By Fr Francis Gonsalves, SJ –
Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 25, 2021 World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Readings: Acts 4:8-12; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (Jn 10:14)
Prologue: The fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally called ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’ since the gospel focuses on John’s metaphor of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. While the gospel reading applies to all leaders, at large, it specifically addresses church leaders (bishops, priests and pastors).
Pope Francis’ advice to shepherds to be close to their people and have “the smell of sheep” is very meaningful. The World Day of Prayer for Vocations, too, requires us to pray for more active ministers to serve the Lord and shepherd his people, especially those most in need.
Three Scriptural Signposts:
- The Bible tells us that many of the leaders of Israel were shepherds by profession.
Moreover, there are also numerous biblical references to shepherds, sheep, lambs, flock, pasture and so on. However, all the images and references to shepherd in the First Testament find their ideal in Jesus, The Good Shepherd. In language reminding us of Yahweh’s solemn: “I am who I am” (Ex 3:14) revelation to Moses, Jesus declares, “I am the good shepherd” (v.11) What follows is a description of the traits of a good shepherd as contrasted with those of a hireling. First and foremost, the shepherd knows the sheep and is known by them. This knowing is the result of being close to the sheep, of spending time with them in the pasture and of being concerned about their wellbeing.
Though there is a two-way knowing between the shepherd and the sheep, the difference is that the shepherd’s knowing precedes that of the sheep and is a conscious choice since he is aware that the more knowledge that he has of the sheep, the more will the sheep be well taken care of and survive the vagaries of the weather and wiles of wolves that were always on the prowl. A hireling, by contrast, is more interested in his wages than concerned about the wellbeing of the sheep. Should any perilous situation arise, he will run for safety leaving the sheep to fend for themselves. This shepherd discourse takes place in Jerusalem soon after the scribes and the Pharisees refuse to believe in Jesus although they see him restoring sight to a man born blind (chapter 9). Thus, Jesus is accusing these leaders of total unconcern for their people and obsessed only about the nitty-gritty of the law.
- The shepherd’s knowing of the sheep leads him to love them. Concerned as he is for their safety and wellbeing, he will do anything to ensure that none of them is lost or harmed in any way. Therefore, he would readily lose his own life rather than allowing one of the sheep to be slain. Such is the depth of his love for his sheep. Here we see the process of knowing leading to loving and finally serving to the point of self-sacrifice.
This is precisely what we see in Jesus the Good Shepherd’s life. The laying down of his life is purposeful much as his knowing and loving is, for he knows that in laying down his life for his friends, he will not really lose his life but “will take it up again” (v.18). This he will do not only for those disciples who are present there with him but for “other sheep that do not belong to this fold” (v.16). Indeed, Jesus has come to make known his Abba-Father’s love to all peoples. God’s love is not exclusive and exhausted with a small flock of ‘chosen ones’ but embraces everyone everywhere. Jesus’ knowing, loving, serving and dying will henceforth be the pattern by which everyone will recognize the depth of God’s love and strive to love all others likewise.
- The first reading from the Acts is Peter’s speech to the rulers, elders and priests—in short, to the ‘shepherds’ of the people. As mentioned above, just as the scribes and the Pharisees exhibit ‘spiritual blindness’ in not believing in Jesus though they saw him restore sight to the blind, so too these leaders who Peter addresses refuse to believe in God’s power made manifest through Peter who cured a man who was crippled from birth (Acts ch.3). Even worse, they imprison and interrogate Peter and John for proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection. Note how post-Pentecost, Peter is a totally changed man when compared to the period prior to Jesus’ death. Responding to the call of the Good Shepherd, this ‘First Shepherd’, so to say, has gone through a process of knowing → loving → self-sacrifice. He had said “yes” to Jesus’ question, “Do you love me?” and was told “feed my sheep!” (Jn 21:15-19). Now, “filled with the Holy Spirit” (v.8), he courageously confronts those who had Jesus crucified, telling them of the power of Jesus and the salvation he alone brings. “Name” (v.12) stands for the whole person and Jesus or ‘Yeshua’ in Hebrew means ‘God saves’.
Linking the Psalm and the Second Reading to the Theme:
The psalm (118) is used in today’s liturgy since it appears in Peter’s speech: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” In the second reading, John explains how deep God the Father’s love is. Those who understand, accept and spread this love are truly God’s children.
From Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2021 entitled ‘Saint Joseph: The Dream of Vocation’: “Saint Joseph suggests to us three key words for each individual’s vocation. The first is dream…… Saint Joseph has much to tell us in this regard, because, through the dreams that God inspired in him, he made of his life a gift…. A second word marks the journey of Saint Joseph and that of vocation: service. The Gospels show how Joseph lived entirely for others and never for himself. … For Saint Joseph, service—as a concrete expression of the gift of self—did not remain simply a high ideal, but became a rule for daily life…… Together with God’s call, which makes our greatest dreams come true, and our response, which is made up of generous service and attentive care, there is a third characteristic of Saint Joseph’s daily life and our Christian vocation, namely fidelity. Joseph is the “righteous man” (Mt 1:19) who daily perseveres in quietly serving God and his plans…. I pray that you will experience this same joy, dear brothers and sisters who have generously made God the dream of your lives, serving him in your brothers and sisters through a fidelity that is a powerful testimony in an age of ephemeral choices and emotions that bring no lasting joy. May Saint Joseph, protector of vocations, accompany you with his fatherly heart!”
Refection: Every Christian has a vocation to be good, caring and compassionate. But, today, there is specific need of many more young women and men who will totally devote their time, talents and energies to be good leaders. ‘Leading sheep’ also demands humility and a readiness ‘to be led’. A good ‘pastor’ Martin Luther King, Jr. succinctly said, “There go my people and I must follow them for I am their leader.” Are priests ready to follow too?
In Lighter Vein: A cripple outside a church once begged a bishop for alms. The bishop smiled and said, “I cannot say, like Peter, silver and gold I have none!” The cripple retorted, “Neither can you say: ‘In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk!’” May we totally depend on the powerful name of Jesus in all our ministries …. And, above all, may all of us who are ordained as shepherds of the flock radiate the light of the Good Shepherd and smell of the sheep. Let us not forget God’s promise: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart” (Jer 3:15).
Fr. Francis Gonsalves, SJ is the Executive Secretary, CCBI Comm. of Theology & Doctrine and President, Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune and former Principal of Vidyajyoti College, Delhi. He is also the Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Theology and Doctrine. He has authored many books and articles and is a columnist with The Asian Age and The Deccan Chronicle national dailies.