GOOD SHEPHERD: THE RUNNER

 

On this fourth Sunday of Easter we keep the world day of prayer for vocations to priesthood, consecrated life and secular institutes. We observe this day of prayer in order to fulfil the instruction of Jesus to pray to the Lord of harvest to send labourers into His harvest (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). The reason for the Church to keep this Sunday as day of prayer to vocations is related to the Gospel of the day. Every year, the fourth Sunday liturgy invites us to read and reflect on the image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Every priest and religious are called to be good shepherds in the Church after their Master Jesus. Hence, let us immerse ourselves into the readings of the day to discover the beauty and significance of the good shepherd vocations.

Jesus’ choice of the imagery of Good Shepherd to reveal His characteristics and to interpret His role in the history of salvation is of greater importance. He did not choose this imagery accidentally nor by chance nor due to any geographical relevance (of course! many Jews who were His listeners were basically shepherds. But that did not prompt Jesus to pick up this imagery). This was a well thought out and eternally intended imagery. As a shepherd Jesus claims full knowledge about His sheeps (“I know them” – Jn 10:27). In the Bible to know the person is to have a personal encounter. In the Old Testament, the word ‘know’ is used to connote the relationship between husband and wife. To know someone is to have an intimate relationship with that person; to know him or her through and through. Jesus presents His relationship with the Father as a model for our relationship with Him. For He and Father are one because they know each other (Jn 10:15, 30). Hence, Jesus knows each one of us through and through; nothing of ours is hidden to Him.

In Matthew and Luke we read about a shepherd who leaves 99 sheeps in the wilderness so as to find one sheep which has gone astray, rather lost his way (Mt 18:12; Lk 15:4). Actually, no shepherd will ever take this risk. This shepherd is really a mad and jealous who does not want to lose even one of his sheep. Yes, our God is a jealous God who does not tolerate to lose anyone of us. He is not satisfied with many in comparison to few or one who is lost, rather He delights in securing each one. It is human to be satisfied with many, but it is God to take delight with everyone. Sheeps may go astray due to various reasons such as; in search of pastures, losing the sight of the flock, getting entangled with other flocks and by being stolen by robbers (enemy, the devil). The sheep which has gone astray gets stuck on the other way because of not knowing where to proceed and how to reach the destination. Being lost on the other way, the sheep finds itself incapable of returning back to his flock by itself. It needs the help of the other to come back and join the flock. The other who comes to its rescue is none other than the shepherd himself. More than the sheep it is the shepherd who is impatient. The sinners are the lost sheeps. Being sinned, the sinners get stuck on the other way, the way to the hades. They need someone other than themselves to remove them from that lost way and put them back in the right way. This someone is God Himself, who comes to their rescue in the sacrament of confession and Holy Communion. Being confessed, the sinner realizes his or her state of being lost in the darkness. With the reception of the Holy Communion the sinner gets boosted up (strengthened) to get back on the way of the Lord. No wonder why the first Christians were called the followers of the way: to be Christian is to follow His ways – Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

  In the present world many sheeps are lost and only few are with the shepherd. The shepherd who ran earlier for one sheep needs to run today for many sheeps. And so, the work of the shepherd becomes tiresome. We need many shepherds (priests) and collaborators (religious and promised personnel) to bring back the lost sheeps. It is our duty to find shepherds among us (sheeps) and help them to sustain in their vocations to be shepherds. This vocation is very challenging. In the first reading we see the antagonism of Jews toward Paul and Barnabas for their preaching. We need priests and religious who could withstand such antagonism and refusals in the process of bringing back the lost sheeps. The second reading of the day from the book of revelation shows the place of martyrs in heaven. Those who withstand persecution and trial in this world for the sake of Christ are brought before the throne, to see God face to face and to be in God’s presence forever (Rev 7:15). The antagonism of Jews toward Paul and Barnabas serves for the advantage of the gentiles. If Jews were not to reject Paul, the gentile world would not have received the Gospel. Thanks to their refusal! But it is pity that they lost the fruit which bore in their garden.

The Good Shepherd never becomes tired because His only mission is to save every sheep. He would not stop His running until He has secured everyone in His hand (Jn 10:28). May our priests and religious be such shepherds who would run in search of the lost sheeps till their course of life comes to an end. Let us pray for our Pope, the head shepherd who is in agony these days for the humanity that promotes war. May the voice our head shepherd to erase the weapons from humanity be heard by sheeps which have gone astray.