Among sea lions, mother sea...
Illustration
Object:
Among sea lions, mother sea lions leave their babies -- called "pups" -- to go hunting. When they return, both mother and pup call for each other. It's a bit like having your mother yell your name across a crowded playground. No matter how many seals are in the area, a pup will always recognize its mother's call, and vice versa. If the wrong pup approaches a mother sea lion, she will go so far as to chase it off; she is looking for her own pup, who knows her voice as well as she knows its voice. Instead of sea lions, Jesus talks to us about animals we are used to: sheep! Just as a sea lion and her pup recognize each others' voices, so we recognize Jesus' voice, and he ours. He is our mother sea lion -- or, in a comparison we understand a little better -- our good shepherd.
