There are certain Sundays of the year which have “nicknames.” The Second Sunday of Easter, for example, has several names: Divine Mercy, White Sunday, Low Sunday, Quasimodo Sunday. The Third Sunday is known as Jubilate Sunday, and today the Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Each year on this Sunday, the Gospel comes from Chapter 10 of St. John’s Gospel. The exact verses change each year, but they all revolve around Jesus calling Himself the “Good Shepherd.” It is a day to focus on Jesus’ role as shepherd of souls and our role of following His voice wherever He goes. In 1964, Pope St. Paul VI established World Day of Prayer for Vocations to coincide with Good Shepherd Sunday, praying for priestly vocations, as shepherds of souls.
It is also the mid-point of the 50-day Easter Season. Starting with this Sunday’s Gospel, we stop reading about the Resurrection appearances of the Lord, and beginning next week we will start listening to Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Spirit. Today marks a shift from remembering Easter to looking forward to Pentecost.
The first Christians were familiar with shepherds. The Good Shepherd was a favorite image of the Lord. In fact, the earliest Christian art depicts Christ as the Good Shepherd, not the crucified Christ. Often He was portrayed as a beardless youth, hearkening back to David, who was a shepherd boy, called by God to lead His people. The image of our Lord as the Good Shepherd is still popular. Young children find the idea of a shepherd and his love for his sheep appealing.
From early on in His relationship with the Jewish people, God called Himself a shepherd, and the people, His flock. The popular Psalm 23 says that the Shepherd (God) leads us to green pastures near refreshing waters. The Shepherd guards us in right paths and protects us from evil. God spoke though Ezekiel: “I myself will pasture my sheep; the lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal.”
And, of course, our Lord calls Himself a Good Shepherd, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me.” There is a loving, personal relationship between our Lord and us; He knows us and He calls each of us by our name. On the other hand, we respond to His voice and do not follow the voice of strangers who may lead us to harm. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He is also a shepherd who goes to great lengths to search for His lost sheep and when He finds it, carries it back on His shoulders rejoicing. God doesn’t want to lose any of us to false shepherds or marauders.
Finally, when our Lord gave St. Peter the responsibility of leading His Church, He again used images of shepherd and sheep: “Feed my lambs. . . . Tend my sheep. . . . Feed my sheep.”
Today Jesus guides His flock through bishops, who are known as pastors, the Latin for shepherds. Bishops carry staffs called crosiers. The shepherd has a rod to fend off wild animals that might harm the flock. Shepherds feed their flocks. Our Lord feeds us with the living bread of the Eucharist and brings us to living waters: baptism and the Holy Spirit. The Good Shepherd restores our souls. It is a very beautiful and comforting image of our Lord as the Good Shepherd, as long as we stay close to Him, we have no fear and there is nothing I shall want!
Cardinals Appeal
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