4th Sunday of Easter – Good Shepard Sunday – Vocation Sunday

Reading 1 Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Responsorial Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading II 1 Pt 2:20b-25

Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Gospel Jn 10:1-10
Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them. So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

Good Shepherd

“Whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. … he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.

I am the gate for the sheep.
Whoever enters through me will be saved …” (Jn 10:1nn)

These words invite us to meditate this Sunday on the place and the role of guides in our social life. We have plenty of guides and leaders. And we have plenty of imposters, of those who claim to be the guides but in reality they misguide us and lead us astray. I won’t like to talk about them, because it could be imprudent or even unsafe :-)

I prefer rather to talk about the characteristics or attributes of a Goode Shepherd. Jesus Himself gives us these distinctive features which will help us to distinct clearly the one from the others.

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."

Already in the Jn 10:11-14 Jesus clearly says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,”

This kind of attitude is impossible for those who are not pastors, who are impostors and pretenders. This is the most important characteristic of a Good Shepherd. Jesus Christ is the perfect example.

In the book of Sirach (18:11-12) we read: “LORD'S mercy reaches all flesh, reproving, admonishing, teaching, as a shepherd guides his flock …” what is confirmed in 2Tm 4:2: “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who as a Good Pastor will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power:

proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, having itching ears will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.

But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; always be sober, endure suffering put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.”

The impostor and pretender don’t seek the good of the sheep especially if it is not popular and well-liked, but the imposters are searching rather their own popularity and esteem.

One of the Canadian bishops used to repeat:

“If I don’t tell you what you want like to hear, you will not listen to what I have to tell you.” And this is the second feature of the Good Shepherd. He is not searching for his own esteem and tells the truth even if sometimes he is politically incorrect, and unpopular. And once again, Jesus is the best example of this.

And the third characteristic: “whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

The Good Shepherd the one who is appointed by Jesus Christ enters through the gate, means through Jesus Christ and the gatekeeper opens the gate for him. Jesus Himself appointed the gatekeeper St. Peter Apostle:

“‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’”

And after Resurrection by the Sea of Tiberias He reconfirmed: “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.”

And this is the fourth feature of a Good Shepherd – love of Jesus.

St Augustine used to repeat:
“I am the Christian and a sinner with you, but I am a pastor for you. Pray for me so that I can be a Good Shepherd for you.”

So let us repeat the features of a Good Shepherd:

1 The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,
2 He is not searching for his own esteem and tells the truth even if sometimes he has to be unpopular,
3 The Good Shepherd is appointed by Jesus Christ and enters through the gate, means through Jesus Christ,
4 Good Shepherd loves Jesus Christ.

Pope Gregory the Great wrote:

“A religious leader should be careful in deciding when to remain silent and be sure to say something useful when deciding to speak. In this way he will avoid saying things that would be better not said, or leaving unsaid things that ought to be said. For, just as thoughtless remarks can lead people into error, so also ill-advised silence can leave people in their error, when they could have been shown where they were wrong. Negligent religious leaders are often afraid to speak freely and say what needs to be said – for fear of losing favour with people. As Truth himself says, they are certainly not guarding their flock with the care expected of a shepherd but are acting like hirelings, because hiding behind a wall of silence is like taking flight at the approach of the wolf.” From The Pastoral Rule of Pope St. Gregory the Great From the office of readings for Sunday week 27