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Homilies are posted no later than during the week
prior to the Sunday they are needed |
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4 Easter
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September 11, 2001, the Pentagon was slammed by a hijacked
airliner. People were trapped in the flaming building. A police officer
ran inside and kept repeating in the darkness, "Follow my voice." Six
people did. They owe their lives to that voice.
This parable has lost impact in our urban society. A city
kid in a college Scripture class told his professor, "I don't get any
kicks being called a sheep. They're stupid and are led around." A farm
boy didn't buy it: "I've seen a herd of sheep running wild. And could
they move! If my father hadn't called to them and corralled them, they
would have torn up our whole place." The city boy stayed quiet. To
control sheep the shepherd must be Superman. City slickers need not
apply.
I was traveling through the Holy Land. I saw a shepherd
with his large flock. I checked him out. Neither of us could speak the
other's language. We didn't have to really. He was all muscle. The
staff he was carrying in his hand would make a serious impression on my
head. I felt like the 100 pound weakling that everyone kicks sand on at
the beach. If there was going to be trouble, I wanted him on my side.
Better, I would be standing right behind him.
God's image as Shepherd did not originate with Jesus. It
preceded Him by centuries. One finds the figure of speech strewn
throughout the Old Testament like a common pebble. You will discover it
in the Books of Zechariah, Isaiah, Ezechiel, and Jeremiah for openers.
And don't forget the celebrated 23rd Psalm which is our Responsorial
Psalm today: "The Lord is my shepherd."The early
Christians enjoyed the shepherd analogy. Matthew
and Luke as well as today's John applied it often to their Leader.
Among the earliest pictures, perhaps the earliest, we find of Christ on
catacomb walls is the young Jesus dressed as a shepherd with a sheep
over His shoulders. It remains ever popular.
St Augustine used the shepherd analogy for the apostles
themselves in the fifth century in The City of God: "The first holy men
were shepherds."
A lot of us feel boxed in by life. We are unwilling
characters in a nihilistic Jean-Paul Sartre drama. Our options we tell
ourselves are limited. There is no way out. Consequently clinical
depression is becoming an increasing phenomenon among us. Along comes
Jesus the Shepherd to tell us, "I am the gate." In another spot, He
repeats the point, "I have opened a gate in front of you." If we are as
sharp as we say, we will use the Shepherd as the way to make our
break-out into green Elysian fields. We will run through His gate, bang
it behind us, and never look back. (Joseph Donders)
Secondly, shepherds know their sheep by name as John tells
us today. Marry that thought to the scriptural report that God writes
the names of each one in the palm of His hand. Imagine your name on the
lips of God Himself in His role as the Shepherd as He calls to you. If
I am going to be anybody's sheep, then let it be Christ's, a certified
2000 year old winner. I do not wish to be forever a nine digit number
that can only be traced by a Big Brother computer. I want a Christ who
knows my name, my features, and my requirements better than the back of
His hand. The sweetest sound in the world, said the monk, is the sound
of your own name. Compare that to the guy who says to you for the
fourth time, "Sorry, but I forget your name again." (Donders)
I buy into the Good Shepherd analogy. I need a strong pull
in the right direction. I've been dumber than many sheep. There have
even been occasions when I wish I had that ring right through my nose.
I wish Jesus had been pulling it. I need to hear His strong voice I
need a shepherd to lead me. Unhappily I need one who will even kick me
in the tail. I don't need a general barking orders and staying behind
the battle line.
Conscience is the e-mail your head gets from the Shepherd,
saying to you, "Follow my voice. You have nothing to lose but your
sins." (Billy Graham)
So, the Lamb who died to save us is also the Shepherd who
lives to lead us. Christianity remains the religion of the incredible,
the religion of the astonishing, the religion of the breathtaking.
(Unknown)
Incidentally, a friend said to me, "Someone told you
about the Good Shepherd. Have you told anyone lately?" I have. I've
just told you. But have you?
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http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html
4 Easter
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In
the beginning of World War IIthe Nazis commissioned a massive
battleship named the Bismarck.It was the biggest fighting vessel
the world had seen up to that time.With the Bismarck the Germans
had the opportunity to dominate the seas.Very soon after the
commissioning the Bismarck sank tons of Allied shipping and allied
aircraft.Its massive armor plating resulted in the boast that
the Bismarck was unsinkable.
