Fourth Sunday of Easter

May 3 , 2009

Fr. Cameron Ayers, S.J.

 

Watching a movie the other evening, I was struck by an image with sheep and shepherds. Two herds had gotten mixed up and the shepherds (although this was a modern movie, so they were probably called herders) well, the shepherds were frantically trying to separate the sheep from each other. They may have recognized their shepherds voice, but there were hundreds of sheep mixed together, so it was a very difficult task to get them separated. What struck me was that the shepherds actually had to wade into the big mixed up flock and physically struggle to get the sheep back in line. Some went more peacefully than other sheep. Others had to be forcefully wrestled to the ground or carried back into their own flock. Some certainly seemed to resent the shepherds' treatment of them.

Perhaps a strange way to start a homily on this Sunday traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday, after the gospel that is read the Fourth Sunday of Easter. But it definitely got me thinking about my own understanding of a shepherd. I had always thought of shepherds in a pretty idealistic, gentle fashion. You know, shepherds are like a combination of veterinarian and babysitter. So, it was no problem to consider Jesus as the Good Shepherd. If, however, we really watch shepherds, I think the connection to Jesus is even more profound.

First: the hardship of their life and the fact that they must use their strength at times to correct wandering sheep. Shepherds often suffer for their flock. We often blame God for hard times and sufferings in our life. Now, I don't want to get bogged down in the philosophy of evil and why God lets it happen. But, all of us have felt at some time or another that the Lord used something we considered evil to teach us a lesson. In other words, if we are wandering sheep, there are times that we need to be herded back into our flock. I don't think God is punishing us or wants us ever to be hurt. I do think that it takes time for us to put some things into perspective.

During the month of May in our Catholic tradition, we especially focus on our Blessed Mother. I believe that ties in nicely with what I have been trying to say about the role and the behavior of shepherds. Sometimes mothers act in similar fashion. How many of you can remember a time when your mom would not let you go somewhere that you really wanted to go? Maybe it was a party, a trip, or perhaps it was to buy something in particular. The role of the mother in a family can often be analogous to a shepherd: nurturing and nourishing at times, correcting and putting us back in our place at other times. Even as a Jesuit visiting home, the first words out of my mom's mouth were “You need a haircut.” No, she wasn't blind, I was not bald in those days. Mothers give advice; as we grow older, perhaps our mothers seem much wiser.

The scripture today calls us to see everything in our life through the lens of love. Our middle reading from First John tells us: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called children of God, for that, in fact, is what we are.” Imagine that. Believe that! Live in that truth. It will change your life. It will help us to become shepherds to one another. That is our call from our baptism, to share the ministry and the vocation of the shepherd to our families, friends and co-workers. If we can let that attitude become more and more our own, then all that happens in a day will appear as the act of a loving shepherd who has our best interests at heart. We will actually have the heart of Christ.