What does it mean to be a good shepherd? And why are each of us called to it?
Good Shepherd
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is celebrated as the Sunday of the Good Shepherd. On this day, the Gospel of the Good Shepherd is always read in the Church:
"At that time, Jesus said, I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. But the hireling, who is not a shepherd, to whom the sheep are not his own, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees; and the wolf plunders the sheep, and scatters them. And the hireling flees because he is a hireling, and does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me. As the Father knows me, so I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and those I must bring: and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, that I give up my life to receive it again. No one takes it from Me; but I myself give it. I have the power to give it away, and I have the power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father" (John 10:11-18).
Here are a few of the qualities of a good shepherd that Jesus talks about:
1) Such a shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and is the model for every shepherd to serve those to whom he is sent. Giving one's life for others means giving one's time, energy, abilities, attention, living for others and not for oneself.
2) The shepherd knows every sheep of the flock entrusted to him, and the sheep follow him because they know and listen to his voice (Jn 10:3-4). In a parish, a catechist once asked the children to write questions to the Lord Jesus. One of the children asked: "Lord Jesus, are you friends with our priest or do you know each other only through work?". Although this is a naive childish notion, it really applies to each of us: are we friends with Jesus? Or do we know Him only formally? Christ knows each one of us very well, as a faithful shepherd who constantly watches over us, guards us, and leads us to eternal life. But today each one should ask himself: Am I listening to His voice? Do I follow Him, or do I follow my desires and the world's suggestions?
3) The shepherd does not forget anyone, remembering that there are those who do not yet belong to the flock. Like Jesus, he goes out to look for the lost in the periphery, and when he finds them, he carries them joyfully on his shoulders to others.
Why does this apply to every believer?
We can rejoice that we are not lost sheep and follow the Shepherd Jesus. But there are many who are still not in God's flock, there are those who do not have an earthly shepherd (priest). To take care of them, the Good Shepherd calls every believer to participate in His work of caring for the "flock" of the Church. He calls us to become good shepherds after His example. This means that we should turn our Christian life into a witness to the world. But also remember to pray that the Lord will call those who can care for his flock.
That is why today and all next week, the Church invites us to join in prayer for new vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, as well as for the holiness of those already called. This is really important, because without good shepherds, there will be no one to protect the gathered flock, the Church's sacraments will not exist without priests, and there will be no one to lead the faithful in the footsteps of Christ.
We often take their existence for granted and rarely thank them for their care of the Church family. At least today everyone should remember all priests, bishops and the Pope in a spirit of gratitude and prayer. It would be good and personal to say "thank you" to them for all they do for us and that we pray for them. They need all the support we can give them.
Jesus saw sheep grazing in the poor desert areas and in the fertile pastures of Galilee. He saw shepherds who always went ahead of the sheep, leading them to the best places. Let us pray for our shepherds that they may lead us to Jesus with courage and love.
Source: Catholic Information Service of Kazakhstan