But
the Bismarck was sunk.And it was sunk due to one lone
torpedo.A torpedo hit the Bismarck in the rudder.As a
result the battleship zig zagged through the sea, unable to set course
for the safety of a German harbor.It was only a short while
before the British navy was able to overtake and destroy it.
No
matter how large the battleship may be, it is doomed without a rudder
to direct it. Floundering on the waters of chaos without a rudder, the
Bismarck is a modern day image of a world without the direction of
Jesus. Without the Lord, the world is headed toward chaos. But with the
Lord there is guidance, and direction and purpose to life.
The
readings for today don't speak about battleships, they speak about
sheep.But the image is the same.Just as the shepherd
gives direction and protection to the sheep, the Lord gives direction
and protection to his people.
Whether we are mighty like the Bismarck or weak like a lamb, we rely on
the Lord to get us through the crises and traumas that we will
inevitable have to face throughout life.
During this time of year, we, as well as many other parishes, are
preparing for the First Holy Communion of our little ones. What chances
do our children have to survive in the world?There are people
out to take advantage of them in every way possible.Morality has
declined to the point that it is considered immoral to attempt to
defend your children from perversities such as teaching them that
alternate lifestyles are acceptable.By 8 years old, if not
earlier, they need to know how to protect themselves from sexual attack
be it by adults or their own classmates. If the question of drinking
and drugs is not discussed over and over again by fifth grade, the
childrenwill have a difficult time surviving the gamut of their
education unscathed. Their morality is attacked on every front,
classmates, teachers,playmates.Without Christ, they and
we their loving adults will flounder through life.With Christ,
they can get the rough the storm and the chaos.
This
is true for all of us.Life is too difficult to attempt to make
it through safely alone.We need direction.We need
protection.We need Jesus Christ.We call ourselves
Christians because we are followers of the Lord, but we are also
Christians because the Lord follows after us, helping us to get into
line, protecting us from the elements of life that would destroy us.
The
problem that we all have, whether we are sheep or battleships, is that
we think that we are invincible. This is not true. Rugged individualism
notwithstanding, there is no such creature as a self-made man....or
woman. We are dependent upon the Lord.That's why we pray every
day.That's why we come to Church every week.That's why we
receive the Eucharist.His is the strength that gives meaning,
purpose and direction to our lives.He is the sheepgate who
protects us.He is the shepherd who leads us.
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http://www.geocities.com/seapadre_1999/
* available in Spanish - see Spanish
homilies
4 Easter
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Bottom line: Out of fear many have not opened the door that is Jesus.
When he visits our country, Pope Benedict will renew the invitation.
In a haunting poem, T.S. Eliot speaks about a "door we never opened."
Footfalls echo in the memory
Down the passage which we did not take
Towards the door we never opened
We all can think of doors we did not open. Perhaps sometimes it was for
the better, but at other times we sense a great opportunity lost. In
today's Gospel, Jesus invites us to open a door. It is the one door
that really matters. He says, "I am the gate....I am the door." He
promises that if we enter through him, we will have life, we "will be
saved."
One of the great pains for me as a priest has been to meet people,
brought up Catholic, who did not open that door. Perhaps someone never
led them to it. Maybe they did not realize each person must open door
for himself. Or perhaps they were afraid. They felt that if they opened
the door, they would lose their freedom, they would enter into
confined, restricted world. But Jesus says clearly that if a person
enters through him they "will come in and go out.." He does not want
slaves - but sons and daughters. And, ultimately, Jesus will not deny
us any legitimate desire. He says that in him we will "find pasture."
He will fulfill our needs and desires in a way we could never have
imagined.*
This week many people will receive an invitation. As you know, our Holy
Father will address the United Nations and visit Ground Zero - the site
of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The media will cover his
visit, including the Masses he will celebrate in New York City and
Washington, D.C. I don't know what Pope Benedict will say to our
country, but I do know this: His message will be the same as his
earliest predecessor. We heard it today in the first reading:
Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins
Like St. Peter, Pope Benedict will call us to turn away from sin -
those ways of thinking and acting that separate us from God and each
other. And he will invite us to open the door - by prayer and the
sacraments to enter a personal relationship with Jesus.
