Good Shepherd Sunday / Vocation Sunday
First Reading – Acts 4:8-12;
Second Reading – 1 John 3:1-2;
Gospel – John 10:11-18
On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, called Good Shepherd Sunday, we continue to reflect
on the meaning of the Resurrection. This is also the World Day of Prayer for
Vocations. Today, we celebrate the risen Lord as the Good Shepherd who lays down his
life for his sheep. The priest in charge of a parish is called pastor because “pastor” means
shepherd. As shepherd, he leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects
Christ’s sheep, the people of the parish. The earliest Christians saw Jesus as the
fulfilment of the ancient Jewish dream of a Good Shepherd. They also wished to include
the Gentiles as part of God’s flock.
In today’s first reading, Peter asserts unequivocally before the Jewish assembly that
there is no salvation except through Christ, the Good Shepherd — the one whom the
Jewish leaders have rejected and crucified and in whose name the apostles preach and
heal. In the second reading, St. John tells us how Yahweh, the Good Shepherd of the Old
Testament, expressed His love for us through His Son Jesus, the Good Shepherd, by
making us His children. In today’s Gospel Jesus introduces himself as the “Good
Shepherd.” Jesus claims that as Good Shepherd he knows his sheep and loves them so
much he is ready to die for them. The Gospel text offers us both comfort — the Good
Shepherd knows us, provides for us, and loves us – and a double challenge: to
become good shepherds to those entrusted to our care and good sheep in our parish, the
sheepfold of Jesus the Good Shepherd.
Let us become good shepherds: Everyone who is entrusted with the care of others is
a shepherd. Hence Bishops, pastors, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government
officials, bosses, and politicians are all shepherds. We become good shepherds by loving
those entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time, talents, health, and wealth
for their welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers. Parents must
be especially careful of their duties as shepherds, becoming role models for their
children by leading exemplary lives.
Let us be good sheep in the fold of Jesus, our Good Shepherd: a) by hearing and
following the voice of our shepherds through their homilies, Bible classes, counselling
and advice; b) by taking the spiritual food given by our pastors through regular and
active participation in the Holy Mass and by frequenting the sacraments, prayer
services, renewal programs, and missions; c) by cooperating with our pastors, giving
them positive suggestions for the welfare of the parish, encouraging them in their
ministry by prayer and presence, by offering them praise and thanks for all they are
doing for us, and occasionally by making constructive suggestions for changes; d) by
cooperating as good stewards in the activities of various councils, ministries, and parish
associations.
Let us pray that we may all both receive and accept God’s offered vocations to the
Priesthood, the diaconate and the consecrated life as well as to Marriage and the
single state, so that we may have more holy and Spirit-filled shepherds to lead, feed,
and protect a receptive Catholic community. Christ Jesus is the Priest in the full sense
because He is the one mediator between God and humanity who offered Himself, a
unique sacrifice, on the cross. The universal priesthood of all believers, the sharing of all
the baptised in the priesthood of Christ, has received special emphasis since Vatican II.
Those who are called to make a lifelong commitment to serve as ordained ministers
share the ministerial priesthood of Jesus. On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations we are
asked to encourage and pray for our young men to respond to God’s call to serve His
Church in the ministerial priesthood and for all of us that we may live out our vocations
as He wills.