FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER - Year B

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER – Year B (Acts 4:8-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18) Theme: We are the shepherds according to the heart of Good Shepherd Reflection - We are celebrating the Sunday of the Good Shepherd today. It is the fourth Sunday of Easter and as the part of Easter Joy, the Church invites us to have a look at the Shepherd who has offered his life for his sheep. The celebration of the Good Shepherd Sunday in the Easter Time opens the relationship between the Resurrection and the Life that the Good Shepherd promised and fulfilled. - As we have already noted in our theme, we are called, in our free decision of faith, into the status of being the good shepherds. It is the dignity of Christians to be the part of God’s flock and it is the task of Christians to be the shepherds after the heart of Jesus Christ himself who is the Good Shepherd. Thus, it demonstrates both the Christian recognition and Christian vocation at the same time: of being shepherds of the flock that is entrusted to us. Not only the clergy but also the common faithful has the responsibility of being shepherd in their own way and mode: being a shepherd of the family, being a shepherd of the work place, being a shepherd of the community of faith and so on. - For this first of all, we should know who the true shepherd is and what it means to be a shepherd. and this is what we are here to reflection basing ourselves on the illumination of the Scriptures and in particular today’s readings. True Shepherd: Leads His Flock to the Banquet - In the scriptures we have three important references to the shepherd. we leave aside all the prophetic references for a moment. Apart from the numerous prophetic teachings on the shepherd and the sheep we have particularly three moments that come to our mind immediately when we think of a shepherd: first, the Psalm 23; second, the Parable in Luke 15; and third, the Affirmation of Jesus himself in today’s Gospel, John 10:11-18 (also the preceding part): - First: Psalm 23 - Divine Shepherd: The Psalm assures us that it is the Lord who is the Shepherd and in his presence there is no desire for anything else: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (v.1) is the singing of David. In this there are four important moments and movements: o He Leads to Green Pastures (vv.2-3): The shepherd thinks of his sheep and its hunger and thirst. He is always mindful of the needs of his sheep. He is ever willing to take hold of the hand of his sheep. In the right moment and the in the time of need, he guides the sheep. First of all, he himself go in search of the greenery fields and once he finds them, he leads his sheep to the nourishment with the pastures. He feeds it both with the food and water and thus fills it with nutriment for the body, with the peace for the mind and with the repose for the soul. o He Guides to Safety (v.4): He walks before them. He paves the way for his sheep. he sees that his sheep does not falter or tremble. He assures both his presence and guidance. Everything is crystal clear when he is there. The sheep finds the way with ease and without fear because the way is prepared, the path is made ready and the road is smooth and the foot prints welcome it to follow. Even in the valley of darkness the sheep do not astray because it follows the steps of its master. Even in the time of doubt and insecurity it does not fear because it has put all its trust in its master. Thus, the shepherd guides his sheep even in the valley of the darkness and fear. o He Prepares a Banquet (v. 5): The true shepherd keeps his sheep above all his enemies. Not only that he saves from them and their traps but to the shame of their enemies he prepares a table of banquet. The enemies who have tried all the possible ways to draw them away from their shepherd will bend their heads. It is the work of the shepherd to uplift his sheep with pride of sitting in the one table of sharing. The shepherd and the sheep (God and his chosen people in the Old Testament) become united in the fellowship of the table: the banquet prepared by the Lord. o Desire of the sheep to be with the shepherd (v.6): nourished with the providence of her Shepherd, the sheep enjoys His Company and His Love. Being filled with the taste of love, the sheep wishes to remain there in the same sheep-fold for the rest of its life. It is there that the sheep finds its eternal joy and life. It is with the Shepherd that it finds its perfection and its salvation. - Second: Lucan shepherd – the parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15: 3-7): The parable taught by Jesus himself. It is the famous and central chapter of the gospel and message of Luke. The shepherd here is one who is brings the sheep into the joyful feast: “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost” (v. 6). The meaning of the parable is comprehensive in its totality of the whole chapter, the three parables it contains: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. Here, we find at least three important moments of the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep: o Search with the passion (v.4): The shepherd takes care of each and every one