**********
*Once a young woman had an alcohol problem. A person who cared about
her pointed out that her pattern of drinking was harming her and could
eventually ruin her life. The young woman said she did not care. She
felt her life would be empty if she could not look forward to the next
drink. But one day - in her misery - she opened her heart to the Lord.
She did the unthinkable; she resolved not to drink again. God gave her
real peace, power and freedom. Now she begins the day with a sense of
anticipation of the adventure God has for her.
Spanish Version
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http://www.agreeley.com/homilies.html
4 Easter
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Background:
This epilogue to John’s gospel adding another of appearance of
Jesus after the resurrection, this time in Galilee and to some of his
disciples as they were fishing, is considered by most scholars to have
been added after the original gospel was written. If so, it probably
was not too long after that since it is found in all copies of that
gospel. The story builds on the multiplication of loaves and fishes and
also gives Peter an opportunity to repent the three times he denied
Jesus. The importance of receiving a commission while eating together
also highlights the significance of communal gatherings for the
followers of Jesus. The disciples are presented as needing this
experience in order to understand that their previous employment as
fishermen has been replaced by the commission to feed the lambs and
sheep
Story:
Once upon a time there was a college basketball player who was
very good and very lazy. He felt he was so good that he didn’t need to
practice. Even without practice he was all conference and second team
all American. The coach always pushed him to practice his free throw,
but since his free throw rate was 92%, he didn’t work very had on it.
Also he was not very responsible about staying in good condition. He
did all the workouts he had to do and not one thing more. Well, didn’t
they make it into the NCAA and even to the elite eight. One more
victory and they’d be in the final four, the first time ever that a
team from their college got that far. Our hero was worn out from the
long season. The game went into overtime. He was so exhausted that he
could hardly move up and down the floor. With ten seconds to go they
were down by one point. He drove the full length of the floor, jumped
up in the air and was brutally fouled by a player on the other time
(though if he were in better condition he would have made the shot
despite the foul. Two free throws, one to tie and one to win. You know
what? He missed them both! Later he apologized to the coach. It’s all
my fault. If I had listened to you and been more responsible we would
have won. That’s all right, kid, said the coach. You’ve learned an
important lesson about life.
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http://benedictine.stvincent.edu/archabbey/Weeklywords/Weeklywords.html
4 Easter
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Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B.
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Gospel Summary
In this gospel passage, Jesus draws upon imagery associated with sheep
herding. The people to whom he spoke were well aware of the practice of
herding sheep into a protective corral during the night so that they
would not become easy victims of wild animals. They were also aware
that robbers could climb over the low wall and steal the sheep. The
true shepherd does not need to do this because the sheep are entrusted
to his care and he has access to them through the door of the corral.
In the spiritual sense intended by Jesus, the thieves and robbers are
those shepherds (pastors, counselors, friends) who claim to be
concerned about the sheep (parishioners, anyone of us) but who deceive
them by offering quick fixes, which promise salvation without the need
of painful personal conversion. Sheep have always had a reputation for
being soewhat naïve and easily confused just as we humans, while
very cautious in some areas, are often gullible when it comes to
spiritual matters.
Jesus then changes the imagery and calls himself the door to the
corral. This means that it is only through the door of his teaching
that one can find true salvation. In the same sense, he calls himself
"the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). His is the only
trustworthy way because he teaches the only reliable truth which leads
to true and lasting life.
Life Implications
We are great believers in salesmanship and we rely on salesmen even
though we know that some of them inflate or misrepresent the benefits
of the products they offer to us. This is true also when the product is
the most important thing we can imagine, namely, everlasting life and
happiness. We are constantly bombarded with promises of eternal
salvation without the need to deal with personal problems or
deficiencies. We are vulnerable to such offers because we yearn for
that kind of security and because these promises are often packaged in
very attractive wrappings.
