20190513
WHO
IS THE TRUE SHEPHERD?
13 MAY, 2019,
Monday, 4th Week of Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
White.
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First reading
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Acts 11:1-18 ©
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God can grant even the pagans the
repentance that leads to life
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The apostles and the brothers in Judaea
heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up
to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, ‘So you have been visiting the
uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’ Peter in reply gave them the
details point by point: ‘One day, when I was in the town of Jaffa,’ he began ‘I
fell into a trance as I was praying and had a vision of something like a big
sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. This sheet reached the
ground quite close to me. I watched it intently and saw all sorts of animals
and wild beasts – everything possible that could walk, crawl or fly. Then
I heard a voice that said to me, “Now, Peter; kill and eat!” But I answered:
Certainly not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips. And a
second time the voice spoke from heaven, “What God has made clean, you have no
right to call profane.” This was repeated three times, before the whole of it
was drawn up to heaven again.
‘Just
at that moment, three men stopped outside the house where we were staying; they
had been sent from Caesarea to fetch me, and the Spirit told me to have no
hesitation about going back with them. The six brothers here came with me as
well, and we entered the man’s house. He told us he had seen an angel standing
in his house who said, “Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter; he has a
message for you that will save you and your entire household.”
‘I
had scarcely begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same
way as it came on us at the beginning, and I remembered that the Lord had said,
“John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” I
realised then that God was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when
we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?’
This
account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God. ‘God’ they said ‘can
evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm
41(42):2-3,42:3-4 ©
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My soul is thirsting for
God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
Like the deer that yearns
for running streams,
so my soul is yearning
for you, my God.
My soul is thirsting for
God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
My soul is thirsting for God,
the God of my life;
when can I enter and see
the face of God?
My soul is thirsting for
God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
O send forth your light and your truth;
let these be my guide.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
My soul is thirsting for
God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
And I will come to the altar of God,
the God of my joy.
My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp,
O God, my God.
My soul is thirsting for
God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
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Jn10:14
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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John 10:1-10 ©
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I am the gate of the sheepfold
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Jesus said:
‘I
tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the
gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters
through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the
sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out.
When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow
because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from
him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’
Jesus
told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling
it to them.
So
Jesus spoke to them again:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who have come
are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
he will go freely in and out
and be sure of finding pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come
so that they may have life and have it to
the full.’
WHO IS THE TRUE
SHEPHERD?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 11:1-18; PS 42:2-3, 42:3-4; JOHN 10:1-10 ]
There are many people
who claim to be able to give us life, peace, love and happiness. But do they really give us
life? Do they really lead us to the world that we really want, where
there is peace, harmony, unity and progress for all? What we see in the
world is division, injustice, nationalism, individualism, selfishness leading
to inequality and poverty. That is why it is important to distinguish the
true shepherds from the false shepherds. Otherwise, by following the
false shepherds, we will be cheated and destroyed. As the Lord warns us,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
The true shepherd, of
course, is Christ Himself. Jesus
said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the
Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the
sheep.” (Jn 10:14f) As
the Shepherd, He knows each one of us by name. He knows
our struggles, our pains and our fears. This is because the shepherd
lives amongst the people. Like the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, “He took our
infirmities and bore our diseases.” (Mt 8:17) Indeed, during His ministry on
earth, Jesus was always with the people in their sickness and pain.
Like a father or mother, the Shepherd is always there for His children.
Just as parents would do all that they can to ensure that their children are
well fed, educated, comfortable and happy in life, so too Jesus the Good
Shepherd desires the same for His sheep.
The shepherd is the one who
leads and walks before his people. Jesus
said, “the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads
them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the
sheep follow because they know his voice.” He not only shows the way but
he walks the way. He is a good mentor and leader not just by his words
but by his life. He lives with his people and journeys with them in
good times and in bad. As the Shepherd, He gave His life for us. He
made it clear that He had come so that we may have life and have it to the
full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life
for the sheep.” (Jn 10:11) By so
doing, He teaches us that we too can find life if we give up our life for
others. This made St Paul remark, “For the love of Christ urges us on
because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.
