Date: May 4, 2020 ()

Bible Text: First Reading: ACTS 11:1-18; Gospel: JN 10:11-18 |

Series:

The Good Shepherd and the Hired Man

Jesus today in the gospel gives us a clearer visual about how deep is His love and concern for us, thereby referring himself as the Good Shepherd in contrast to the hired man. We may not easily be able to distinguish the difference as both have the same role - to look after and care for the sheep, but certainly, they are different. The hired man takes his role as a job for which he is paid. His job is a means to an end, the end being the salary he will receive. Most often, when the job demands more than he is paid, he complains or doesn’t care too much; sometimes turns his back from the fold when the work is just too risky.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Psalm 23 discloses David’s experience of Shepherding. No wonder, God was so interested to give His people to the care of David. What does a good shepherd do?

We could summarize the life of a shepherd as one of constant care. David needed to provide food and water for his sheep - not an easy task for a shepherd boy from Bethlehem. The Bible describes Canaan as a good land, a land of blessing for God’s people, but it was not overly lush. Also, the best lands, areas that received the most rainfall, were reserved for agriculture. Shepherds roamed the hills and valleys in more remote and often rugged regions with marginal rainfall. There would have been times of abundance, but as we think about David as a shepherd boy, we should not envision continuous green meadows.

To provide for his flocks, David needed to be a good guide, since the life of a shepherd involved a lot of walking. Each day, a shepherd would bring his flocks from the safety of the village and wander through the hills and valleys in order to provide enough grass for them to eat. During this daily routine, a good shepherd would need to be aware of the needs of the flock as a whole and the needs of each sheep individually.

The Good Shepherd takes on the role not primarily to get something out of it but to give something in it. Ultimately, He will make the brave decision to lay down His life for His sheep because He knew this is a definitive act and commitment of one who truly loves.

In these trying times, we can all draw strength from this very special love the Good Shepherd has for His sheep. As members of His Flock, we only need to listen to His voice and allow Him to lead us with full trust that He will always bring us to the green pasture. We need to be familiar to His voice though, otherwise, the robbers can trick us. How do we recognize His voice? We prayerfully read the Bible, we take heed to the teachings of our Holy Mother Church, we listen to His apostles speak. We maintain a safe distance to the Holy Mass and this means- we need to stay close to the Eucharist.