We are told, for example, that if we go through certain external
rituals or say certain special prayers we will find salvation in spite
of our attachment to selfish behavior. Or we may be told that reaching
an emotional pitch of fervor, which cannot be maintained, will
nonetheless guarantee our future happiness. When Jesus says that he
alone is the true shepherd and that he alone is the door to security
for the sheep, he is telling us that it is only his teaching of
unselfish love that will lead us to true life and happiness. Prayers
and rituals and fervor are wonderful and necessary, but only when they
lead to real conversion from selfish tendencies to genuine concern for
others.
Being converted in this way will involve the painful process of facing
the truth about destructive addictions and being willing to seek help
in dealing with them. It will also mean being honest about one's
prejudices and striving with God's help to escape from their dangerous
influence. But most of all, it will mean trying to be a caring,
thoughtful, generous person. This is the path on which the good
shepherd leads us for he has come, not to deceive us, but that we "may
have life, and have it abundantly" (v.10).
Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B.
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http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html
Meeting Christ in the Liturgy
4 Easter
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Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Jesus Christ is truly risen. Through the glory of the Resurrection the
triune God reveals himself so that we may believe. "Christ's
Resurrection is an object of faith in that it is a transcendent
intervention of God himself in creation and history. In it the three
divine persons act together as one, and manifest their own proper
characteristics. The Father's power 'raised up' Christ his Son and by
doing so perfectly introduced his Son's humanity, including his body,
into the Trinity. Jesus is conclusively revealed as 'Son of God in
power according to the Spirit of holiness by his Resurrection from the
dead.' (Rom 1:3-4; cf. Acts 2:24) St. Paul insists on the manifestation
of God's power (Cf. Rom 6:4; 2 Cor 13:4; Phil 3:10; Eph 1:19-22; Heb
7:16) through the working of the Spirit who gave life to Jesus' dead
humanity and called it to the glorious state of Lordship." (CCC 648)
But, many ask, how do we know here and now that this God-Man has risen
for us, that we now share in his life, that we too will rise again? "I
am the Resurrection and the Life", says the Lord, "he who believes in
me, though he die, yet shall he live." (Jn 11:25) Our belief is his
gift that we may have life "abundantly". (Jn 10:10) But by this faith
we are to live in relationship to Christ, finding security and
sustenance in him: "I am the door; if anyone enters by me, he will be
saved, and will go in and out and will find pasture." (Jn 10:9)
There is a door through which all of us must pass: the door of death
which leads beyond this earthly life. Jesus Christ has gone through
this door, having died according to the flesh, and he has revealed that
death has no power over him because he is Lord of life. He has returned
from that journey to tell us the way, to show us how to live so that
when we die we need have no fear of death's danger. Again and again he
greets us with the words "Peace be with you" after his Resurrection.
Peace is ours because all fear is cast out when we place perfect faith
in Him who is Life and who gives life. For those who love Him and
surrender to His lordship Christ is the door. Whoever departs this
world through him will be "safe". How do we enter the sheepfold? Where
in the world is the "gate" of which Jesus speaks? Who are the thieves
and hirelings of whom we must beware?
"You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates
of Hades will not prevail against it.' ( Mt 16:18) Christ, the 'living
stone,' (1 Pet 2:4) thus assures his Church, built on Peter, of victory
over the powers of death. Because of the faith he confessed Peter will
remain the unshakable rock of the Church. His mission will be to keep
this faith from every lapse and to strengthen his brothers in it. (Cf.
Lk 22:32)" (CCC 552)
An ancient saying helps us to find our way: "where Peter is, there is
the Church", ubi Petrus, ibi ecclesia. "Jesus entrusted a specific
authority to Peter: 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,
and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever
you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' (Mt 16:19) The 'power of
the keys' designates authority to govern the house of God, which is the
Church. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, confirmed this mandate after his
Resurrection: 'Feed my sheep.' (Jn 21:15-17; cf. 10:11) The power to
'bind and loose' connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce
doctrinal judgments, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church.
Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of
Peter, the only one to whom he specifically entrusted the keys of the
kingdom." (CCC 553)
The choice is ours to make. If we are to be preserved from the "powers
of death", the curse of those who pass through the "gates of Hades",
then we must live in the Church against which the jaws of death shall
never prevail. We must surrender to the governance of the Holy Father
as to Christ himself: in absolution, doctrine and discipline.
