Fr. Francois Noha s.x.
The church proposes the theme of Jesus the Good Shepherd on the fourth Sunday of Easter. This comes after the experience of the resurrection narrated during the first, second and third Sundays in which the kerygma is proclaimed and a form of catechism is developed during these three Sundays, in order to educated people to the central element of our faith, the passion, death and resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ. On the fourth Sunday, in which we celebrate Jesus as the good Shepherd, not only a shepherd but the adjective “good” stresses an orientation and a distinction. It is also an opportunity to search and pray for vocation in the Church.
Jesus the Good Shepherd is celebrated in the fourth Sunday after the third Sunday has demonstrated to us the quality of Jesus as a good teacher. He accompanies the disciples in direction of Emmaus; he approaches them, asks questions to understand their position, listen to them and corrects the error when he explains to them the scriptures.
In this Sunday, Jesus invites people who are listening to him to understand that he is the door and the true way that leads to the Father. Jesus uses the metaphor of a shepherd and his sheep to describe his relationship with his followers. He claims to be the gate for the sheep and the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for them, contrasting himself with those who are thieves and robbers, who come only to steal and destroy.
The example of Jesus is an invitation, to leaders in the church and elsewhere, to become “good” shepherds for their people. The good shepherd is in opposition to the strangers and, in some other translation, they used the word mercenary. One of the characteristics of the mercenary is the lack of love and dedication for the sheep or the people under his leadership. A mercenary is at the service of his own benefit while the wellbeing of the sheep is not of his interest. For this reason, the sheep of which speaks Jesus do not listen to him. The mercenary is not good at all in his relationship with his sheep.
One of the qualities of the good shepherd is the knowledge, which the shepherd has about the sheep and vice versa. The shepherd has built a relation of confidence with his sheep who come to him because they know him. They know him because he is there with them and for them. At the same time, they do not approach the mercenaries. Therefore, in order to know his sheep, the shepherd has to stay with his sheep. For this reason, Pope Francis declared the “You must be shepherds who smell like your sheep.” Echoing the metaphors of sheep and shepherd found in the gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Easter (John 10:11-18), Pope Francis embraced Jesus' image of himself as the Good Shepherd.
In today situation in the world and in the church, where we are praying for vocation in the church and for people who dedicate themselves for the good of others, Jesus is inviting us to take example from him. God is calling us to wall in the footsteps of Jesus as good Shepherd. This entails that the pastor or leader should learn to stay with his sheep, walk with them. It is also an opportunity to identify the fake pastor or mercenaries from the “the good” ones. In fact, the good shepherd lays his life for the good of the sheep. May the Virgin Mary accompany all of us in our vocational journey!
The church proposes the theme of Jesus the Good Shepherd on the fourth Sunday of Easter. This comes after the experience of the resurrection narrated during the first, second and third Sundays in which the kerygma is proclaimed and a form of catechism is developed during these three Sundays, in order to educated people to the central element of our faith, the passion, death and resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ. On the fourth Sunday, in which we celebrate Jesus as the good Shepherd, not only a shepherd but the adjective “good” stresses an orientation and a distinction. It is also an opportunity to search and pray for vocation in the Church.
Jesus the Good Shepherd is celebrated in the fourth Sunday after the third Sunday has demonstrated to us the quality of Jesus as a good teacher. He accompanies the disciples in direction of Emmaus; he approaches them, asks questions to understand their position, listen to them and corrects the error when he explains to them the scriptures.
In this Sunday, Jesus invites people who are listening to him to understand that he is the door and the true way that leads to the Father. Jesus uses the metaphor of a shepherd and his sheep to describe his relationship with his followers. He claims to be the gate for the sheep and the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for them, contrasting himself with those who are thieves and robbers, who come only to steal and destroy.
The example of Jesus is an invitation, to leaders in the church and elsewhere, to become “good” shepherds for their people. The good shepherd is in opposition to the strangers and, in some other translation, they used the word mercenary. One of the characteristics of the mercenary is the lack of love and dedication for the sheep or the people under his leadership. A mercenary is at the service of his own benefit while the wellbeing of the sheep is not of his interest. For this reason, the sheep of which speaks Jesus do not listen to him. The mercenary is not good at all in his relationship with his sheep.
One of the qualities of the good shepherd is the knowledge, which the shepherd has about the sheep and vice versa. The shepherd has built a relation of confidence with his sheep who come to him because they know him. They know him because he is there with them and for them. At the same time, they do not approach the mercenaries. Therefore, in order to know his sheep, the shepherd has to stay with his sheep. For this reason, Pope Francis declared the “You must be shepherds who smell like your sheep.” Echoing the metaphors of sheep and shepherd found in the gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Easter (John 10:11-18), Pope Francis embraced Jesus' image of himself as the Good Shepherd.
In today situation in the world and in the church, where we are praying for vocation in the church and for people who dedicate themselves for the good of others, Jesus is inviting us to take example from him. God is calling us to wall in the footsteps of Jesus as good Shepherd. This entails that the pastor or leader should learn to stay with his sheep, walk with them. It is also an opportunity to identify the fake pastor or mercenaries from the “the good” ones. In fact, the good shepherd lays his life for the good of the sheep. May the Virgin Mary accompany all of us in our vocational journey!