Today on this 4th Sunday of the Easter Season we celebrate Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
In the gospel of today’s mass (John 10:27- 30), Jesus portrays himself as a Shepherd who is totally committed to the well-being of his sheep – all of us. This is a shepherd who knows each of us intimately and who provides us with guidance, rest, and protection – even at the expense of the Shepherd’s own life. Pope Francis tells us, “time and time again Jesus bears us on his shoulders with a tenderness that never disappoints…a boundless and unfailing love…making it possible for us to lift up our heads and start anew”.
And Jesus goes even further, assuring us that, as Shepherd, he also provides us with life. Jesus tells us that his flock – all of us – are invited to share in the “Divine Romance” – the loving relationship between Father and Son, a relationship that we can enter into right now, a relationship that bestows eternal life.
Jesus tells us that we only need to listen for, and respond to, the Shepherd’s voice in order to enter into this relationship. Pope Francis adds, “Jesus’ voice is unique! If we learn to distinguish it, he guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond even the abyss of death”.
So we go forward, with our ears tuned to our Shepherd’s voice, our eyes open to all the good things our Shepard has given us, and our hearts and minds confident in what our future holds – safe pasture with our God.