Today on the church we celebrate the feast of Christ the Good Shepherd. Why do we celebrate this feast on the 4th sunday of Easter?
first of all, a shepherd is one who feeds, guides, rescues, and heals the sheep.
A good Shepherd, must first prove himself, before he might be considered a worthy shepherd as opposed to a hireling, concerned only for the money.
We wait to see what kind of shepherd is Christ. We let him prove himself before we celebrate the gift.
If we go back to Holy week, We begin to realize just how good this Shepherd is.
Holy Thursday: Jesus institutes the Eucharist, "my body is real food and my blood is real drink." He feeds us, not with ordinary food, but the highest quality, that with everlasting value.
Also, Jesus institutes the priesthood. He calls forth others to guide his flock. He does not abandon us with out enriching souls with the gifts needed to guide and lead the flock. The shepherd continues to train shepherds and call them forth to lead and guide in his steed.
Good Friday: Jesus dies, embraces the silence of death, and descends into hell. Here, as St. Peter tells us in 1 Peter, Jesus goes to preach to those in prison. Jesus goes to the extremes of the world to rescue man, his sheep. He does not give up, he does not stop searching.
Easter Sunday: Jesus rises from the dead. He shows himself whole. In the resurrection, the wound of humanity is healed. The separation that began in the garden of Eden is now restored to wholeness. The resurrection points to that eternal healing we have all longed for, and Jesus points us toward that final place of rest, where the pastures are always green and the repose will be forever.
Jesus proves himself to be a Good Shepherd, in his agony, death, and resurrection. We recognize what he has done and thus we celebrate that we are lost no more. We have a shephed that is reliable, trustworthy, one who knows the way.
Why are we lost no more?
Not only does our shepherd have a face, but he also has a voice. It is the voice that gathers us together, calls us forth, directs us along the way. We listen to hear his voice and hope to respond.
How do we recognize that voice?
It is not so much by sound but by content. It is what the voice is filled with that reveals itself as true and genuine call of the Good Shepherd.
What does the voice of the shepherd speak to us?
Here are just a few scripture verse that speak to the content of the voice of the Good Shepherd:
1) "Peace, be still." Jesus calms the sea. The Shepherd constantly speaks the sentiment of peace in our lives, especially with the chaos of economic struggles and health scares around the world. Jesus always seeks to calm us in the storm
2)"Rise, and pick up your mat and walk. Your sins are forgiven" Jesus speaks these words to the man who is paralyzed. The voice of the shepherd is one that seeks to remove guilt from our lives. He seeks to strengthen us so that we might walk with head held high, confident of his mercy. Guilt can be paralyzing, we have to let the shepherd remove that which paralyzes.
3)"Neither do I condemn you. Go, sin no more." Jesus speaks to the woman caught in adultery. He doesn't hold her in her sins. Offers her an opportunity to begin a new. Yet, at the same time he exhorts her to never settle for less, never settle for second best. The Shepherd wants us to go beyond, seek the higher things, never settle and become less then what we were meant for.
4)"Take courage, be not afraid, I have already conquered the world." Jesus speaks to his disciples as he prepares for death. He alleviates their fear. How often we listen to the fear in our hearts or being broadcast. Jesus, comes to refocus us, no longer on fear but on his victory, on his strength. We focus on the shepherd and the fear dissolves.
5)"stop worrying about questions like,'what will we eat, what will we drink, what will we wear. Your heavenly Father knows all that you need." Jesus comes to alleviate our anxiety and worry. He comes to remove that unnecessary stress in our life. He calls us to trust in the one who provides, who holds all things in his hands. How often we busy ourselves with material concerns and lose sight of the higher things in life. We must learn to seek what God wants to give. The fault isn't is God providing but in our wanting. It too must be purified.
6) "love your enemies. Do good to those who hurt you. Bless those who curse you." The Good shepherd calls us to a new life of brotherly affection and love. He calls us to set aside the vengeance, the hatred, the lies, the gossip. He calls us to truly be one flock.
7) "What you have done to the least of these you have done to me." The Shepherd empowers us to discern his presence in the world. He leaves no doubt where he might be found physically among us. He calls us to a greater solidarity.
8) "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me, go therefore make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teach them all that I have commanded, and I will be with you always." The shepherd empowers his church to constantly guide and teach, to leave no doubt about his intentions. The Catholic Church continues to teach and guide in the name of Jesus through the apostles.
In all it is the content of the voice that makes himself known as the Good Shepherd. This is what we listen for, this is how we discern the true presence of the Good Shepherd that will leads us home; this is why we are lost no more.
He has a voice, he speaks, may we be sheep that listen.
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