Fourth Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday)
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
One of the priests in the seminary used the following story on Good Shepherd Sunday. And at the time, I thought it was pretty good so I went back to my room and wrote it down in hopes that I’d perhaps have the opportunity to use it one day as well. I was looking through some of my older files on my computer and I’m kind of glad I found it.
Entrance: Ps 33(32):5-6 – “The merciful love of the Lord fills the earth; by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, alleluia.”
First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 – “God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ.”
Psalm: Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 – “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
Second Reading: 1 Pet 2:20b-25 – “You have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”
Alleluia: Jn 10:14 – “Alleluia, alleluia. I am the Good Shepherd, says the Lord; I know My sheep and Mine know Me.! Alleluia, alleluia.”
Gospel: Jn 10:1-10 – I am the gate for the sheep.”
Communion: “The Good Shepherd has risen, who laid down His life for His sheep and willingly died for His flock, alleluia.”
Years ago, in a small southeastern Indiana village called Oldenburg there lived a dairy farmer called Marvin Wissel. Marvin was a kind, gentle, loving man who had names for each one of his cows. He would introduce you to Clara, Isabelle, Mabel and so on as he would affectionately pat each one as he introduced them. It soon became very obvious that Marvin was an exemplary caretaker. He lived on the family farm where his elderly Mom and Dad still lived. His Dad was crippled with arthritis and his Mom had lost one of her legs to an infection that had settled in her knee. He loved his parents and the animals a lot and it showed in the way he cared for them.
Now Marvin wasn’t a shepherd … he didn’t raise sheep on his farm … but he certainly demonstrated that he had a good shepherd relationship with his cows as well as with his parents. There was an obvious sensitivity and gentle faithfulness on Marvin’s part that showed he loved and cared about and valued his parents ... and he valued his home and his farm ... as seen by the way he cared for the cows and other animals. There were unique, distinguishing characteristics that allowed him to know each one by name and care for them in the ways that were needed.
Marvin was a good shepherd in his personal circumstances ... probably without even knowing it. And as Christians, we are called to do the same. We are called to emulate Jesus Christ. We are called to do the things Jesus did but in a way that is in keeping with who we are and in keeping with our times.
Coming close enough to the Good Shepherd ... coming close to Jesus ... to know his voice is one way of preparing to take on the role of good shepherd. Can you distinguish the voice of Jesus ... the voice of God … from that of others? What would it take for you to know the voice of Jesus? … Do you pray every day? … Do you spend some quiet time talking to Jesus as if He were your friend? … Do you listen and really pay attention to the readings during Mass? In other words, are you present and listening to the Word of God proclaimed in the First Reading, the Second Reading, and the Gospel? … If you really want to know His voice, I think that in addition to praying, we would need to listen to and look at the words and images in Sacred Scripture. We need to learn from the Scriptures we hear week in and week out and perhaps what we read on our own. We also need to learn from others who have known Jesus ... you know ... maybe read about some of the saints and pay attention to what each of them tells us about Jesus.
As we have listened to the Gospels since Easter ... as we have read the accounts of the Resurrection and the different stories where we hear that the disciples discovered Jesus in the breaking of the bread ... and what we have learned from Saint Paul time and time again is that we are to be the body of Christ in the world today. This applies to all of our children who received and will receive the Eucharist for the first time during this Easter Season ... and you know what? It applies to every one of us as well. We need to share what we have learned with others by what we say and what we do and who we are. Each one of us must take up the role of the good shepherd. We must extend ourselves as Jesus would.
In the Gospel, Jesus was the gate through which the sheep were to pass. Sometimes we are called to be the gate through which others will come to Christ. Again, as I said above, we are called to be the example that draws others. We are called to have the voice of Jesus and perform the actions of Jesus that allow others to come to know Jesus the Good Shepherd, the gate through which they will pass to receive life in abundance.
So let me say it again another way ... We all should know that God is love. And because we know that we need to be the ones that make known God’s love in the world today.
To the adults out there, think about the ways you are called to take on the good shepherd role. Perhaps you are called to invite someone who hasn’t been to church in a while back into the fold. Maybe you are called to be a sponsor for someone in the OCIA process ... or to be the godparent of a baby to be baptized ... or to be a Confirmation sponsor. Perhaps there is someone you know in your family who has a potential vocation to the priesthood or to religious life. Do you foster that vocation or do you squelch it? Maybe your call is to be a sponsor in a twelve-step program or to be a mentor to students in need of tutoring. You might be called to be a support and a guide for someone trying to rebuild or rehabilitate his or her life. Some exercise their call to be a good shepherd by taking part in the Big Sisters or Big Brothers programs. In the parish, perhaps you’d consider becoming a member of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society or a Knight of Columbus ... organizations that assist the Church and assist those in need. Maybe you are called to uplift others in times of sorrow as part of a bereavement committee or to show them the way through the gift of music by playing an instrument, singing in the choir at church, or in other venues.
And now to all the children out and the other young people ... each of you can also be a good shepherd, too. You can always try to do what is right and invite others to do the same. Maybe it will be when a friend is not acting right and you know it ... you can try to help them get back on track. Maybe it will be by being a good example to your brothers and sisters by doing what your parents ask you to do without complaining or grumbling or putting it off ... or to your friends by being a good example in school.
And to all you teenagers and young adults ... maybe you thought I left you out ... guess what? All of you guys have the opportunity to be good shepherds as well. Maybe you can do it through babysitting or helping with younger sports teams or religious education classes. Maybe you can stand up for what is right when others are tempting you or your friends to use alcohol, drugs, to vape or to smoke cigarettes. Tutoring younger students or peers when needed can be a way of shepherding. You can ask your Moms and Dads to bring you to Church on Sunday.
And having said that, I bet if I asked any one of you right now … if I asked what the Fourth Commandment is … you could all tell me, right? Remember the Lord’s Day and keep it holy. Sports and other activities are great on Sunday ... don’t get me wrong ... but what about spending one hour out of 168 in a given week with God? When I was your age, stores didn’t open and sports activities didn’t start until Sunday afternoon. But you’re here and I’m preaching to the choir, right? What about being a good shepherd and asking someone to come with you to church next week? And as I make that challenge, I personally know of a couple of young people, one young person in particular, who did just that. He wanted to be an altar server and he simply asked his Dad to help him by coming to Church every Sunday. And you know what? His Dad did. His Dad now not only goes to Mass on Sunday, but pretty much every day of the week. And you know why? Because his son asked him to. His son acted like the Good Shepherd.
Think about it. Every baptized individual ... it doesn’t matter who you are ... has the call to be the Good Shepherd. Jesus came to be our example. And He uses the example of the Good Shepherd because that is what people back in Jesus’ day would have understood. So, bring it forward to 2026. Occasionally I see a bracelet or a keychain or a tee-shirt with the letters “W-W-J-D.” If we think about those letters and what they mean ... W-W-J-D ... What Would Jesus Do? ... Those are the ways in which each one of you ... no matter how young or old ... can be the Good Shepherd. It’s only limited by your own creativity. As you leave church today, take some time to think about it ... take a few moments to become aware of how you, personally, play the role of the Good Shepherd. And as you reflect on that idea, consider this … are there additional ways you are being called to shepherd others? As I said, maybe you are being called to be a shepherd as a priest or religious.
Every time we celebrate the Eucharist ... the Source and the Summit of our faith ... Jesus, the Good Shepherd ... lays down His life. As the disciples did over 2000 years ago, we need to recognize Him in the breaking of the bread. Just think ... He provides the examples we need to follow and He gives himself to us as the food that allows us to be nourished and to grow into being good shepherds ourselves.
Comments