Fourth Sunday of Easter - GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY Yr B. April 21, 2024.
Readings:
1st: Acts 4:8-12
2nd: I John 3:1-2
Gospel: John 10:11-18
Theme: "Feed my Lambs..., Tend my Sheep..., Feed my Sheep"
My dear people of God, today is fourth Sunday of Easter, GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY. Happy Feast Day to the Priests and Parishioners of Good Shepherd Parish, Tuna, Catholic Diocese of Damongo, Ghana, to ALL Catholic Missions/institutions named after Good Sheperd, to our Religious, Traditional and Political Shepherds, and to All of us, Shepherds in different capacities. Our long reflection would focus on the image and God-given duty of a (Good) Shepherd on one hand, and the vulnerability and total dependency of a sheep on a Shepherd on the other hand. It is not a coincidence that the Good Shepherd Sunday precedes the return of Jesus to the Father - Ascension - which, in fact, is just some 18 days away from today. It would help a great deal to know the ideal identify of a (Good) Shepherd in Palestine at the time of Jesus. Shepherds were not from noble families. They never sought for jobs themselves, they were rather sought for and engaged by serious and discerning owners of flocks/herds. This should not be difficult to imagine and accept. Even today, no Fulani goes about looking for cattle to shepherd/tend. Owners look for one who appears physically fit and able, trustworthy and could be reliable, even if some appearances are sometimes deceptive. Shepherds had no history prior to their call and engagement. A shepherd was constantly and consciously aware of a legitimate summon at anytime by his "Boss" to give credible account of his stewardship. A shepherd was forever exposed and prone to natural dangers and physical attacks of any kind and form. As a result, a shepherd was uniquely courageous/fearless and ever braced up for any eventuality. A (Good) Shepherd was presumably a natural visionary with an enormous ability to see and plan far ahead to ensure a sustainable welfare of the flock. It was the duty of the Shepherd to protect, defend and ensure the safety of the entire flock, even at the very cost of his own life. "If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go" (John 18:9). There can be no greater love of a Good Shepherd than to willingly face death to save his flock.
All through Scripture, when the image of sheep is mentioned in reference to Jesus, especially as the Lamb (of God), it signifies meekness, gentleness, innocence and purity. Applied to His followers, sheep denote a radically different image - that we are weak, helpless, vulnerable and constantly in need of close care and a guided sense of direction. It may not naturally click on the modern day Christian that sheep are the dumbest of all domestic animals. An annonymous author once remarked, "sheep are born looking for a way to die". Just like you and I, they often wander and wade off into predator's territory, sometimes get entangled in brambles, fall into ditches, stubbornly invade people's farms and rightly assaulted and sometimes badly wounded and/or even killed. No domesticated animal is as vulnerable and defenseless as sheep. This points clearly to the quantum of work that awaits a serious minded Shepherd who has the welfare of the sheep at heart. Therefore, the relationship between the above type of Sheep and the shepherd must be a power of connectedness and of empathy. Followers of Christ, vulnerable and helpless sheep, need this type of connectedness with Jesus more than can be imagined. There can be no better image to illustrate the intimate and glued nature of relationship between Jesus and His followers than the image of a Good Shepherd. The priestly prayer of Jesus, John 17, is perhaps too familiar with us that its meaning and purpose easily elude us at a cursory look. Jesus, by that honest prayer, gives very detail, accurate and credible account of His stewardship to the Father. Very key in that prayer, a lesson for ALL serious-minded Shepherds is, "I have watched over them and not one is lost except one who was destined to be lost" - Judas Iscariot .
When scripture repeats something, history never remains the same. For a purpose not known to us, Jesus, (in John 21:15-17) asked Peter three times to confirm his (Peter's) special love for Him and his resolve to shepherd His sheep after He, Jesus, had returned to the Father. Each of Peter's response was followed by a mission, "Feed my lambs", "Tend my sheep", "Feed my sheep". Jesus meant every word he used in entrusting His flock to the human care of Peter, and still to us His trusted Shepherds of today. Peter was asked in very simple terms to "Feed and tend my Sheep", and not to feed on the sheep. It is against this backdrop that our theme is formulated. We thank God for all our religious, traditional and political shepherds who strive daily, against all the paralyzing hardships, to "Tend and Feed" their respective flocks after the example of Christ, the Good Shepherd. May the transforming spirit of the Risen Lord, help all those shepherds who, unfortunately, misunderstand and mistake the elaborate instruction of Jesus to mean "feed on the sheep" to turn a new leaf in that noble call/duty to ensure the integral growth, development and welfare of God's people. May God heal our society of the open extortion and looting type of spirit exhibited by the vast majority of modern day shepherds. The practice of extorting money from the already poor and struggling worshippers by some "stomach shepherds is becoming an open scandal and must be tactically checked. We are not surprised that there is a sharp shift of priority to building more churches and mosques than schools and clinics at our time. It is worrying that every small village across the country is litered with numerous churches and mosques when the people there have no good drinking water, no clinic, and poor children with brain power have no place to sit comfortably and learn. It may sound like a joke but I have a reasoned belief and conviction that a time is soon coming when the prayers of worshippers who cannot read and write may not find favor with God, and their so-called Shepherds would be severely punished for rather feeding on the lambs, instead. Christ would certainly not wish to continuously preach to illiterate, hungry and sick followers at this age of the world. As Prophet, Christ preached/taught to enlighten and heal illiteracy,;as King, He protected, defended and provided experiential security for His followers; as Priest, He broke Bread both in the Desert and in the "Upper Room" (Last Supper) as physical and spiritual nourishment for the pilgrim church. Therefore, to continuously keep "an illiterate, hungry and a sick congregation" and want to be called a Shepherd/Pastor is the biggest scam at this age of the world. At today's Holy Mass in particular, we pray that the young would hear and identify the true voice of Jesus and make a personal and free response to follow Christ in a chosen vocation. Continue to pray the Holy Rosary daily. God richly bless you and your family.
Rev. Fr. Thomas L. Debuo, Catholic Diocese of Damongo, Ghana. (0244511306/0243711926)