JESUS OUR GOOD SHEPHERD LEADS AND PROTECTS US

 

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year A

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Scriptural Texts: Acts 2:14.36-41, 1 Peter 2:20-25, John 10:1-10

 

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. It is also a day designated to pray for vocations for all Christians. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and cares for them. He also describes himself as the gate for the sheep, the one who leads them to safety and abundance (John 10:1-10). As our Good Shepherd, Jesus is always watching over us, protecting us from harm, and guiding us on the path of righteousness.

The first thing we note in our today’s gospel reading is the kind of relationship that exists between Jesus, the Good Shepherd and his sheep. This relationship is unique, personal and intimate, and it is expressed in the fact that Jesus knows each of us by name. Anyone who knows you by name is concerned about you and is ‘genuinely’ interested in you. As such, the fact that Jesus knows us by name should be a comforting and reassuring thought, especially in the midst of the challenges we face today. Jesus knows us personally and intimately, and is always ready to guide and protect us. He calls each of us by name and invites us to follow him in different vocations of Christian life. Every call requires a response. Therefore, we must be willing to respond to his call, no matter what it takes. We are called to surrender ourselves to Jesus and trust in his plan for our lives.

But then, in our today’s noisy and busy world, it is a bit difficult to fully respond to the call of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. That is why Jesus tells us that every sheep that belong to him listen to his voice and they follow him. Naturally, listening requires attentiveness. Therefore, for us to listen to the voice of Jesus our Good Shepherd, we need to be attentive. Jesus also draws our attention to the fact that there are many thieves and robbers out there claiming to be shepherds of the sheep. We must learn to discern the voice of Jesus and follow him obediently.

Jesus also describes himself as the gate or door for the sheep. There are two ways of looking at a door/gate. First, when it is open, it is a means of access for those outside, and second, when it is closed, it a sign of protection for those inside. When Jesus says in the gospel reading, ‘I am the gate’, he means it in both the first and second senses. He wants people to go in and out through him. He says in that gospel reading, ‘anyone who enters through me will be safe, he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture’. He wants us to go freely in and out through him because he is the Way to the Father. The gate is the path to a fullness of life for the sheep. Also, he assures us that anyone who passes through him will rest secure and be saved from thieves and robbers.

Lastly, as we continue through this Easter season, the Lord calls each of us to be a good shepherd in some shape or form. Each of us has a responsibility for a flock of our own, whether we are married or ordained or a religious or a single person. Each of us is responsible for someone or for some others. The Lord is calling us to give of ourselves to those we are responsible for, and, thereby, to experience something of that fullness of life the Lord wants for us. As the sheep of his flock, let us draw near to the Good Shepherd, listening for his voice and following his lead. May we find in him the peace and security that we long for, and may we be strengthened to share his love with others. Jesus promises us an abundant life, filled with joy and peace. As we follow him, we will experience the richness of his love and the blessings he has in store for us.