Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 25, 2021

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What it means to belong to Jesus

John 10:11–18

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Music Meditations

Opening Prayer

Lord, on this good shepherd Sunday, I will give thanks because in You I will never perish! No one will snatch me from Your hand. Your Father, who has given me to You, is greater than them all, Amen. Eternal God, Lord, I was once a sheep going astray; but I have now returned to You the Shepherd and Overseer of my soul!

Companions for the Journey

From “Living Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

Today is known as Good Shepherd Sunday because, in each year of the liturgical cycle on this 4th Sunday, the gospel is always taken from the 10th chapter of John where Jesus speaks of himself as the “good shepherd”.

In today’s passage Jesus emphasizes the self-sacrificing element in his own life: “The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.” He contrasts the good shepherd who owns the sheep to someone who is simply hired to look after them. The hired man thinks primarily of his own welfare and, if he sees a wolf coming, he takes off, leaving the sheep to be attacked and scattered in fear and terror. Jesus, on the other hand, will not be like a hired person: “I lay down my life for my sheep.” Perhaps he contrasts himself with those mercenary religious leaders among his own people—and to be found in every religious grouping—who do just what is expected of them but have no real commitment or sense of responsibility to those in their charge.

He knows his sheep

Secondly, the good shepherd knows his sheep and they know him. There is a mutual bond of love and intimacy. That love is compared to the deep mutual relationship that exists between Jesus and his Father. “My own know me just as the Father knows me.” Again the hired man or the self-interested leader will not have such a relationship with his charges. The Second Reading speaks in similar terms when the author says, “Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children, and that is what we are.”

One shepherd and one flock

Thirdly, the good shepherd deeply desires that many other sheep should come to identify themselves with him. “There are other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and these I have to lead as well.” The ultimate goal is that “there will be only one flock, and one shepherd”, that the whole world will be united together with its God and Lord. This is the meaning of the Kingdom which is at the heart of the Gospel message.

This is a goal which preoccupies us still today. There are still so many millions of people who have not yet heard the message of a loving God, a God who sent his only Son to die for them. They seek meaning and happiness in their lives by pursuing all kinds of other goals which inevitably turn to ashes: material abundance, status in the eyes of others, power over others, mistaking pleasure and hedonism for happiness… In so doing, they reject Jesus the Good Shepherd. “Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.” This is something we must learn to accept as a fact, even if it is hard to understand and even harder to take. No matter how closely we follow in the footsteps of our Shepherd, in fact, the more closely we follow him, the more likely it is that we will be rejected and even attacked. More tragic still, however, there are so many people who claim Christ as Lord, many of them very good and sincere people, who are often divided, even bitterly divided among themselves. Here, more than anywhere is there a need for all to follow one Shepherd and form one flock. Otherwise how can we give witness to the love of Christ if that love is lacking among the servants of Jesus?

Lastly, there are those who, though incorporated through baptism into the Body of Christ, consistently behave in a way which totally distorts people’s understanding of Christ and his call to discipleship, fulfillment and happiness. Probably, most of us have at one time or another failed in our call to give witness to the truth and love that is to be found in Christ. Jesus emphasizes that, in giving his life for his sheep, he is doing so of his own will. It is not just by force of circumstances. His death is to be the living proof that “the greatest love a person can show is to give one’s life for one’s friends”. This is the proof that Jesus truly is a Good Shepherd.

On the face of it and looked at with purely secular eyes, the life and mission of Jesus seemed an utter failure. Even Jesus’ friends and admirers must have shaken their heads in sorrow as they saw him die on the cross. Jesus himself said “It is finished.” But, for him, the words had a completely different meaning. What do you think He meant?

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

I know mine and mine know me

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

  • Who are the people who give of their life for my safety? How much compassion do I think they have for me as a person?
    How much personal risk do they live with in order to be faithful to my well-being?
  • Would I find it more difficult to live my life with a one-time personal risk or daily caring for a person with special needs?
  • In my contemporary world, who would I name as the “hired shepherds” in the gospel?
    Who, in my contemporary world, would I name as “good shepherds”?
  • Who do I think Jesus was talking about when he said he has other sheep not of this fold? How does Jesus lead them?
    How do they hear his voice? How could I help them feel like they belong to the one fold?
  • How does being successful smart, rich, or powerful make it hard at times to look on Jesus as the shepherd of our lives?
  • Do I believe that Jesus knows, me—really knows me? How does that make me feel?
  • How does it make me feel to know that Jesus came to earth, lived and died for love of me?
    What kind of a response does that knowledge call from me?
  • Have I ever met a “bad shepherd”—one who pretended to look out for the welfare of others, but in actuality was uncaring, or worse, a predator?
  • Who are the “false shepherds” that I have listened to in my life?
    How did they mislead me?
  • In which people do I hear the voice of the Good shepherd speaking to me?
  • Do I make a difference, and if so, how?
    Do I answer this question in terms of power and success or in terms of nurturing another?
  • If I am in a position of shepherding—caring for or advising and teaching those more vulnerable, what are my responsibilities in terms of safety, honesty, understanding, personal sacrifice?
  • Have I ever found myself in a situation where I was called on to put my own well-being at risk in order to respond to the needs of another? Did I do so?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Read the following verses from Psalm 118, then re-write it in the second person (e.g., “I thank you Lord, for you are good...”). Feel free to play with the language—this is your letter to God, not the psalmist's. By what salutation do you greet your Good Shepherd (My Lord, Dear Jesus, Dear Friend, Beloved, etc.)?