And he died for all so that those who live might live no longer for themselves,
but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor 5:14f)
Jesus is not merely the
shepherd but He is also the Gate. Jesus
said, “I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. All
others who have come are thieves and brigands.” To say that He is the
Gate means to say Jesus is the one through whom we have access to eternal
life. As Jesus told Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will
know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (Jn 14:6f) Only in Christ Jesus, do
we know the way to the fullness of life because only Jesus who is from God can
show us who the Father is. “No one has ascended into heaven except the
one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” (Jn 3:13) Indeed, “No one has ever seen
God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made
him known.” (Jn 1:18) Christ is
the revelation of the Father and therefore the Word of God in person.
Clearly, for us, Christians, Jesus who is the Son of God is the only One who
can show us the Face of the Father. It is for this reason that St Peter
said, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) St Paul affirms this truth
when He said, “For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and
humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for
all.” (1 Tim 2:5)
Accordingly, anyone who
is a shepherd after the heart of Christ must first have entered the Gate
himself.Jesus warns us, “anyone
who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but gets in some other way is
a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of
the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he
calls his own sheep and leads them out.” We cannot be true shepherds
after the heart of Christ unless we first enter the gate, that is, Jesus
Himself. Unless we come to know Jesus personally and have surrendered our
lives to Him, we cannot lead others to Him or to the Father. Unless we
have heard His voice ourselves, we cannot impart the truth to others.
Coming to Jesus who is
the Gate, therefore, is the first priority of the shepherd. Consequently, all shepherds after the
heart of Christ must make time for prayer. They must be in close intimacy
with the Lord, basking in His love. Just as Jesus drew strength daily
from His Father, so, too, we must draw strength from our Lord. This also
means that a leader must also grow in faith and in understanding of the Word of
God by spending time in meditation and study. No one who is unfamiliar
with what the Good Shepherd teaches can lead others to their destiny. To
be a real shepherd, we must not just be prayerful but always studying and
forming ourselves in the faith, either formally through serious biblical and
theological courses or through personal reading and study.
Unfortunately, today we
have many shepherds who are killing the sheep under their care. They only want to enjoy the benefits
from looking after the sheep and taking the places of honour.
Indeed, we have leaders who are more interested in power, glory, honour and the
material gains that come with leadership than about the good of the ordinary
people. This is because they do not have the heart of the Good Shepherd
as they do not know Him. Instead of instructing them according to the
scriptures, they give false hope and easy solutions to their moral dilemma
because they want to be popular and accepted by society. Without
speaking the truth, we will eventually mislead them and cause them to suffer
more, if not them, their children’s children. This is what the world
seeks to do, to pander to the selfish and immoral desires of people so that
they can continue to hold on to power. It is a case of the sheep leading
the shepherd and not what a shepherd should do, to lead, to explain, to
enlighten and to empower. But they cannot do this unless they know
the truth.
Secondly, a true shepherd
must be willing to die for his sheep.
Jesus made it clear, “No one has greater love than this, to lay
down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13) St Paul went further when he reflected,
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person – though
perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God
proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for
us.” (Rom 5:6-8) Are there such shepherds around
today? Are shepherds only concerned about those who care for them and those who
love them? Do shepherds reach out to those who have strayed, lost their
way, are hurt, injured, hungry and worn out by life’s struggles? When a
shepherd cares more for his own convenience, his pleasure and his personal
interest than the needs of his sheep, he is not a true shepherd. Worse
still, when a shepherd takes advantage of the sheep for his own glory interests
and gains! No shepherd must fleece his sheep for himself, taking the wool
and the milk whilst leaving them naked, hungry and wounded. Our Lord died
for His sheep and sacrificed Himself to purify and sanctify us.
Today, St Peter showed
himself to be a true shepherd who willing stood up for Christ’s sheep, even at
the expense of causing scandal and opposition among his Jewish community for
accepting the Gentiles into the faith.
He was conscious of what the Lord said, “I have other sheep that do not belong
to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So
there will be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn 10:16) Indeed, salvation is given to all
and not just to the Jews. St Paul says that God “desires everyone to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:4)
St Peter was willing to
die for what the Lord revealed to Him, for his primary concern was not his
safety or popularity but the salvation of all, Jews and Gentiles alike. It was his courageous decision that
made it possible for the Gentiles to enter into the Church. This was
confirmed by the Lord when the Holy Spirit was also bestowed on them even
before they were baptized with water. The Lord personally baptized them
with His Spirit. Hence, he concluded, “I realised then that God was
giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord
Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?’ This account
satisfied them, and they gave glory to God, ‘God’ they said, ‘can evidently
grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.'”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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