(Orthodox Icon: Jesus the shepherd)
"I know them, and they follow me"
John 10: 27-30
The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050822.cfm
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It is not that unusual at certain times of the year to
notice a very large flock of Canada geese flying high in the sky and in near
perfect formation in a clear “V” shape. You’ve probably had the same scene
appear for you at time. You may be driving in an open area yet cannot avoid
being amazed by this flight pattern of geese. It has something to do with the
physical flow of air over the wings of one goose to another behind. An amazing instinctual creation indeed.
We’ve seen this also with schools of fish in the Ocean
who swarm together in gentle movements following each other in unity. We could go on about what God has designed in
nature in regards to instinctual behavior for survival of a species. These sort
of natural patterns may indeed remind us of Jesus’ words on this fourth Sunday
of Easter.
In our Gospel from John 10: 27-30, we hear: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and
they follow me.” Yet, unlike birds
or fish, sheep do not exactly follow a pattern. They tend to wander aimlessly
at times. If one strays from the group,
they cannot find their way back. It is
often said that sheep are not the brightest of animals and that is true. The
only way back is to hear the voice of the shepherd who goes in search of
them. If they are surrounded by wolves,
for example, they cannot defend themselves and remain vulnerable to attack. So
the best safety is to stay in the group and listen to the shepherd who cares
for them.
This Easter season Sunday we are invited to define
ourselves by the One we follow – Christ the shepherd who makes promises to us
far beyond what any human being could make. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus
compares us not to wise geese, or wily fish or mighty lions but to fragile
sheep. Do we tend to wander aimlessly putting ourselves in places of harm? Yes of course we do. It’s called sin or impulsiveness or arrogance
or pride, etc. While we have a God given
free will to choose we do not always choose wisely because we do so without the
shepherd’s lead. Though nature may teach us something about the social order
and the importance of living and working in unity, we human beings will often
resist conformity.
There is a story about a math teacher who one day
proposed to her young class a simple problem: “If there are one hundred sheep
and one wanders away, how many will be left?” One boy raised his hand and said,
“None.” The teacher commented that this
was a simple problem and he had better look again. He respectfully said, “I may not be very good
at math but I do know sheep. If one
wanders, the others will follow.”
Sheep need a shepherd that will lead and protect them;
keep them together for both safety and food.
And despite our individuality and the insistence these days on tolerance
for differences, we too need to work in unity, united to a common cause for
success. And the “cause” we align with
is our common belief in Jesus Christ who never leads us astray. Yet, we know to follow this shepherd is no guarantee of a life with no suffering. Even when those moments come, this shepherd will stand with us, he will "run to the train wreck" and support us. So Jesus’ image
is not about sheep but rather about us and himself as the shepherd who unites
us in his Body the Church as we gather together.
The Church is where we find that place to encounter the
Lord and to meet him in the Eucharist; to hear his voice in the scriptures, in
the minister (priest) and in the support and inspiration we give to one
another. When Jesus speaks, God speaks.
And this shepherd has paid the ultimate price for us, his sheep; that of
his own life. So, while we may be comfortable with a shepherd image of Jesus we
cannot deny that this shepherd is courageous, strong, compassionate, convicted,
and filled with right justice.
Our first reading from Acts of the Apostles 13,
illustrates how reliable the voice of this shepherd is to those who
follow. Paul and Barnabas, the two
great missionaries of the Gospel to the Gentile, world were met at first with great
success among their fellow Jews. But
that momentary success also encountered great opposition from the Jewish
leaders who rebuked Paul’s admiring crowds with “violent abuse” and
“contradicted what Paul said.”
Filled with determination that the words of the shepherd
they preached were the “instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth,” Paul
courageously dismissed this violent opposition and moved on to the Gentiles, who
continued to embrace the new way of Christ. The message of the shepherd will
not be deterred as the risen Lord who ministers and speaks through his own
chosen human leaders and through his Church.
One study of the Church concluded that among younger
Catholics under the age of 30, 50% have left regular attendance at Church. For every one new Catholic who joins the
Church say at Easter time, six are leaving. What voice has lead them away? It could be a variety of things: scandal,
indifference, disappointment, other non-religious friends, the seduction of
power and pleasure, etc. The world in which we live is very loud and very
distracting. We in the Church should not
deny as well that we have experienced a period of cleansing from scandals and
poor shepherding among some of our leaders. We live in a rampant
individualistic and secular society and with a culture that resists commitment.
As we journey with renewed Easter faith, what kind of
sheep are we? Are we the ones who hear,
listen and follow? Or do we sit on the
sidelines, waiting only for the good and comfortable? What about our political ties? Although it is among the two topics we dare
not discuss in public, religion and politics, whose voice do we follow when it
runs in opposition to what Christ teaches about life, marriage, the economy,
justice, the needs of the poor, and our global sense that we are one human
family as brothers and sisters created by the same God? Sadly I think a good
number of Catholics these days weigh the value of Church teaching in view of
political opinions and policies rather than putting God first.
So, we cannot be sheep who simply follow but never listen
or hear what the shepherd says. He
offers us the courage of our convictions, think of Paul and Barnabas.
In our Eucharist, the shepherd calls through his Word and
his Body. He reminds us that are all his
sheep that we can’t simply put in ear plugs for his voice is extended to
everyone and so must our witness to the faith. Hear what he says, seek to learn
the sound of his voice, listen carefully with hope and trust, and then go as
his missionary disciples as this shepherd sends us forth in his name.
Almighty ever-living God,
lead us to share i the joys of heaven,
so that the humble flock may reach
where the brave Shepherd has gone before.
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
(Collect of Mass)
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