The Church, in union with Peter the rock throughout the world, is the
gate through which all men go to eternal life. Blessed be God who has
given the gift. Now it is up to us to preach and live the truth about
the Church, "house of God and gate of heaven", in which we confidently
and joyfully look forward to passing safely through the danger of death
into the eternal embrace of the triune God.
Let us pray: Almighty and ever-living God, give us new strength from
the courage of Christ our shepherd, and lead us to join the saints in
heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever. (Opening prayer for today's liturgy.)
I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we
"meet Christ in the liturgy" -Father Cusick
(Publish with permission.) http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/
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http://www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk/
4 Easter
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In the Catholic tradition this Fourth Sunday after Easter is called
Good Shepherd Sunday and is kept as a Special Day of Prayer for
Vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life.
In each of the Sundays in the three-year liturgical cycle we get a
section from the discourse by Jesus on the Good Shepherd as recorded in
Chapter Ten of John’s Gospel.
Surprisingly this idea of the Christ as a shepherd does not have many
roots in the Old Testament. We shouldn’t wonder at this since Jesus is
presenting himself as a quite different kind of Messiah than the people
had been led to expect.
He is not principally a judging or ruling Messiah, though these aspects
are not excluded. But he presents himself as above all a Shepherd
Messiah; one who has come to gather his people into the Kingdom just as
a shepherd gathers his flock into the sheepfold.
He defends his sheep, protecting them from predators; which besides the
obvious ones like wolves also include false shepherds.
For the Christian these things are important. We know we need
protecting from the dangers of the world and other physical hazards we
might face in life but we are also very much aware that we need
protection from false prophets who would imperil our souls by leading
us on the wrong path.
In the text we are given today Christ presents himself as the “Good”
Shepherd and, besides the obvious interpretation of his unique
holiness, by using this image he implies that he is the ideal or model
shepherd.
This metaphor of the Good Shepherd is full of the kind of enigmas that
we have come to expect from Jesus. For example he tells us that the
Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.
At first this sounds passive and self-contradictory for what possible
use could there be in a shepherd who lays down life? Surely then the
sheep really would scatter and be lost without a shepherd to protect
them?
This is what we call the “Gospel paradox”. The opposite of what we
expect is what happens. It is precisely in giving his life for the
sheep that they are saved and brought into that ultimate sheepfold
which is the Kingdom of God.
There are many aspects of this image of the Shepherd that are appealing
and reassuring to us; but as usual Christ takes us beyond our comfort
zone. He makes us aware of the dangers we face as well as the need for
self-sacrifice as an essential element of the Christian life.
We priests also look very much to Christ the Good Shepherd as the model
of how to be a good pastor. The very use of that word “pastor” clearly
points us in that direction. Today we are invited to reflect on our
role and to rededicate ourselves to the great vocation to which Christ
has called us.
In our study of today’s Gospel reading we surely ought to come to a
greater appreciation that sacrifice is at the very heart of our
priestly ministry.
But let me suggest that since Christian ministry is not restricted to
the clergy but is the obligation of all the members of the Church then
each and every one of us ought to be looking at the Good Shepherd as a
model of how to life our lives and not merely the priests, deacons and
religious.
Today we pray for vocations. We pray for an increase in the numbers of
priests, deacons and religious in the Church.
These prayers have an increased urgency today when we realise that
there has been a great shortage in those answering God’s call over the
last thirty years or so and we know that in the near future there will
be dramatically fewer priests available for ministry. This will
inevitably mean the restructuring of parishes and many changes in the
life of the Church.
So we pray urgently for those who feel called by God and ask that they
may be given the gift of discernment and all the courage they need to
respond to him.
I think that today we ought also to pray for those priests, deacons and
religious who are struggling with their vocation. It is not easy to
cope with the mostly hidden stresses and strains of full-time ministry
and there are many who are feel they want to relinquish their vocation
or yield to temptations of one kind or another.
It has been the constant teaching of the Church that the priest stands
in for Christ. This is not only at the celebration of the Eucharist
when he most clearly represents Christ in the breaking of bread.
