4th Sunday of Easter
This weekend we pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God for our new Holy Father Pope Leo 14th. We pray that he will be a good shepherd for us as we follow Jesus united as one family of God with the Holy Father our bishops, priests, deacons, religious and the people of God throughout the world. The fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday it is the day when we pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In the time of Jesus, a shepherd usually had responsibility for about fifteen or twenty sheep whom he accompanied day and night. Both shepherd and sheep got to know each other. The shepherd was responsible for keeping the flock together and safe, for leading it to good pasture, for binding up wounds. The sheep depended on the shepherd for life.
We Christians believe that Christ is our shepherd, leading us to the fullness of life. We may find this language of ‘sheep’ and ‘shepherds’ strange, but beneath the imagery is our belief that God is a gentle, caring and just shepherd of the flock. In the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas preached to Jews and Gentiles, then facing jealousy and persecution they continued to spread the good news that word of the Lord is. They left Antioch, filled with joy and the Holy Spirit because of what happened there. In the Second Reading from Revelation we hear that John saw a great crowd from all nations worshiping before God’s throne. They are protected and led by the Lamb, who wiped away every tear from their eyes. In the Gospel Jesus tells us My sheep hear my voice; “I know them, and they follow me. Our challenge today is to tune in to the voice of Christ asking us to know, love and follow Him. In our world of instant communications we listen to the voices of so many others. But do we listen to the voice of Christ, who speaks to us through Prayer, Scripture, the Sacraments, nature, and other people? The image of the shepherd cannot be separated from the way that the shepherd actually cares for his own sheep. Jesus the good shepherd challenges us not to leave the lost sheep behind: Jesus said “I have come to seek out and save the lost so that all may be saved.”
All of us know people who have wandered away from the Church, who have lost their sense of belonging, who feel they have no faith community to belong to. How will they know they are welcome back if no one tells them? How will they be helped back if no one offers to make the journey with them? The good shepherd asks us to make the journey with them as people who have listened to his voice calling us to follow him. Jesus the Good Shepherd is for all of us and we should listen to his voice amidst the trials of our daily lives. Many of the voices we listen to in so many places in the world claim to speak for the good of everyone, but they lead us astray and disappoint us but our Faith and Hope in Jesus does not disappoint. Pope Francis once said, “that with Jesus life becomes richer and that with him it is easier to find meaning in everything. The Gospel of the Good shepherd is a hope filled call for us to follow Jesus the loving shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep and rejoices when they are found .
Fullerton T 