4th Sunday Easter - Good Shepherd

Today, is traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday and is also called vocation day.

All of us have seen pictures of Jesus, as the Good Shepherd.  We have a beautiful picture of the Good Shepherd at the entrance of the church, donated by a former parishioner.

In these images we see Jesus holding a sheep or a lamb over His shoulders.  This image appeals to us because of the tenderness of Jesus, His compassion, and individual care for the lamb. We are that lamb or sheep being carried by Jesus. 

Such an image is reassuring for us; Jesus is our support on our journey through life.  When crosses and problems come our way or some personal disasters occur, this image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, reassures us, we are not abandoned. Jesus is supporting and holding us up.  This is portrayed very beautifully in the Footprints poem, which concludes in this way:

“I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life...there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. “Why, Lord, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?” But, the Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

Jesus the Good Shepherd carrying us on his shoulders is symbolized in a beautiful way by the Pallium, which is a white cloth, archbishops wear over their shoulders while celebrating Mass.  The Pallium is made of lamb’s wool.  During the Mass for the inauguration of Pope Benedict, he explained the significance of the Pallium. He said, …the lamb’s wool is meant to represent the lost, sick or weak sheep which the shepherd places on his shoulders and carries to the waters of life.  The human race – every one of us – is the sheep lost in the desert, which no longer knows the way. The Son of God will not let this happen; he cannot abandon humanity in so wretched a condition. He leaps to His feet and abandons the glory of heaven, in order to go in search of the sheep and pursue it, all the way to the Cross. He takes it upon his shoulders and carries our humanity; he carries us all – He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. What the Pallium indicates first and foremost is that we are all carried by Christ.”

Throughout the world there are young men preparing to become priests and preparing to share in a special way in the mission of the Good Shepherd to carry the weak members of the flock on their shoulders. Jesus the Good Shepherd is their model.  They are giving their whole heart to Christ to lay down their life for Him. They are not afraid to say no materialism. They are not afraid to give up the fleeting pleasures of the world. They want to defend the faith, to bring everyone to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and are ready to suffer persecution for it.

However, there are so called pastors in our time—who are pillaging and handing sheep over-- as food--- to wild beasts because they forgotten Jesus is the Good Shepherd. They are more concerned about offending the few, rather than offending the majority.

For example, a few days after the massacre at Virgin Tech, in 2007, a prayer service was held on the campus. Thousands of students and their families came to pray. Former President Bush and his wife also attended. But this service was handed over to pastors, who pastured themselves, rather than pasturing the poor wounded sheep, during one of the most traumatic times in their life. All of whom were seeking comfort and consolation from Jesus, Good Shepherd.

By far, the majority present at the prayer service-- were Christians, yet, those leading the service were a Jewish Rabbi, a Muslim leader, a Hindu, and one Protestant minister. No one-- not even the Protestant minister-- mentioned the name of Jesus.

However, the Muslim was not afraid to say, Allah. But the Christian minister refused to mention the name of “Jesus”, for fear of offending non-Christians even though there most likely was less than 1% of the non-Christians who attended.

In Matthew and Mark, we read, “At the sight of the crowds, His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”

The prophet Ezekiel’s words are fulfilled, “As I live, says the Lord God, because my sheep have been given over to pillage, and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast, for lack of a shepherd; because my shepherds did not look after my sheep, but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep…I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus came to lay down His life for His sheep and by doing so, He opened the gates to the green pastures of heaven. Everyone: Muslim, Hindu, Jews and Christians are only saved by Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

Mohamed never laid down his life for anyone, as Jesus laid down His life for the world. The man who founded the Hindus could never open the gates of heaven, only Jesus the Son of God, could do so. And many of the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to die a shameful death, rather than come to know and love Him as their Savior.

As a society, we need to be reminded again and again, what Peter reminded his listeners, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved. (Acts 4:12), except the name of Jesus.

Since Jesus is the Good Shepherd and not a hired hand, He does not run away when the wolf comes, instead He lays down His life for His sheep, by dying on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and opening the gates of paradise.

Jesus the Good Shepherd, loves us, cares for us, has compassion for us, and desires to pick us up, and place us on His shoulders, because He wants to lead us to the restful waters of heaven.

In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter stood up and said, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

He said, “whom you crucified”. Each one of us participated in the crucifixion and death of Jesus on the Cross, by our sins. St. Peter in his first letter, said, “He Himself bore our sins in His body upon the Cross, so that free from sin, we might live for righteousness.’ By His wounds, we have been healed. For you had all gone astray like, sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” If Jesus suffered and died for us due to our sins, we should not be afraid to publically mention His name.

Jesus is both the Good Shepherd, and the lamb once slain. He is the paschal lamb, whose blood on the posts of the Cross, allows us to Passover from this life to the next. At every Mass, we pray three times, “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.”

And when the priest elevates the Host, he says, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world, blessed are those who are called to the supper of the lamb.”

At every Mass, we eat the flesh and blood of the lamb. And He promises, if we do, we shall obtain eternal life. He said, “If you eat my flesh and drink blood, you shall live forever.”

Those who are preparing to become priests, desire to be a shepherd Our Lord’s flock. They are willing and ready to lay down their life for their future flocks. As shepherds, the will feed their flocks, with the flesh and blood of the Lamb who became present in the their hands during the consecration at Mass and given to their flock in Holy Communion. Many times in their future ministry, they will sacrifice themselves for the sake of carrying their flock on their shoulder.

Today let us pray for all seminarians and for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

May Jesus the Good Shepherd raise up many shepherds after His own heart to lay down their lives and carry His sheep on their shoulders. And may our heavenly Mother keep us always close to the Heart of Her Son, Jesus, the Good Shepherd.