20250513 SHEEP OR SHEPHERD
First reading | Acts 11:19-26 |
They started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Lord Jesus
Those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.
The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.
Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 86(87) |
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
or
Alleluia!
On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
or
Alleluia!
‘Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called “Mother”
for all shall be her children.’
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
or
Alleluia!
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
‘These are her children,’
and while they dance they will sing:
‘In you all find their home.’
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn10:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 10:22-30 |
The Father and I are one
It was the time when the feast of Dedication was being celebrated in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews gathered round him and said, ‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus replied:
‘I have told you, but you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness;
but you do not believe,
because you are no sheep of mine.
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’
13 May 2025, Tuesday, 4th Week of Easter
SHEEP OR SHEPHERD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 11:19-26; Ps 87:1-7; John 10:22-30]
Why do we say that Jesus is our Good Shepherd? It means that He is our leader in salvation. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Only He leads us to abundant life. We are saying that only Christ can give us eternal life. He comes to share with us the life of God. “I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me. The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father.” For this reason, the gospel proclaims Him as the light of the world at the Feast of Dedication, which is also celebrated as the Festival of Light. This feast happens towards the end of the year during the winter solstice when the night is longest and the day is the shortest. If Jesus can lead us to the fullness of life, it is because Jesus is one with the Father. Only He knows the Father. He said, “The Father and I are one.” Only because Jesus came from God could He reveal to us about His Heavenly Father and give us eternal life.
If Jesus is our Good Shepherd, then we are His sheep. What does it mean to be sheep? A sheep is a follower. A sheep is innocent but not dumb. It is trusting and allows itself to be led. It listens to the shepherd and is guided by the shepherd. It only trusts the shepherd and hears his voice. It would not hear the voice of a stranger. It takes direction only from the shepherd and not from strangers. This is akin to young children. They would cling to their parents and do not want others to hold them or carry them. If children trust their parents it is because they know that their parents, especially their mothers, would always protect them. They feel secure in their arms and cling on to them in times of danger and not anyone else.
Although we claim that Jesus is our Shepherd, we do not listen to His voice, like the Jews. This was why Jesus told them, “I have told you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness; but you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” This is true for many of us. Although we profess ourselves to be Catholic, we do not subscribe to the teachings of the gospel and the Catholic Church. We say that Jesus is our Shepherd but only in name because in truth we are our own shepherds. We are not the sheep of Christ since we do not listen to His voice, or know Him. We listen to the opinions and misleading half-truths of the world. The world is our shepherd in reality. We listen to the media and what it says. We do not read the scriptures, or ask what God wants of us or what He thinks. We are more concerned with what the world thinks than what the Lord has to say. When we do not agree with the things we read in the scriptures, we reject them. We only accept those things that we find acceptable. Hence, ultimately, we listen to ourselves, not Christ. So we are our own shepherds.
Worse still, confused and lost ourselves, we want to be shepherds of others. How can we be shepherds unless we are first sheep? We want to lead others. But as the proverb says, “The blind leading the blind will both will fall into the ditch.” Some of us just want to lead but are not humble enough to be followers. If we are not disciples, we cannot be teachers. How can we lead those under our care, our children, our students, our colleagues and church members when we ourselves do not know Jesus or believe in Him? Can we also say with Jesus that the Father and I are one? Are we identified with Jesus in our thinking, words and actions? So, before we can be true shepherds after the heart of Christ, we must first learn to be good sheep of our Lord by listening to His voice and learn from Him.
But why can’t we listen? Jesus said, “I have told you, but you do not believe.” We do not believe because we do not love the Lord and have no faith. When we do not love, we do not listen. To know someone requires listening and trust. We are to listen not just with our ears but with our hearts. When our hearts are closed we cannot listen to anyone. When we do not trust a person, our minds are prejudiced and therefore, remain unconvinced. Jesus told the Jews that the refusal to believe is the obstacle. When a person is prejudiced, there is nothing we can do to convince them. That was what Jesus said, “The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness; but you do not believe.” The Jews were simply seeking to find fault when they asked Jesus, “How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” They were not interested in the truth.
So how can we listen to the Lord today? We listen to Him in the scriptures, contemplating on His love and mercy. We listen to the homily preached at Mass and we listen to Him especially in prayer. We listen to the Lord through our legitimate superiors and the authoritative teachers of the Church.
Ironically, the people who listen are non-Christians, just like in the early Church. We read that “Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.” Indeed, those outside the faith seem to be more receptive than those of our own kind. The Gentiles were more appreciative of the gospel that the apostles preached than the Jews themselves. This is because they were prejudiced and their minds were already made up.
So, too, ordinary Catholics at times are more docile to the Word of God and to the Lord than those of us who are supposedly active in Church. Quite often, leaders in institutions are less ready to listen than the ordinary people. The lay faithful are excited about the renewal in the archdiocese but their leaders are less passionate. Perhaps, they have become jaded and tired. It is said that familiarity breeds contempt. This is so true, especially for those who handle sacred things. Over time, distributing communion, for example, can be a routine and just an act. I have heard stories of Extra-Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bringing the Sacred Hosts with them, leave them unattended in their cars whilst they go about their mundane activities. Even the sense of reverence and awe for the Sacred is lost today. Not many Catholics bow or kneel or show reverence before the Eucharist. Instead, they continue talking and walking about as if our Lord is not there.
So we need to pray for humility and openness to the Lord, whether we are sheep, and more so if we are holding leadership appointments. We must search the scriptures ourselves and be available to the Lord. If leaders do not learn to be humble sheep, they will end up misleading the sheep and lead them astray. The more we desire to be good shepherds, the more we must learn to be good and obedient sheep of our Lord. We read how important it is to have passionate leaders who are continually being discipled in Christ if we want to bring about conversion in the lives of our people. Barnabas, “was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.” His words of exhortation to the people “to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion” was taken seriously because of his example in faith and life. St Paul cautioned those leaders about losing their own salvation if they were careless and negligent in their own spiritual life. He said, “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” (1 Cor 9:26f)
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment