20210425 RELEVANCE OF A SHEPHERD IN TODAY’S WORLD
25 April, 2021, 4th Sunday of Easter
irst reading | Acts 4:8-12 © |
The name of Jesus Christ is the only name in which we can be saved
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter said: ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today. This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone. For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 117(118):1,8-9,21-23,26,28-29 © |
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.
or
Alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love has no end.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in men;
it is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.
or
Alleluia!
I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my saviour.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.
or
Alleluia!
Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
You are my God, I thank you.
My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
for his love has no end.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.
or
Alleluia!
Second reading | 1 John 3:1-2 © |
We shall be like God because we shall see him as he really is
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn10:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 10:11-18 © |
The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep
Jesus said:
‘I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.
The hired man, since he is not the shepherd
and the sheep do not belong to him,
abandons the sheep and runs away
as soon as he sees a wolf coming,
and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep;
this is because he is only a hired man
and has no concern for the sheep.
‘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 my sheep.
And there are other sheep I have
that are not of this fold,
and these I have to lead as well.
They too will listen to my voice,
and there will be only one flock,
and one shepherd.
‘The Father loves me,
because I lay down my life
in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me;
I lay it down of my own free will,
and as it is in my power to lay it down,
so it is in my power to take it up again;
and this is the command I have been given by my Father.’
RELEVANCE OF A SHEPHERD IN TODAY’S WORLD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 4:8-12; PS 118; 1 JOHN 3:1-2; JOHN 10:11-18 ]
Today, the Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday. It is day dedicated to all of us who are responsible for those under our care, whether as parents, political or corporate leaders, student leaders and in a special way, religious leaders and clergy. But in today’s sophisticated world, who needs a shepherd? We are all leaders. We know what to do and what is the best way to get things done. Not many people genuinely believe they are sheep, and lesser still, to think that they are dumb sheep, getting lost or strayed. Nay, we are intelligent people. We have our PhDs and Masters degrees. And even when people are elected for leadership, it is not for them to lead us. They are to listen to us, and not the other way around. Otherwise, we will change the leaders. Today’s leaders are not elected to lead but simply to listen to their sheep and obey them. At most, they are to seek consensus, be a mediator, a bridge-maker. The sheep today leads the shepherd!
But is it really true that we are not dumb sheep and that we do not need a leader? Why, then, are our decisions leading us to death? Can the world truly claim that they have the key to fullness of life? What we see is that more and more are choosing not just biological death but also personal death! Today, the world is at the brink of annihilation. We have lost our conscience and human life is no longer sacred. We begin with abortion in its early stages and we end with abortion even at birth, or euthanasia when life is no more meaningful and there is nothing further to live for. We have lost our will to live because life has no meaning beyond fulfilling our physical needs and pleasures. Our yearning for lasting relationships is a myth because relationships do not last, especially in marriages. At any rate, death makes all relationships meaningless, because love is not eternal or everlasting.
Secondly, are we truly free as we claim to be, or have we become slaves to our passions and the world? Although we claim that we do not need any leaders because we are all leaders, then why is it that we all succumb to a herd mentality? We dare not stand up for what we believe. We are pressurized to conform with the rest of society, even when it is against our real happiness. We follow what the world is saying, a world manipulated by the rich and powerful who have control over media, entertainment, government policies, but serving their own selfish interests. Most of us just imbibe in the culture molded by the world, just like secularism and the culture of death and individualism promoted by the world, in the name of freedom and democracy. We accept infidelity in marriages as a way of life, lying and cheating as the way to get ahead in the world, spreading rumours, twisting and distorting facts to champion our desire to be the greatest, the best, the most powerful politically, economically, in technology and armament.