of the flock. When one sheep goes astray or away from him, he does not rejoice in the other ninety-nine and be content with them. He feels sorry for the lost one. He becomes merciful. He experiences deep sorrow for the lost one. Above all, he does not remain only in the sentiments of sorrow and pity, but gets up and goes in search of it. He does not mind of leaving the others in order to find the lost one. He searches for it with the passion and compassion. He does not give up his try and his search. He searches for it until he finds it. He goes any amount of distance because his desire for the lost sheep is so immense. o Rejoices when he finds (v.5): The joy of the shepherd in finding what was lost is tremendous. He takes the sheep on his shoulders for he knows that the lost is sheep is frightened and dependent. He carries it leaping with joy. It is not only the sheep that is re-found but the joy of the shepherd itself: the joy that disappeared with shadow of pain and sorrow. The joy is overwhelming because it is the joy found in the desperation and dispersed. The shepherd is full of joy and the sheep too finds its joy on the shoulders of the shepherd. The relationship between them is one finds the joy in the presence of the other. o Celebrates the Joy with others (v.6): His joy is so overflowing that he cannot hide it anymore or he cannot keep it for himself. He pours out his joy by sharing it with others: with friends and with neighbors. He calls for the feast. He prepares for the celebration. He enjoys the moments of sharing. He offers a banquet of communion and rejoicing. The sheep finds it actual place again. It rejoins its community. It is united with its fellow sheep. It has come back to its original dignity of belonging to the sheepfold. Even the shepherd has the same feeling. He had found his fold full and complete now. The wound of pain and sorrow is healed. The heart is calm again. His life with and for the flock became beautiful and joyful. He extends the joy of his life also to others in the sharing of the celebration: togetherness and communion on the table of banquet. - Third: Jesus Affirmation – “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:1-18): The Psalm proclaimed the figure of divine shepherd. The parable expressed the joy of the shepherd. Now, it is no more prophecy of something outside. It is the figure and person of Jesus himself. Jesus reveals himself to be that “Divine and Good Shepherd”. We Jesus proclaiming himself as the Good Shepherd three times in today’s gospel passage. There are two important moments in which Jesus expresses what the Good Shepherd Does: o Laying down the proper life (v. 11): The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. He stands out as the true care taker and differentiates himself from the hired shepherd. He is ready to do anything for the well being and the unity of the sheep. He is no more outside the flock as the leader. He is moreover within and for the flock as the pastor and as the servant. He does not withdraw his attention and his care even in the times of difficulty and suffering. He walks ahead and if necessary lays down his life in order to pave the path for his sheep. He marks the way for the sheep with his blood. The quality of the good shepherd, rather the task of the good shepherd is properly is this: giving/offering his life for the sheep. o Knowing his own (v.14): The good shepherd considers his sheep not as something he is entrusted with so that he could be a master for it. He treats his sheep as his own. He makes it his own with the qualitative knowledge of it. He knows his own. The path is made simple. Even his own know him. The reciprocal knowing of each other that is at play in their relationship. Here, knowledge is not something intellectual and that which belongs to the mind. It is moreover spiritual and belongs to the heart. Insofar it is the knowledge of the heart or of whole being, it is a reciprocal rapport. It is a rapport profoundly intimate. It is a rapport of authentic love. As Jesus affirms, this knowledge is the same knowledge that is between the Father and the Son. The Father knows the Son and gives himself totally to the Son and the Son too knows the Father and offers himself in the ultimate manner to him. This knowledge has no boundaries because it deals with the sharing of love and life. The true knowledge leads to the love and the love leads to sacrificing what is one’s own for the other. Once the shepherd has this knowledge of the sheep he is every ready to give himself up for it. The Word (proclamation) is transformed into an Action (accomplishment) - Good Shepherd in the Passion – lays down his life: Till now Jesus has proclaimed that he is good shepherd. Until now it is still a mere word and a mere proclamation. The word has a value only when it is transformed into an testifying action. The word “I am the good shepherd” becomes an event of “I am the Good Shepherd” (the capital letters to be noted) first in his Passion and then in his Resurrection. In the passion Jesus, being a good shepherd, lays down his life. He offers his life on the cross. He pours out his blood for his sheep: o Washing of the feet - the humility of the shepherd: the first gesture of Jesus is that he places himself at the feet of