He also represents him in proclaiming the Word of God through the
ministry of preaching. He ministers Christ’s gift of forgiveness in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation. He acts for Christ in the celebration of
the other sacraments and also in his vital role as pastor of the local
community of the faithful. There is no doubt that this is a very high
calling indeed.
Just like anyone else, we who are called to this special ministry do
not always feel up to the task. We often feel inadequate and unworthy
and yet we know that it is something we simply must do, it is a call to
which we simply must respond.
A vocation to ministry is one of the greatest challenges anyone could
be presented with. If you experience such a call then please do put it
to the test and make the necessary discernment to see if it is genuine.
If you experience such a call then I urge you to talk to someone about
it and have the courage in due time to respond wholeheartedly because
the Church needs you.
One truth that needs restating today is this: In life you can never
lose by answering the call of God.
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Contact Father at cbonar@cfl.rr.com;
information about his book of homilies is available at www.clydebonar.com.
4 Easter |
Let's Play "Follow the Leader"
Introduction
A popular child’s game is called "Follow the Leader." As children,
remember when we played, "Simon says?" "Simon says, 'Stand up,'" and we
stand up; Simon says, 'Sit down,'" and we sit down. Whatever Simon
says, we do. Because, Simon's the leader of that game.
Choose Carefully
Fact is, throughout life, we look for a leader to follow. Some one to
set a direction for us. To lead us in how to behave. In what to believe.
In school, natural leaders become the popular kids. A teacher said one
day, "Within a week after Tom got a crew cut, half the boys in the
school had crew cuts." Tom, an eight grader, was a leader. All the kids
wanted to be like Tom. To follow Tom’s lead in hair styles, in what to
wear, who to hangout with.
But we need to choose carefully whom we follow. Think about Shirley
MacLaine, the movie star. She's an accomplished actress. But, Shirley
MacLaine also preaches New Age spirituality. New Age proclaims, "I am
god, I worship myself." To Christians, New Age spirituality speaks
blasphemy. We can enjoy Shirley MacLaine's acting, but in matters of
faith we turn a deaf ear to her claim to be a god.
We choose carefully whom we follow. Everyone has good points and bad
points. We see in ourselves and in others weaknesses, we see the
strengths of others and we know our strengths. We admire, we try to
follow the good points; but we also want to avoid the bad points.
In any job, we can find leaders. I'll suggest one good leader to
follow, the trash collector. A hard job, lifting trash. But, it takes a
good work ethic. Up well before dawn, day in and day out, rain or
shine, steamy hot or frost on the ground. And, from the collector on my
street, always a smile, a friendly hello. There's a leader: cheerful,
setting an example of working hard at doing a job few people want.
We all pick out leaders to follow, some good, some bad. The caution, to
pick carefully when looking for someone to pattern our own behavior
after. Some will lead us astray.
Jesus, The Good Shepherd
Note well, we have one leader par excellence, Jesus Christ, the Son of
God. Christ, the Good Shepherd. In Jesus we find a voice to follow.
Christ, the "gate" who leads us to God.
To talk about shepherds, we need to describe sheep. In ancient times,
sheep were raised for their milk and wool. Milk to drink, to be made
into cheese and butter; and wool, for clothing. Only for a great feast
would ordinary people eat mutton.
On the dry, hilly land where Jesus walked, sheep needed constant care.
A shepherd would tend 3 or 4, perhaps 6 or 8, sheep. For his sheep, a
shepherd has to find grass for grazing, water to drink. Sheep will
wander and get into trouble.
On the rocky hillsides of Palestine, sheep fall and roll down the hill,
unable to climb back up, or they will get stranded on a ledge. To take
care of his sheep, shepherds carried a staff and a rod. The rod, the
shepherd used to help his sheep. The rod had a crook on one end. With
his rod a shepherd could grab a sheep that fell down the hill and pull
it to safety. He carried a
staff to protect his sheep, because at any moment the sheep could be
attacked, by wolves or lions or bears or thieves. The staff was a short
wooden club with nails embedded in one end, used by the shepherd to
protect his flock.
Shepherds spent years with their sheep. Shepherds treated their sheep
like pets. Like our pets, sheep were practically members of the family.
Each shepherd named his sheep, and his sheep recognized his voice.
