There is a wolf out there

Today is the Feast of the Chair of Peter. We celebrate the primacy of Peter and our first vicar left in charge of things when Christ ascended into Heaven. We celebrate today the reality that we are a flock with a shepherd. We are reminded of the time before Jesus, when humanity was a mess, without a shepherd, and it gives us a moment in the middle of lent to pause for a breath of gratitude.  We have a shepherd. We are taken care of. Our spiritual needs are met!

The readings from Mass today also point us to the local shepherds that watch over us and tend to our needs. It is far too easy to be caught up in the negativity that has plagued the world about the Church over the last decades. Instead, we need to turn to the reality that we have spiritual needs, and they are nurtured by the shepherds appointed by God’s mercy for us.

There is empirical evidence from the field of Positive Psychology that one of the five essential elements to human flourishing is a system of meaning in which we are not the end-all be-all of the universe. It is not simply enough to be “spiritual,” but the data shows that one’s spirituality must include a “higher power.” This is because deep down, we know we are not in control and we know are not powerful enough to stop the most threatening realities. Even though we resist submitting to a higher power, we ultimately need it. We need Him.

God gives us shepherds because we are sheep. That is not to say that we are blind or brainless, being herded around the way secular atheists like to think of Christians. We are sheep in that there is always a wolf out there. We need to have a protector, one who lays down his life for his flock. God gives us this protector in our Pope and those who share in the priesthood.

Dr. Gregory Bottaro is a Psychologist and Director of the CatholicPsych Institute. www.catholicpsych.com.