To The Seniors on retreat:

There are 104 wolf packs in the State of Idaho. That turns out to be about 700 wolves.

In 2014, wolves killed 43 cattle, 100 sheep, 3 dogs, 1 horse, and no people.

Here in Cascade, there are 11 documented wolf packs: 3 South of here; 6 East of here; 1 just to the West, and 1 pack very close by.

Next month, just east of here, bands of domestic sheep will be moving on their annual trek from Hagerman near the Snake River. They will be moving to summer pastures in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. They move through the Wood River Valley and return south in October. The sheepherders are Peruvians on horseback, armed and accompanied by dogs. It’s a beautiful sight. Sheep have the right of way and they go right down the highway. Some people get upset because they have to wait for the sheep to pass. The wolves can hardly wait.

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. I want to tell you a story about a friend of mine named Jamal.

He is a Palestinian. He lives in Bethlehem and is a priest, the head if the seminary on the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Jamal grew up in a small Arab Christian village in the north of Palestine, called Zebade. When Jamal was a little kid, about 7 or 8 years old, he was in charge of the family’s sheep. It was his job to take the sheep each morning out to pasture and bring them back in the later afternoon. He had about 50 sheep to take care of.

His first day on the job, he was extremely anxious. As his small band of sheep was grazing, an adult shepherd came by, leading a band of about 200 sheep. They stopped where Jamal was and all the sheep were mixed together. Jamal panicked. He wondered how he could possibly separate his sheep form the others.

In the late afternoon, the other shepherd stood up and called out to his sheep in Arabic, “Let’s go,” and he walked away. All of his sheep – and only his – followed him. Jamal was left alone with his family’s sheep.

Sheep really do know the sound of the shepherd’s voice.

In about 6 weeks, we faculty and staff will be sending you out on your own. Up till now, we have carefully protected you. We have watched over you; we have worried about you; we have cried for you. But we will no longer be able to protect you.

We are sending you out like sheep among wolves. Not everyone is as nice as we have been to you. There are some people who will try to harm you and will not protect you like we have, nor love you as we love you. This is something we worry about.

So, I ask you, I plead with you, I encourage you, please stay close to Christ the Good Shepherd. He knows you, he will be with you. When you are afraid or lonely or hurting, listen for his voice.

You will recognize his voice if you listen carefully. The Good Shepherd will keep you safe.

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