Reflection during Holy Hour for Vocations
Church of St Patrick & St Seachnall, Dunshaughlin
4th Sunday of Easter (Vocations)
21-April-24
Christ, the Good Shepherd
John 10:11-18
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
On this Vocations Sunday, we are delighted to be here with you Father Sean, to be with Christ, the Shepherd-Priest; placed upon the altar here. Just as in the gospel of today’s Mass, the Lord continues to speak to us in His Sacred Presence. He calls Himself, the “Good Shepherd.” We can wonder how this title relates to the Priesthood, or those considering a call? In fact, we will see it has everything to do with the nature of God’s Son and the gift of the Priesthood, He has given us.
So, what can we say is a shepherd? We know in ancient times and even up to the present day, a guide to any flock, acted as their protector and direction. The shepherd cared for, knew, and loved their flock. Often, in a time before artificial lights or navigation devices, the shepherd was the lamp in the darkness and the one who knew the way for their flock. Keeping the heard together and having food for them to eat, was essential to the role of the shepherd. In short, there is no flock without a shepherd.
Now that we have reflected on what a shepherd is, we might cast our minds to some of the Bible shepherd images familiar to us, to assist our reflection and to add on to our understanding of the role, through the eyes of faith. Jospeh, the young man with the coat of many colours is a shepherd of his father’s flock (cf. Gen 37:2), then thrown down by his brothers, he rises as a royal of Egypt, to save his family and people from famine. We hear of the once prince of Egypt, Moses who was a shepherd of his flock and then, God brings him up the mountain to become the shepherd of his people (cf. Exod 3:1-22). He will intercede for and guide his people. Ezekial tells of the Lord’s desire to lead His people and to have King David be their shepherd for Him (cf. Exek 34:24). . Then we have the great Psalm 23, The Lord is the Shepherd who leads us to the fields of eternity, over the deep valley of death. These images of shepherds, bring us to the night outside Bethlehem, when the shepherds are out in the fields with their flock. They see a great star, follow its light, and come to see the Infant of true light, Jesus Christ. They had cared for their flocks as the poor of the land, now they are shepherded into the heart of God-with-us, in the cave that holds the Child of God’s presence, at the edge of town. They hurry to see the One who will the guide of all of us forever (cf. Luke 2:16). Now the shepherds are drawn and guided by the little Lord who leads them to His Divine light.
When I was a young apprentice painter, the foreman on the site was the shepherd! In my eyes he was a god! One day, he decided to show off by carrying a heavy triple extension ladder, with one hand, as it leaned on his shoulder!! As he was walking along, shouting for us to look at him, he tripped!! The ladder fell, almost as if in slow motion, on top of the bosses’ new Mercedes!! Let’s say he was a shepherd of us no more!! Today let us also pray for workers ion the world. Shepherds, can be supervisors, parents in homes, teachers, carers, and leaders in communities, those in our health service, army, Garda and so many other vocations too. Shepherds are those who work with and guide us but perhaps, they are wiser than my foreman of old!
We said at the beginning, that Christ is the Shepherd –Priest. He draws the shepherds of Bethlehem, and he draws all of us to Himself too. Lifted up, on the Cross (cf. Jn 12:32), he leads us to the safe place of His open Heart. So, what are the defining aspects of this Priest-Shepherd? Like Joseph, who fed the hungry Israelites, Jesus feeds us in our famine for hope, with the Bread of Eternal life (cf. Jn 6:35) He refreshers our souls with the springs of living water, that pour from His side, opened forever in love for us (cf. Jn 19:34). The once prince of Egypt filled an earthily hunger, Christ, the great Shepherd, feeds us forever with His Presence. This Shepherd is our true food, but He also is our Prayer answered. Moses, we saw, interceded for His people but Jesus, opens His arms forever on the cross of prayer, to bring us to God. He is God who leads us to God, as our guide on the path of life. David led his people for God. However, his kinship passed into the confines of the grave but God promised his dynasty would last forever (cf. 2 Sam 7:16-17). Jesus is the true David; the Shepherd King, who remains with us always, as the Living God among us. His kingship is seen with the purple robe of rejection and the thorn- crown of insults, and yet, even when this King is hidden in bruises, he saves the thief and all of us in the hour of His death (cf. Lk 23:43). This is the Priest and Shepherd, Jesus, the One who is to save us from our sins (cf. Mt 1:21), the Lord whose power to save us is utterly certain (cf. Acts 4:12). The Lord is our Shepherd, and we, with Him, lack noting (cf. Ps 23). This Priest-Shepherd, Jesus, has never ceased to pray, to love, to heal, to be with, to save and to feed us. He is indeed the Good-Shepherd.
I will give you shepherds ( cf. Jer 3:15; Acts 20:28) As Saint John Paul II said, “In these words from the prophet Jeremiah, God promises his people that he will never leave them”( Pope John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores Dabo Vobis, 1, 1992). God’s promise becomes flesh in the Son of Mary, the Shepherd-Priest for the ages. I will give you shepherds. Jesus called the Twelve to Him to be Shepherds in His name (cf. Acts 5:40-42). To become the voice that says, “This is My Body, My Blood” (cf. Mt 26:26-30), therefore feeding the faithful with the life of God. To be His hands that bless, heal and forgive. To be as the shepherds of Bethlehem, that go to the Light of Christ but also to guide the flock in that Light, with teaching, prayer and the message of saving hope. I will give you shepherds
Christ, the Shepherd-Priest, gives us shepherds. Every vocation is like those simple herdsmen of Bethlehem, out in the fields of time but then, they see the star of Jesus’ radiance and wish to go to Him and to bring others to Him. If you see this Light of Christ drawing you, if you feel drawn to Him, if you take joy in getting closer to the Lord, then know, He is calling you to come to Him, to be with Him and to bring Him into this time. He wants to open your heart, to be as His Heart, He wants your voice to be His. He wants to use your hands to extend His blessing into the lives that so need Him now. Our parishes, our young, those in college, school, in work, at home, older, those ill, those seeking meaning, all so need to hear of God, to be guided by Him. The voice of Christ did not fall silent with the Apostles; He still speaks in His priests today, He guides in His priests, He blesses, absolves, and becomes present at the hour of Mass, in the ministry of His priests. He wishes to give us shepherds in those who say yes to His call. Be as Joseph but with Christ and give the food of angles from the altar, as Moses, and pray but with the power of the Lord, be the priest that will lead the people you serve, as shepherd, into the calm waters of a deep faith and hope. The Lord promises Shepherds may His gift of being a Shepherd-Priest find a home in all of those called in His name. Amen.
Very Rev. Tony Gonoude
Priest of the Diocese of Meath, Parish Priest of Ballynacarrigy, Vocations Director.