Focolare Movement

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. (Ps 23[22] [22]:1).

Jul 1, 2024

Word of Life - July 2024

Psalm 23 is one of the best known and most loved psalms. It is both a canticle of trust and a joyful profession of faith expressed by someone who belongs to the people of Israel. Through the prophets, the Lord has promised to be their shepherd. The psalmist expresses his personal happiness because he knows that he is protected in the Temple,[1] a place of refuge and grace, but also, drawing on his experience, he wants to encourage others to have confidence in the presence of the Lord.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

The image of the shepherd and the flock is very dear to all biblical literature. To understand it fully, we must think of the arid and rocky deserts in the Middle East. The shepherd gently guides his flock, for without him they could go astray and die. The sheep must learn to rely on him, listening to his voice. He is their constant companion.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

This psalm invites us to strengthen our intimate relationship with God by experiencing his love. Some may wonder why the author goes so far as to say that ‘I lack nothing’? Nowadays the problems and challenges of health, family, work, etc are part of everyday life. In addition, there is the immense suffering experienced by so many of our brothers and sisters due to war, the consequences of climate change, migration, violence, etc.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Perhaps the key to interpretation lies in the verse where we read “for you are with me” (Ps 23:4). It refers to certainty in the love of a God who always accompanies us and makes us live in a different way. Chiara Lubich wrote: “It is one thing to know that we can have recourse to a Being who exists, who has mercy on us, who has paid for our sins, and quite another to live and feel ourselves at the centre of God’s predilection, with the consequent banishment of all the fears that hold us back, of all loneliness, of all sense of orphanhood and all uncertainty… Men and women can know they are loved and believe in this love with all their being. They can surrender to it trustingly and follow it. Everything that happens in life, whether sad or joyful, is enlightened by knowing love has willed or permitted it all.” [2].

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Jesus brought this prophecy to fulfilment: in John’s Gospel he does not hesitate to call himself the ‘good shepherd’. Relationships with this shepherd are personal and intimate in nature. “I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (Jn. 10:14-15). He leads them to the pastures of his Word that is life, particularly the Word that contains the message enclosed in the “new commandment”, which, if lived, makes “visible” the presence of the Risen One in the community gathered in his name, in his love.[3]

Edited by Augusto Parody Reyes and the Word of Life Team


Photo: © Sergio Cerrato – Italia en Pixabay

[1]Cf. Psalm 23,6.
[2] C. Lubich, L’essenziale di oggi, ScrSp/2, Città Nuova, Roma 19972, p. 148.
[3] CF. Matt. 18:20

Download the Word of Life for children

THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non-religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share the values found in the Word of Lifeis a phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Newsletter

Thought of the day

Related post

Chiara Lubich to the young people: the joy of the early Christians

Chiara Lubich to the young people: the joy of the early Christians

In April 1984, the Jubilee of the Youth was celebrated, a few days before the conclusion of the extraordinary Jubilee of the Redemption. There were 300 thousand young people present. Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement, held a catechesis on joy for the young people gathered in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran on the 12th of April. Here is an excerpt of her talk.

Paolo Rovea, a life in God

Paolo Rovea, a life in God

On 3rd July 2025, Paolo Rovea, an Italian doctor and married focolarino, completed his earthly life. Following his passing, many messages arrived from all over the world, coming together to form a unique and very rich mosaic, just like Paolo himself.

Living the Gospel: the courage to stop

Living the Gospel: the courage to stop

The parable of the good Samaritan teaches us not only to draw close, touching the wounds of those around us and breaking down the walls of prejudice, but through this Word we come to understand the art of compassion and the infinite mercy with which God embraces us, cares for us and leaves us free to abandon ourselves to his love.