Indeed, we will know whether we are shepherds when we measure ourselves against the Lord who calls Himself, the Good Shepherd. If we think we are shepherds, then we must ask ourselves, what kind of shepherd are we? A true shepherd as mentioned three times in the gospel is one who lays down his life for his sheep. In other words, he puts the life of those whom he is called to lead before his own. It is not about himself, his interests or safety but he is always primarily concerned about the well-being and security of his sheep. Laying down one’s life for one’s sheep gains for us the title of the “Good Shepherd.” How many of our shepherds are willing to lay down their life for their people? On the contrary, shepherds often make use of those under their charge to serve their interests first. They do not put the needs and sufferings of the people before themselves. Often, leaders manipulate those under their charge so that they can serve them, not so that they can serve the people. This was the case of the leaders of Israel, both political and religious leaders. So the all-important question we must ask is: Are our leaders laying down their lives for us?
But it is not even enough for a leader to lay down his life for his people, he must do so willingly and freely. There are leaders who are forced to die because of pride or ego. Rather than to die a loser, they die to save their reputation and their name. Given the choice, they would rather not die. But faced with the need to defend themselves or their loved ones, death would be the necessary way. In other words, they died for themselves, not for their flock. In the case of Jesus, the gospel makes it clear that He was not forced to die for us. He was not pressured by external forces. “The Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will, and as it is in my power to lay it down, so it is in my power to take it up again.” We must not imagine that the death of Jesus was a mistake, or that Jesus died because of a miscalculation. On the contrary, the gospel of John particularly showed that Jesus willingly surrendered Himself to His enemies and died for us. He died for the love of us so that He could show forth the Father’s love and mercy. In that sense, He chose to die for us. There was no compulsion whatsoever. His death was not because of a situation beyond His control.
A true shepherd therefore is never a hireling. This does not mean that those who are full time employees of the Church, NGOs and Government and are remunerated are considered hirelings. It is a question of where his heart is primarily. Is it a question of enriching himself materially, or in terms of prestige and power by serving the community or truly to uplift the life of those people under their care? Is remuneration the primary criterion for service in the Church or in any organization, or is it about service, the common good of the people and for the greater glory of God? In other words, are we motivated by a higher purpose in what we are doing or a worldly motive? If we are serving people and God before ourselves, then we must be ready to make sacrifices in terms of salary, benefits, perks and rewards. As the Lord said, a hired man has no concern for the sheep. The true shepherd’s reward is to know that we have uplifted the lives of those under our charge. We have made a difference in their lives, given them hope, courage, meaning and purpose. Greater still is to know that we have given them our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true shepherd of their souls.
Because a shepherd is not just doing a job or a project but looking after the sheep and being responsible for their well-being and happiness, the shepherd must know the sheep intimately and allow the sheep to know him as well. The Lord 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.” When we think of the image of a shepherd, his relationship with his sheep is very personal and intimate. Inter-personal relationships cannot be measured in terms of remuneration or financial terms. In a personal relationship, what dictates us is the love in our hearts. Isn’t this the way we care for our loved ones? When it is for the happiness of our loved ones and their well-being, we will do everything within our means to help or care for the person even it if means depriving ourselves of our own needs. When the shepherd spends all his time with his sheep in the desert alone by himself, the bond between the shepherd and his sheep is akin to those of us who have dogs at home who are our companions. This is why some do not understand why pet owners spend so much money on their pets when they could use the money to help the poor. Love is not logical but of the heart.
Today, as we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, all of us, priests, religious, lay leaders and corporate leaders are all called to be shepherds after His own heart. In a special way, we need to pray for more holy and dedicated priests to serve the shepherds of God in the market place. Unless we form our lay people who are shepherds in the world, in their offices and organizations, imbue them with faith and the gospel values, the world will be deprived of good shepherds. When leaders, whether religious, political or corporate leaders only care for themselves, for power, wealth and glory, society will be ruined and there will be division and disorder in society. St Peter declared that we must come to Jesus “for of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.” He is our true shepherd leading us to recover our true sonship as we purify ourselves as St John tells us. We must turn to Him, “the stone rejected” by the world to help us all to be Good Shepherds after Him.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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