Fr. Louis Birabaluge sx
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 26th2015
The fourth Sunday of Easter is known as the Sunday of “Jesus the Good Shepherd”. In today’s gospel, Jesus calls himself Good Shepherd. “I am the Good Shepherd” (Jn10: 11). By this beautiful image of the Shepherd, he expresses his mission.
As a Good Shepherd, he has to care for the sheep. This caring for the sheep is more than just a “mere looking after the sheep” like shepherds in the villages. For Jesus, shepherding the sheep is a particular task because it implies to lay down his life for them (Jn10, 11). Indeed, by his death on the cross, Jesus has shown us a new way of shepherding, a new way of loving: to give one’s life because of others.
This new way of shepherding is also the mission of his disciples, his sheep. But they can be like him (1Jn 3, 2) if only they know him as himself knows them. This mutual knowledge is the main key which can help the disciples to be good shepherd like Jesus. Surely, here we understand, why Jesus’s discourse about the Shepherd doesn’t begin with the words: “I am the Good Shepherd” (Jn 10:11), but with another image: “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep” (Jn 10: 7). It means: no one can pretend to be shepherd if he doesn’t get in the Door, who is Jesus.
There is a “new evangelical church” called “The door”. It is located in Freetown. People are used to go there because they believe that if one gets into that ‘door’, he may find a solution to his struggles, especially health and wealth problems. I don’t question the truth of this belief. I just praise the imagination of the Founder of this “evangelical church”, kwon as “The door”. Surely his intention recalls the image of Jesus as the Door. Indeed, Jesus is the “True Door” and whoever enters through him has eternal life. He has salvation.
It is difficult to love truly, to care for others, if one hasn’t experienced himself the consoling love of Jesus, if one hasn’t passed through Jesus, The door. That’s why, hearing today’s gospel of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, there is an invitation to learn how to live and pray like the people of Israel. Having experienced and discovered God as their Shepherd, they responded by the beautiful psalm 22(23): “Lord is my shepherd…Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me” (Ps 22(23): 1, 4). What a consoling prayer for a time of struggling! What a hopeful prayer to recall to our mind when sorrows seem not to end in our lives!
There is a strong mission input which we can’t dismiss in today’s gospel. Jesus the Good Shepherd reminds us not to forget the sheep outside his flock: “There are other sheep I have that are not of this flock and these I have to lead as well” (Jn 10: 16). Christian communities are not clubs of Jesus’ friends enjoying happiness among themselves without thinking about others. Mission: to care for others, especially the weak, to go out and look for the sheep that are not with Jesus is a christian duty. Furthermore, it is an inner part of Christian identity.
In this way, the church is right to invite all christian communities to pray also today for new vocations. The Sunday of Jesus the Good Shepherd is a special Sunday for this prayer. We pray for new laborers in God’s vineyard, whose mission is to care for their brothers and sisters as Jesus himself. Of course, when praying for new vocations, we pray for each Christian because through his baptism he has been called to be a shepherd of his brothers and sisters. It is only in this way that we can respond truly to the love of God our Father, which has been lavished on us (1Jn 3, 1). May the spirit of God be upon us during our journey of mission; our care for one another as we pray for new vocations in the Church, the door through which we meet Jesus the True door and the Good Shepherd.
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 26th2015
The fourth Sunday of Easter is known as the Sunday of “Jesus the Good Shepherd”. In today’s gospel, Jesus calls himself Good Shepherd. “I am the Good Shepherd” (Jn10: 11). By this beautiful image of the Shepherd, he expresses his mission.
As a Good Shepherd, he has to care for the sheep. This caring for the sheep is more than just a “mere looking after the sheep” like shepherds in the villages. For Jesus, shepherding the sheep is a particular task because it implies to lay down his life for them (Jn10, 11). Indeed, by his death on the cross, Jesus has shown us a new way of shepherding, a new way of loving: to give one’s life because of others.
This new way of shepherding is also the mission of his disciples, his sheep. But they can be like him (1Jn 3, 2) if only they know him as himself knows them. This mutual knowledge is the main key which can help the disciples to be good shepherd like Jesus. Surely, here we understand, why Jesus’s discourse about the Shepherd doesn’t begin with the words: “I am the Good Shepherd” (Jn 10:11), but with another image: “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep” (Jn 10: 7). It means: no one can pretend to be shepherd if he doesn’t get in the Door, who is Jesus.
There is a “new evangelical church” called “The door”. It is located in Freetown. People are used to go there because they believe that if one gets into that ‘door’, he may find a solution to his struggles, especially health and wealth problems. I don’t question the truth of this belief. I just praise the imagination of the Founder of this “evangelical church”, kwon as “The door”. Surely his intention recalls the image of Jesus as the Door. Indeed, Jesus is the “True Door” and whoever enters through him has eternal life. He has salvation.
It is difficult to love truly, to care for others, if one hasn’t experienced himself the consoling love of Jesus, if one hasn’t passed through Jesus, The door. That’s why, hearing today’s gospel of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, there is an invitation to learn how to live and pray like the people of Israel. Having experienced and discovered God as their Shepherd, they responded by the beautiful psalm 22(23): “Lord is my shepherd…Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me” (Ps 22(23): 1, 4). What a consoling prayer for a time of struggling! What a hopeful prayer to recall to our mind when sorrows seem not to end in our lives!
There is a strong mission input which we can’t dismiss in today’s gospel. Jesus the Good Shepherd reminds us not to forget the sheep outside his flock: “There are other sheep I have that are not of this flock and these I have to lead as well” (Jn 10: 16). Christian communities are not clubs of Jesus’ friends enjoying happiness among themselves without thinking about others. Mission: to care for others, especially the weak, to go out and look for the sheep that are not with Jesus is a christian duty. Furthermore, it is an inner part of Christian identity.
In this way, the church is right to invite all christian communities to pray also today for new vocations. The Sunday of Jesus the Good Shepherd is a special Sunday for this prayer. We pray for new laborers in God’s vineyard, whose mission is to care for their brothers and sisters as Jesus himself. Of course, when praying for new vocations, we pray for each Christian because through his baptism he has been called to be a shepherd of his brothers and sisters. It is only in this way that we can respond truly to the love of God our Father, which has been lavished on us (1Jn 3, 1). May the spirit of God be upon us during our journey of mission; our care for one another as we pray for new vocations in the Church, the door through which we meet Jesus the True door and the Good Shepherd.