Fourth Sunday of Easter: April 17, 2016.
Readings – Acts 13:14, 43-52; Responsorial Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5; Rev. 7:9, 14B-17 & Gospel Jn 10:27-30.
Dearly beloved in Christ, today is Good Shepherd Sunday or Vocation Sunday - a day in which the Church encourages priests, religious and lay faithful to offer special prayers for vocations to the priesthood and religious life especially during the general intercessions at Mass.The Church equally expects ministers of the word to give a special homily on vocations to encourage young men and women to take to the priestly and religious life, as well as for parents to willingly offer their children to work in God's vineyard.
In today's gospel, Jesus makes eight claims:
1. My sheep hear my voice: It is necessary for the sheep to hear the voice of the shepherd. Since hearing is essential for interpersonal communication, Jesus insists that we must pay attention to the words of the scripture and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Avenues for hearing the Master include, listening to our parents, superiors and leaders.
2. I know them: Jesus says he knows the sheep. The scripture says, "before I formed you in the womb, I knew you..." (Jeremiah 1:5). By implication, God, the Good Shepherd knows you personally - he knows your needs and aspirations. All he expects of you is to be a docile sheep, willing to acknowledge that he knows you too well and the challenges you are facing - this realisation helps our image of sheep/shepherd relationship.
3. They follow me: If the sheep know their shepherd, following him comes naturally. The best attitude demanded of us on vocation sunday is that we follow the Lord. The Church has given us two vocations by which we can follow the Lord namely, the sacraments of Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony. Priesthood or religious life and marriage remain the timeless ways of going after the Good Shepherd in the Church. The Good Shepherd expects that we grow the sheep-fold by exponential and incremental growth. We are expected to grow shepherds for the Church. Are we involved in the training of priests and religious who will follow after the footsteps of the chief shepherd and encourage others to do same now and in the future?
4. I give them eternal life: To prove this claim, Jesus gives his life for the sheep. Only a true Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. This Sundays invites parents, church, religious, traditional and political leaders to be ready to lay down their lives by making sacrifices and putting the needs of their subjects first, before their own needs.
5. They shall never perish: As sheep, we are assured that the shepherd will never lead us astray. One with God is majority - only a true shepherd assures that following his path does not lead to perdition. Paul and Barnabas in the first reading were persecuted and driven out of Antioch of Pisidia because they were converting many Gentiles to the faith. The scriptures encourages us not to be afraid of those who can destroy the body but cannot kill the soul (Matthew 10:28). In the second reading from the Revelation of John, one of the elders he saw said, "these are they who have come out of the great tribulation...therefore they are before the throne of God..." Jesus says his sheep shall not perish - This warm assurances remind us of the abundance of life God gives in Christ Jesus. 6. No one shall snatch them: By insisting that no one will snatch them out of my hands, Jesus makes it clear that we are safe in the hollow of his hands. Ironically, we are offered false safety in sex, money, material possessions and power. Instead of paying attention to the Good Shepherd, often times, we are distracted by worldly trappings but Jesus assures, "no one will snatch them from my hands."
7. My Father is greater than all: Chances are that Christians place other things greater than God. The Good Shepherd reiterates that he is greater than all. Since he is greater than all, we must in humility, put our aims and aspirations within his plan
8. I and the Father are one: The oneness of the trinitarian Godhead reminds us that as sheep, we need to synergise so as to give the Church the growth that it deserve. As members of the church, we ought to pursue oneness of purpose to push the frontiers of the Church. In his homily on Good Shepherd Sunday on April 26, 2015, Fr. Anthony Kadavil opines that we ought to be good shepherds and good sheep by:
1) Becoming good shepherds: All those entrusted with the care of others are shepherds. As such, pastors, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government officials and politicians are all shepherds in their respective capacities. Since shepherding demands dedication, commitment, sacrifice and vigilance, shepherds in a diocese, parish, civil community or family need to imbibe these virtues. We can become good shepherds by loving those under our care through praying for them, spending our time with them, seeking after welfare, and protecting them from physical and spiritual harm. As good shepherds, parents have the responsibility of becoming role models for their children by leading exemplary lives.
2) Being good sheep in the fold of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: Our pastors are our shepherds and our local parish is our sheepfold. "Jesus is the High Priest, the bishops are the successors of the apostles, the pastors are their helpers and the parishioners are the sheep. Hence, as the good sheep of our parish, a) Let us hear and follow the voice of our shepherds through their homilies, Bible classes, counseling and advice. b) Let us take the spiritual food given by our pastors through regular and active participation in the Holy Mass and by frequenting the sacraments, prayer services, renewal programs and missions. c) Let us cooperate with our pastors by giving them positive suggestions for the welfare of the parish, encouraging them in their duties, occasionally correcting them with constructive criticism and by praying for them. Let us also cooperate in the activities of various councils, ministries and parish associations."
3) Praying for vocations to priestly and religious life: We need to pray for vocations to priestly and religious life so as to have more holy and good shepherds who will lead, feed and protect the Catholic handed over to us by the chief shepherd.
Those who are called to make a lifelong commitment to serve as ordained ministers share the ministerial priesthood of Jesus while other Christians share in the common priesthood of Christ. "On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations we are asked to encourage and pray for our young men to respond to God’s call to serve His Church in the ministerial priesthood." We must not only pray but also learn to give God the best. Some people think that the priestly or religious life is for people who cannot make it in life. This isn't so - parents must be willing to offer their children and not behave like the father of five who kept weeping that he wanted his sixth son who has died to go to the seminary but was unwilling to allow the other five children contemplate about seminary-life.
In one of his speeches, a former politician revered for his inspirational oratory, eloquence and wisdom, Alhaji Maitama Sule encouraged Nigerian politicians to become more like the Fulani herdsman, who knows each of his cows by name, calls them by name in Fulfude and the cows understand and obey his instructions.
He explained that when a herdsman calls a cow by its name, it separates itself from the others and dutifully walks towards the herder.
Alhaji Sule also made the point that "the herdsman sleeps out in the open with the cows, eats when they eat and rests when they rest, and if a cow is in danger, he risks his life to ensure their safety. His purpose in life is to ensure his cattle's well-being and because he would lay down his life for them, they follow him wherever he goes because they trust him and know he has their best interests at heart."
The elder statesman also emphatically stated that all the great leaders and prophets in the holy books were shepherds.
He particularly mentioned the bond that exists between the herder and his cattle which contemporary leaders ought to emulate. In a vivid and compelling argument, Alhaji Sule surmised that since "the cows are not just their livelihood and symbol of wealth, but also their responsibility and almost like their children, Nigerian politicians should emulate the lowly Fulani herdsman as the epitome of servant-leadership." Pray for good sheep in the sheep-fold, more mature shepherds in the Church of God and abundant servant-leaders in the society. Happy Good Shepherd Sunday!
nice 1 padre
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