Give praise to the LORD, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.
I called to the LORD in my distress; he has answered and freed me.
The LORD is at my side; I do not fear. What can mankind do against me?
The Lord is at my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on my foes.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man;
it is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
I shall not die, I shall live and recount the deeds of the LORD.
I will thank you, for you have answered, and you are my savior.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.
Blest is he who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD;
the LORD is God, and has given us light.
You are my God, I praise you. My God, I exalt you.
Give praise to the LORD, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Let’s think about the sheep.

Many people have a problem with the passage because they object to being thought of as sheep. Who are the sheep typically thought to be? Stupid creatures, prone to dangers and worse without someone to lead them, to think for them, to warn them of dangers. (In all honesty, many Catholics resent being referred to as “the flock” because of the many instances in our near and distant history in which the ordinary Catholic was told who was wrong, who was holy, who was sinful, who was good, how to vote, told that their job was to obey unquestioningly their bishop, who carries the shepherd’s crozier.) There has been a movement since Vatican II to own our own consciences, to question even ecclesiastical leadership when bad behavior came to light, a movement to demand moral and financial transparency from our religious and civil leaders. To these people, the sheep reference is insulting

Let’s look at it another way: there is something about sheep that is exuberant, something about sheep that is abundant, something about sheep that is honest, whole, and life-giving. What makes sheep lovable is their vulnerability, their honesty, the way in which they are always hopeful. According to scientists, sheep feel pain, sadness and loneliness. Sheep are not aggressive, seeking power and dominance. With sheep, what you see is what you get; there is no subterfuge, no hidden agenda. Sheep struggle and do not do well when handled roughly or mistreated; when handled gently and kindly, they are very mild-mannered and agreeable.

I’m thinking that alternatively, our culture values the wolf of busyness, the wolf of achievement, the wolf of needing approval, the wolf of always having to be right and in control. Or maybe it is the wolf of failure, the wolf of despair, the wolf of brokenness, because we are not “wolfish” enough.

How many of us are dealing with wolves in our lives right now? Are we wolves in the lives of others because that is how success works? Is life really a zero-sum game? If so, there is certainly no place for sheep. Have there been any sheep in your lives? Have they brightened your day, made life better? Have you been a good shepherd for them? Is that necessary? Do you possess any wolf qualities? Do you possess any sheep qualities? Be honest. Which are more Christ-like? Who needs the good shepherd—the sheep, the wolves, or both?

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/A sort of “Examen”:

Adapted from “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

Not only does Jesus welcome everyone into his flock, but if I’m not there, he invites me in
Jesus loves me and invites me to love him just like he knows and loves the Father… that is a serious depth of love.
I take a moment to imagine being loved in this way.

Do I hear Jesus’ voice, or do I sometimes ignore it?
If he comes searching, am I going to listen?
“they will listen to my voice”
How do I imagine the voice of God? A hectoring father? A nagging mother? A moralizing preacher? A roaring sergeant major?
No, it is the voice of a lover, who knows me in my uniqueness and calls me by name.

The true voice of Jesus tones in with the deepest desires and hopes of the human heart—for love, justice, forgiveness and fulfillment. Other sheep will hear his voice and will not find it strange. He speaks a language all can understand—the language of the heart. He speaks the language of self-sacrificing love and faithful love for all.

Of all that you say here, Lord, your last words hearten me the most: “I must bring the other sheep also, so there will be one flock, one shepherd.” Your voice will now be heard mainly through the lives of others, through my life… where I share goodness and love and all that goes with them, your voice, O Christ, will be heard.

Jesus, I look back over my day and reflect on the ways in which I have listened to your voice, on the ways I ignored or rejected your voice calling me to be in in your presence, wrapped in your love and care. I reflect on ways in which I have brought your love and message to others whom I have encountered this day… I pray in thanksgiving for all the beauties with which you have surrounded me, all the graces that have been presented to me this day, whether I was aware or not. I pray for greater consciousness of your presence and for openness to the needs of others in my life.

Thank you. Thank you.

Poetic Reflection:

How does this poem/prayer by Thomas Merton remind you of Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd) or of what we need the Good Shepherd to help us with in our lives?

Teach me to go to this country beyond words and beyond names.
Teach me to pray on this side of the frontier, here where these woods are.
I need to be led by you.
I need my heart to be moved by you.
I need my soul to be made clean by your prayer. I need my will to be made strong by you.
I need the world to be saved and changed by you.
I need you for all those who suffer, who are in prison, in danger, in sorrow.
I need you for all the crazy people.
I need your healing hand to work always in my life.
I need you to make me, as you made your Son, a healer, a comforter, a savior.
I need you to name the dead.
I need you to help the dying cross their particular rivers.
I need you for myself whether I live or die.
It is necessary.
Amen.

(from A Book of Hours, Ave Maria Press, p. 67)

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the good shepherd. I believe that you love me. I believe that you will never leave me. I trust you.

Help me to spread your love and care to those in need of comfort and reassurance, and to those who may not realize their need for your comfort and reassurance.