In Biblical times, out in the hills at night, for protection, sheep
would be gathered into a sheepfold. Built of stones or twisted briars,
several shepherds would corral all their sheep into a common sheepfold.
Each shepherd took his turn as guard. As the night grew quiet, the
shepherd on duty would lie down to rest at the opening of the
sheepfold. That shepherd become the "gate" to the sheepfold.
In the morning, when the "gate" opens, each shepherd would sing or
whistle, and his sheep, and only his sheep, would follow him.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus is a voice to
follow, a guard at the gate, keeping us safe, caring for us.
Following the Good Shepherd
Questions is, How do we let Christ shepherd us? How do we let Jesus be
shepherd to us? Like the shepherd, Christ calls us by name. Remember,
God has our names written on the palm of his hand (Isaiah 49:16). To
hear the Good Shepherd call us, we need to listen.
At Mass, our words and actions draw attention to God's Word. Before the
priest proclaims the Gospel, we sign "Alleluia," and the priest holds
the Gospel book high, processing across the front of our church. In
every way, our Mass tries to say, "Pay attention. This is important.
Listen to the Word of God." Jesus says, "the sheep hear his voice, they
recognize his voice." As faith-filled Christians, we listen so as to
hear God speak to us.
In faith, we follow the Good Shepherd. Today's Psalm tells us, with his
rod and his staff, the Good Shepherd walks beside us to give us
courage, to protect us. We know well that we live in a world of pain
and suffering. Christ warns us, thieves and robbers come "to steal and
slaughter and destroy."
And, we know it is true. We rest in the security of Christ, but danger
surrounds us. A cacophony of noise challenges the voice of God. Small
distractions, like a cell phone ringing during Mass. Or, the noise of
the highway. How often we stop at a red light, and a car pulls up next
to us, the boom box blaring, volume turned so high we think we're in
surround sound. In the family, noisy arguments make tempers flare.
Walking along a sidewalk one evening, I heard a couple screaming at
each other from inside their home.
The noises of daily life can drown out the voice of God. And, if we
don't hear God, how can we follow our Good Shepherd?
When we do listen, the words of Jesus ring in our ears. We hear Christ
tell us he came that we "might have life and have it more abundantly."
But, what does Jesus mean by "abundant life?" Christ means to have
abundant life we must live as our true selves. The Good Shepherd, God,
expects us to be the person God meant us to be. To develop and use our
God given talents. When we follow our interests, use our talents, lead
the God-centered life, we have abundant life, life as our true selves.
An example. In an old movie called "The Great Impostor," Tony Curtis
gets jobs as a teacher, a prison warden, and a medical doctor. He has
no qualifications for any of these jobs. He applied for each job with
forged documents. Well, one day, feeling kind of low, he talks with his
parish priest, played by Karl Maulden. The priest tells how he toyed
with the idea of joining the Jesuits, but instead he became a parish
priest. As parish priest, he was following his interests, using his
talents. Karl Maulden’s character says, "I'm a good parish priest. I
would have been a lousy Jesuit."
Tony Curtis, "The Great Impostor," could never find peace, because he
lived a lie with his forged documents. When we live who we are called
to be, we find that peace. Karl Maulden’s character enjoyed life,
abundant life, as a parish priest.
As the Good Shepherd, Christ calls us to listen to his voice, to know
we rest in the security of Christ even in a world of pain and struggle.
We have life in a full abundance when we live as the person God expects
us to be.
Conclusion
Sheep and shepherds. Perhaps we have been in Ireland, where the sheep
roam all over the hills, and not a shepherd in sight. If we travel to
New Zealand, we see large flocks of sheep roaming on huge sheep
stations. Sheep dogs round up the sheep at shearing time. It was very
different in Biblical times. Then, a shepherd cared for 3 or 4, or 6 or
8, sheep.
Christ is our Good Shepherd. People in Biblical times knew, this meant
to listen to the voice of Christ, to trust God will protect us with his
rod and his staff. To be certain Christ will lead us to restful waters,
to green pastures. When we follow our Good Shepherd, we "have life and
have it more abundantly." |
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These
homilies may be copied and adapted for your own use;
however, they may not be commercially published without permission of
the author.
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