the apostles to wash them. His extreme gesture of the pastor is revealed here. The pastor does not proclaim and keeps quite. He puts into practice what he pronounces. Jesus by washing the feet of his disciples, thus, by humiliating himself to lift up the dignity of belonging to God, becomes the True Shepherd. Meekness and Service is the mark of the True Shepherd. o Prepares them the Banquet – the life given in advance: the highest form of the “laying of his life” is manifested in giving his body and blood as the nourishment. Jesus enacts in advance his sacrifice on the cross in which he will totally gives his body and blood in the visible manner. Here in the last supper, in the form of bread and wine Jesus offers his total life in the invisible manner. This is what he means giving his life: preparing a banquet for his sheep with the bread of life and with the wine of salvation. o Death on the cross – ultimate offer of his life: Jesus has already fulfilled his proclamation of being Good Shepherd when he gave his body as the spiritual nourishment and his blood as the life-giving source. The act on the cross is the final and ultimate visible form of transforming his word into action. His self-affirmation is accomplished with the death on the cross. Now he is truly Good Shepherd: not just as the one who tells that he gives his life but as the One who HAS ALREADY GIVEN his Life. - Good Shepherd in the Resurrection – brings back the lost sheep to new life: Jesus already proclaimed that he has the power to lay his life and to take it again (vv. 17-18: “I lay down my life in order to take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again”). In the passion and death Jesus has laid down his life. Now in the Resurrection he re-takes it. Now he is alive. Now he is with the New Life: with the life of glory. Now he has the power to give the New Life also to his flock. Once again, he becomes the True and Good Shepherd by coming to life. The word is transformed into the powerful and life-giving event. This life that that Risen Jesus, Risen Good Shepherd, offers to his disciples: o He offers them the peace (John 20: 19-29): He is the true shepherd who is in search of the frightened sheep. The disciples were lost in fear and hidden themselves in the room and the Risen Shepherd stands amidst them and gives them the gift of peace: repose for the mind and heart. o He opens their mind and leads them to the truth (Luke 24:13-35): Risen Jesus is the Good Shepherd who guides the escaping disciples on the road to Emmaus. He leads them back to the truth of life. He opens the scriptures and dispels their ignorance and fear. He breaks their heart so that they could distinguish and recognize the truth of life: “they have recognized him in the breaking of the bread”. o He commands them to be the shepherds (John 21: 15-19): Risen Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd, does not leave his flock abandoned and alone. He entrust it to the chosen shepherds. This is what takes place in his last entrustment to his disciples. Especially to Peter he commissions his sheep: “Feed my sheep” (John 21: 17). The true and good Shepherd always thinks of his sheep. He calls few to be the shepherds of his flock. He calls all his followers to be the shepherds of the larger flock, all the people of the world. We are the shepherds after the Heart of the Good Shepherds - Every faithful of Jesus is a shepherd in his own existential situation. Though there are shepherds in the church – from Pope, bishops, priests, religious, catechists and all the lay ministers – the church itself is the shepherd of the world in the general and wider sense of the responsibility. When it comes to the matter of the Church being the shepherd of the world, each of her members is a shepherd to others. Every member/believer has the task or the vocation of feeding the flock entrusted to him: to the parents as the shepherd of the family, to the owners as the shepherd of the office, to the volunteers as the shepherd of the task given and so it goes on. - Being a shepherd is a mission of “knowing” the sheep and “laying down life” for it: this is the meaning of being a shepherd after the heart of Jesus. As he has loved and offered his life for the sheep, we are called, not to withdraw ourselves in the moments of difficult but to lead them flock with courage and confidence. To know again is to ‘understand the heart’ of the sheep, and to lay down is to ‘be with’ it at any cost. - Banquet is the greatest celebration of the Good Shepherd with the sheep: It requires first that we participate in the banquet of the Lord, in the Eucharist, “with knowledge and love.” It requires then that we prepare a banquet of “communion and love” for others so that we are become one flock and Jesus become the ONLY Shepherd because “there is no name, other than the name of Jesus on earth in which we have salvation” (Acts 4:12 – the first reading). And only in this sharing of the banquet we become and remain as “the children of God” (1 John 3:1 – second reading). - Let us strive with all our strength, with all our mind and with all our heart to realize our dignity and vocation of being Christians: we are called to be the shepherd after the heart of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ.