In His Hands

Little Laurie London had a hit record in 1958.

It went to #1 on the national charts.

I remember it clearly.

And I can remember being impressed that he was just a few years older than I was.

I remember that he had a very distinctive voice.

But it never occurred to me what I found so unique about it.

Actually, I didn’t remember his name.

It’s been over 50 years!

But I googled the song and found that he was Laurie London.

And that he was actually from London.

Maybe that's what I found so distinctive about his voice; a British accent.

As a 10-year old growing up in Kentucky, I guess I wasn’t very cosmopolitan.

As we hear in today’s Gospel,

Jesus too has a distinctive voice.

And as members of his flock we're able to recognize that voice.

But now it’s a silent voice, an internal voice.

What we recognize is not the sound of his voice

But the deep internal source and the message of his voice.

And following that message keeps us in the protective grip of his hand.

As Jesus said, No one can take them out of my hand.

That voice, the voice of the Good Shepherd, guides us.

And calls us back to the right path if we should stray.

Like those early disciples in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

There’s good news and bad news in that opening line.

Those who had been scattered by the persecution …

[Traveled far] preaching the word.

They didn’t have the courage to face the persecution.

They fled, they were scattered.

They were weak.

Yet God brought good out of that weakness.

Like the seed scattered by the sower,

The scattered disciples bore fruit.

They preached the word far and wide, and turned a great number to the Lord.

As the passage says,

The hand of the Lord was with them.

Despite the fact that they fled, they didn’t go too far astray.

They were guided by his voice and protected by his hand.

Today, we continue to be guided by his voice.

That distinctive voice that speaks to us from where he dwells—deep within.

And we continue to be protected by his hand.

Just as Little Laurie London’s big hit record assured us ...

He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands.

Hear Laurie London  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bbYFgf_pQc

Tuesday of 4th Week of Easter

Jn 10:22-30                                    Read this Scripture @usccb.org