I Appeal to You
... through Bertha Dudde  - 04.06.1957 

6845   The good Shepherd ....

The parable of the good Shepherd illustrates My relationship to you; it shows you that I confer My loving care on all My living creations and that all those who listen to My call belong to My flock which I protect from the adversary’s onslaughts. All of you need a Shepherd, a Guide, Who shows you the right ways, who escorts you and is always ready to shield you from all dangers, because during your earthly life you resemble dependent babes which constantly require protection. Like a flock of lambs you are scattered all over the place, frequently entering paths leading down into the abyss .... Sometimes you scale heights where you are at risk of falling very low indeed, you also often enter unknown regions and run the danger of getting caught and killed, occasionally you let yourselves be pushed away and separated from My flock and, were I not to keep a watchful eye on you, you would be lost. But I Am the good Shepherd Who even sacrifices His life for His sheep .... I will not allow anyone .... belonging to My small flock .... to be unlawfully abducted. I will not allow the wolf to break in and rob Me of My little sheep. And if one of My sheep goes astray I will coax and call so that it will find its way back into its stable. Only a good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, and My relationship with you is truly that of a good shepherd. You are incapable of understanding My love for you because, in your present state, you are still unaware, you can only follow My call and faithfully crowd around Me, you can only recognise My love for you from My call but you cannot grasp its depth, just as a little sheep can only feel that it finds refuge with its shepherd in every danger but is unaware of how much love the shepherd feels for his flock. I Am and remain the good Shepherd, and I feed My sheep a good pasture. I will give them what they need and I don’t want anything else but that they should feel My love and join Me ever more closely, so that the enemy cannot interfere with them and cause them harm. Nevertheless, My sheep can move freely, I guide them and coax and call but I do not keep them tied on a string, they are allowed to roam freely because I do not love constraint .... I do not want to hold on to My flock with force, instead, they shall feel their shepherd’s love and desire it and therefore follow Me in complete freedom when My call rings out .... And My call will ring out time after time, I will speak to people with all kindness, I will warn and admonish them, I will always help them when they are in danger, I will take account of their every weakness and fault and give them strength .... I will truly look after My flock like a good shepherd so that none of My sheep will die .... I will constantly let My voice ring out so that all those who once left Me will come back to Me again, who followed a deceptive voice but who shall return to Me again one day, in order to remain with Me and to experience My infinite love for all eternity ....

Amen