Almighty ever-living God, lead us to a share in the joys of heaven, so that the humble flock may reach where the brave Shepherd has gone before. Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
lead us to a share in the joys of heaven – We will never make it to Heaven on our own. We must follow our Lord and allow Him to lead us with His love and His grace and His mercy. But if we do, we will begin to encounter great joy already here on earth, and that joy will blossom in Heaven in ways we can't even imagine. God wants us to begin living with Him right now in joy that one day we may experience as fully as possible the joy beyond all telling.
the humble flock – Do we behave like a humble flock that follows wherever our divine Shepherd leads? Or are we stubborn, stupid sheep that go off on our own paths and get tangled up in thorns? Worse yet, do we go chasing after another shepherd, one who sounds good and who makes nice promises but will only lead us away from God and His plan for us?
may reach where the brave Shepherd has gone before – Our brave Shepherd went to the cross for us to save us from sin and death. He entered the realm of the dead where the souls of all righteous people who died since the world began awaited His arrival. He conquered death, opened the gates of Heaven, and ascended to His Father's side. Now our brave Shepherd waits for us to follow Him, but He does not wait passively. He showers us with love and grace. He gives us everything we need to embrace the salvation He holds out to us that we may join Him in Heaven. Will we bravely follow where He has led?
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