Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Homilies
Archive
Fourth Sunday of
Easter
April 13, 2008
Some years ago Time magazine carried a story about an unusual young woman named Laura Bell. After graduating from college, she took a job as a sheep-herder in Wyoming. For the next three years Laura was on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, tending 2,000 sheep. All this time she was completely alone except for her horse, her dog, and the sheep. Once a week someone rode out to the distant hill country, where she pastured her sheep, to bring her food, mail, and rifle shells.
Laura's job taught her a lot about herself. The long hours alone gave her the time she needed to ponder her future, her doubts, her dreams. They also gave her time to clarify her values and to set her goals. But Laura's job did more than teach her a lot about herself. It also taught her a lot about Jesus.
Today is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Today's responsorial psalm is the universally loved Psalm 23, with its response, "The Lord is my shepherd." In the Second Reading we hear Peter describe Jesus as the shepherd of souls. The image appears again in John’s Gospel account that we just heard. The Bible uses the image of a shepherd to describe Jesus.
Laura Bell experienced firsthand why the Bible uses that image. She learned firsthand what the qualities of a good shepherd are. And what are those qualities?
First of all, a good shepherd is a totally committed person. A shepherd lives for the flock day after day, week after week, and month after month. Sheep-herding isn't just another job, like working in an office or store. Sheep-herding isn't a job at all; it’s a way of life. You do it because you love it. When Jesus called himself a good shepherd, he meant that he was committed to his flock 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. In other words, all of his energies and concerns were for the flock entrusted to his care. Every moment of his life was dedicated to it.
This brings us to the second quality a shepherd must have. Besides being deeply committed, a shepherd must be a deeply caring person. A shepherd's satisfaction is tied up with the welfare of the flock. When the flock is happy, the shepherd is happy. When the flock is in pain, the shepherd is in pain.
There's an old Jewish legend that explains why God chose Moses over all the people on earth to shepherd his flock, Israel. One day Moses was shepherding some sheep that belonged to his father-in-law, Jethro. Suddenly he spotted a lamb darting off through the underbrush. Moses dropped everything and pursued it, lest it be killed by a wild animal or become lost. He finally caught up with the lamb at a tiny stream of water, where it was drinking feverishly. When it had finished drinking, Moses scooped it up in his arms, saying, "Little one, I didn't know you ran away because you were so thirsty. Your tiny legs must be tired." With that he placed the lamb on his shoulders and carried it back to the flock. When God saw how caring Moses was, he said to himself, "At last, I’ve found the special person I have been searching for. I will make Moses the shepherd of my people, Israel." It was this kind of person that Jesus was also: gentle and caring about each member of his flock.
This brings us the third and final quality a good shepherd must possess. Besides being committed and caring, a shepherd must also be courageous. There’s a story in the First Book of Samuel about how young David volunteered to fight the giant, Goliath. The king refused to let David do it, saying: "You are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth." David responded, saying: "Your servant used to tend his father's sheep, and whenever a lion or bear came to carry off a sheep from the flock, I would go after it and attack it and rescue the prey from its mouth...The lord, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and bear, will also keep me safe from...Goliath." We all know how that story turned out. David defeated Goliath.
And so Laura Bell's unusual job taught her a lot not only about herself, but also about Jesus. It taught her why the Bible gave Jesus the title of the Good Shepherd. It was because he had, to a perfect degree, the three qualities every shepherd must have. He was committed, caring, and courageous. His sole concern was the flock his Father had entrusted to him. It taught Laura why Jesus is a model for all priests, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, and all others who have people entrusted to their care, which is most of us!
Let us always remember that all of us, God's human family, the Body of Christ, are called to reflect the image of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. Regardless of our vocation, gender, or age, we should always strive to act and speak in the image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I pray for the grace of God to make all of us Good Shepherds! Committed, Caring, and Courageous!