4th Sunday of Easter, Year C
Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” These words of Jesus we heard in today’s gospel reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John, chapter 10, verse 27 to 30, reminds us of God's care and love for us as we celebrate the Good Shepherd Sunday today. Good Shepherd Sunday is one of the traditional days of Vocations awareness, a day designated as “World Day of Prayer for Vocations,” and we are called to pray for more vocations to the priesthood and to religious life.
The Good Shepherd Sunday also emphasizes Jesus' care, merciful tenderness, love and guidance for us and encourages us to trust and follow Him as our Shepherd. In fact, this Sunday’s liturgy is a good opportunity to consider in our prayer, our love for the good shepherds whom God has brought into our lives to guide us and keep us in His name, especially our mothers as we celebrate Mothers Day today.
So who is the Good Shepherd and what does the Good Shepherd do? Christ is the Good Shepherd and in today’s gospel reading, He shows us what He does in our lives. Jesus our Good Shepherd Knows us His flock. Knowing His flock here means Jesus knows our character, strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, desires, wants and necessities. This was why He said in the gospel reading, “I know them, and they follow me.”
Secondly, Jesus our Good Shepherd Provides for us His flock. Providing for His flock here means giving us what we need to survive, that is being interested in our welfare and taking care of our needs. This was why He said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.”
Lastly, Jesus our Good Shepherd Protects us, His flock. Protecting His flock means being in charge of our well being, that is, having a deep love and concern for us to guide, protect and save us from harm. This was why He said, “No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.”
Yes Jesus is our Good Shepherd who knows us, who provides for us and who protects us, but do we know what it means to be part of His sheepfold or flock? In order to be part of Christ’s sheepfold or flock, we must recognize, accept and respect Him as our True Shepherd. Also, if we want to be part of Christ’s sheepfold or flock, we have to be loyal to Him, dedicated to Him; and we have to follow Him always.
So my dear brothers and sisters, today we are once more reminded that we have a Good Shepherd Jesus Christ, who knows us, who loves us, who provides for us and who protects us; so let us strive to be part of His sheepfold or flock today by recognizing Him, by accepting Him, by being respectful to Him; by being loyal to Him, by being faithful and dedicated to Him; and by always following Him as He leads us to His Father.
