Psalm Reflection: The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A

“We are his people: the sheep of his flock.” - Psalms 100

hipster | ˈhipstər | noun (informal): a person who follows the latest trends and fashions in clothing and lifestyle, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream.

When hipsters became a thing, I found their language and outlook very entertaining. I relate to the idea of rebelling against what is popular or mainstream and having more niche interests, but I did not like the criticism of anyone and anything that was not “hip.”

Hipsters would often call non-hipsters “sheeple.” Sheeple (sheep people) are people that herd together and follow the mainstream trends without thinking, just blindly following one another and competing to see who can be the most unique while they jump on the bandwagon and chase after the latest thing. Ironically, the hipster lifestyle became a sort of “brand” and Instagram became a centralized generic hub of all things hipster, making it all mainstream. The horror!

This week’s responsorial Psalm reminds me that there is an element of hipster dynamic in following Jesus. We are called to step away from worldly desires, false idols, and secular pursuits to be holy, which means “set apart.” We do not set ourselves apart because we think we are better than others, but because we are critical of sin and we want to repent of it in order to follow something ancient and increasingly forgotten in our world today.

The beauty of authentic Christianity is that every single one of us expresses our relationship with Jesus uniquely. We all have unique gifts and a unique God-crafted mission for our lives that will bring us lasting joy and eternal life. This is not a lifestyle or a message that we are meant to horde to ourselves. No, we are called to share it with anyone and everyone we encounter who will listen so that they too can step into a new way of life. 

When Christianity becomes a “brand,” it leads to trouble. When we look around at other Christians and begin to play the comparison game, we are doing something wrong. We are not sheep who are in the herd because all the other sheep are there. We should all be in this herd for one reason and one reason alone: because the shepherd is good (John 10). A relationship with Jesus is the greatest thing worth pursuing in this life, especially considering that everything else will be over and done with when we die. Why should we waste time chasing things that do not make us truly happy, or invest in things that do not give our lives true meaning?

Who or what do you follow?

Is it leading to a life of abundance?

Do your priorities focus on serving others or serving yourself?

What or who do you need to unfollow in your life to better follow Jesus?

We get swept up in all kinds of worldly desires and trends: politics, headlines, trying to make more money, etc. We wander away from the shepherd constantly, but we have a shepherd who will leave the ninety-nine in pursuit of the one who drifted away (Luke 15).

This week, think about who and what influences you. 

Where do you turn for advice and counsel? 

How do you form the image of what your life should look like? Gospel values or social media influencers?

Set down the phone, the newspaper, and the remote control. Pick up your Bible and read John 10 and Luke 15. Proclaim the truth of these words over yourself and pray that they will firmly take root in your life and reign over everything else that is competing for your time and attention. Do not be tempted to fall into the worldly crowd and mainstream lifestyle of sin.

In other words, be a hipster for the Lord — one that does not exclude outsiders, but invites them in.

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, June 14th, 2026, The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time: Psalms 100:1-2, 3, 5.