hanging on the walls of our homes. I have pictures of my parents and my brothers, I also have many icons hanging on my walls. I recently received one of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Bishop Winter. An icon is a Greek word for image. Another definition is that an icon is a window into heaven. The word has come to mean a sacred image. An icon is an artistic representation of a sacred person or event such as Jesus; Mary, the Mother of God; the saints, the Nativity or Resurrection of Jesus. One icon I have depicts Jesus the Good Shepherd. On Jesus’ shoulder He is carrying a lamb. By our faith we believe that Jesus cares for us; He is always looking out for us and He is ready to search us out when we are lost. The image of the good shepherd is often used in the Bible. Psalm 23, one of the most memorable psalms, is probably the best-known poem on this theme. Have you ever taken time to slowly read this beautiful psalm? It truly is a wonderful prayer for all of us to know. Take some time to read this psalm. It is also good to have sacred images in our homes because they remind us of how much God cares for us. It is good to be reminded of this often.
