Homily for 21 April 2024 by Fr. Gerard Jonas

Fourth Week of Easter
Good Shepherd, Good Sheep

Acts 4:8-12; Psalm 118; 1 Jn 3:1-2, John 10:11-18

One of the earliest images of Jesus rendered in art is the Good Shepherd. It has adorned the catacombs of the early Christian communities, a copy of which is what we have out on the icon stand. Perhaps it is because it was Jesus himself who identified himself as the Good Shepherd.

On this 4th Sunday of Easter, the Church commemorates Jesus as the Good Shepherd who literally offered his life for His flock. He resurrected, conquering even death to give his sheep access to eternal life.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calls us to likewise be good sheep. He calls us to follow him to be saved. He gives the example of how to live with one another in love and compassion, of how to love in humble service, and of how to love indiscriminately, of how to lay down one’s life for the sake of the flock.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calls us to pastoral life. In one of his post-resurrection appearances, three times he asked Peter to show his love for Him by feeding his lambs and his sheep. Peter senses the divine commissioning and inaugurates the mission to the Gentiles. This tells of the universality of the call to salvation. The Church is not only Apostolic, owing to the commissioned work of the Apostles, but also Catholic, meaning universal. Thus, called to truly be welcoming to all. Peter must have remembered that the Lord said, as narrated by John in our Gospel Reading today, that there are other sheep that do not belong to the fold yet, but that they too must hear his voice so that there would only be one flock. They will also follow him as their shepherd and join his flock.

To follow Christ, the Good Shepherd, is not only to become good sheep but likewise, abide by his pastoral commissioning and also in turn become good shepherds, mindful of the mission – the zeal for pastoral work and not the commission or personal gains from the work; good shepherds who are ever ready to guide the flock, seek out the lost, accompany closely those that stray and bind the wounded. There is nothing ‘sheepish’ in being a shepherd except the smell. The adjective sheepish connotes cowardice and indecision which cannot describe a real shepherd who is ready to lay down his life for his flock as Jesus did.

Early on in his Pontificate, Pope Francis exhorted the priests “to stay close to the marginalized” and to be “shepherds living with the smell of the sheep.” Later he also addressed this to researchers and journalists. Thus, in effect, making it a truly universal Christian vocation, not just for ordained ministers.

Indeed, the sheep recognizes its own smell in the shepherd and renders it easier to identify him and be close to him. At the Lord’s incarnation, we recognize our humanity in Him. How much more can he be human than even suffer and die so we can share in his divine life as He resurrected?

May we always be good and obedient sheep and in turn, be good shepherds to each one, humbly and zealously accompanying one another, co-responsible for one another.