Rejoice, the Sheep of HIS Flock : Acts 4:8-12; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18 (B Easter 4)

 

Rejoice, the Sheep of HIS Flock

Acts 4:8-12; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18 (B Easter 4)

Rejoice then, O heaven, and you that dwell therein, alleluia (DO) 

Today’s liturgical readings focus on Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The Old Testament often speaks of God as shepherd of his people. Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Ps 23:1). We are all his people, the sheep of his flock (Ps 100:3). The Messiah feeds his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms (Is 40:11). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who risks his life to seek out and save the stray sheep (Mt 18:12, Lk 15:4). He is the good Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pt 2:25). 

Jesus makes three promises to his sheep. He promises us everlasting life. If we accept him and follow him, we will have his own life. Secondly, Jesus promises us a life that would know no end. Death would not be the end but the beginning. We would know the glory of indestructible life. Thirdly, Jesus promises a life that is secure. He promises that nothing would snatch us not even sorrow or death, since he is the Alpha and the Omega. Our lives are safe in his hands.

Cyril of Alexander, 5th century Church Father comments, “Jesus the Good Shepherd prepared to give up his life fighting in defense of his sheep. Because his sheep has departed from the love of God, fallen into sin, …and got excluded from the divine abode of paradise. And Christ the True Shepherd laid down his life for the fallen sheep (1 Jn 3:16) destroying ‘the sting of death’. And, he promises us saying, “Fear not, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you a kingdom” (Lk 12:32). St Gregory the Great, preaching a homily on the Christ the Good Shepherd, says “..our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground where all who follow him in simplicity of heart, will feed on the green pastures of eternity - the pastures of the spiritual joys of heaven.

The spiritual joys of heaven are to be cherished here and now. Sharing the joy of heaven is Christian charity. The charity of the Christian must reach beyond his or her own pastures of family, friends, the pastures of parish family and even beyond the pastures of citizens of one’s own country. We are called to be concerned about those who are hurt, starving, suffering or dying throughout the world. Our charity cannot be limited by anything including the parameters of our faith community. St. Teresa of Calcutta, for example, reached out to the pastures of the poor of Calcutta and throughout the world. Most of these people were non- Christians. All of these sheep are created in the image and likeness of God, the Shepherd.

In the busy-ness of our lives, noise, distractions even obscure calamities we desperately need to hear the voice – the voice of calm, the voice of reason, the voice of assurance, the voice of unconditional and unqualified love. This is the voice of Jesus the Shepherd speaking to us in the quiet of pastures of our hearts, in the love of our family and friends, in the cries of all calling out to us. The voice of the Good Shepherd calls out to us calmly and lovingly. Let us set out for these pastures where we will keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow sheep. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith, and rejoice along with the fold of the Good Shepherd.

“I am the good shepherd. I am the way, the truth and the life; I know my own and my own know me, alleluia” (DO)