21st April – 4th Sunday of Easter
Dear Parishioners,
‘I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’
This weekend, on the fourth Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a day when we reflect upon the tender image of Jesus as the Shepherd of us all. It is also a day set aside to pray for shepherds within our Church who will lead God’s flock with the heart of Jesus. Our Gospel today is Jesus’ commentary upon the actions of the religious leaders who had neglected to care for the flock entrusted to them by God. These were the ‘thieves and robbers’ who came to ‘steal and slaughter and destroy.’ Jesus, however, came so that those who listened to his voice ‘might have life and have it more abundantly.’ These religious leaders clearly perceived Jesus as a threat to them, which ultimately led them to condemn him to death in an effort to get rid of him. However, our Eastertide celebrations have shown us once again what a Good Shepherd Jesus is, because he accepted this death as a means to bring us mercy and new life through his Resurrection. In a special way today we pray for those whom God is calling to be shepherds today in the Church as priests. We also recall how we are all called to participate in following the example of the Good Shepherd in our own unique way. We are called to lovingly lead those within our families, at work, at school, within our community, friendships and every other social context. Let us reflect today upon the calling we have received to lay down our own lives for others in imitation of our Good Shepherd. In order to imitate this love which comes from the heart of Jesus, we can learn to love without necessarily seeking love in return. Laying down our lives is an act of sacrificial love that enables us to look compassionately at the needs of those around us. Pride and selfishness must disappear, and the good of the other can become our goal. Let us reflect upon how we can do this in our lives, and pray today that the Good Shepherd will also call generous souls to take up the role of being true good shepherds in the priesthood and in the Church.
God Bless You, Fr Martin
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