Several Good Shepherds are found throughout Scriptures. Abel, son of Adam, was the first shepherd in human history. For bringing to God the firstlings of his flock, the Lord looked favorably on Abel and his offering; yet tragically Abel also became human history’s first murder victim, killed by his jealous brother Cain.
Abraham was a shepherd, as was Jacob. So was Jacob’s favorite son Joseph, who was shepherding his father’s flock when he was betrayed by his brothers. Moses was shepherding his Father-in-law’s flock when he stumbled across the burning. Before becoming king of Israel, David was a shepherd. And the prophet Amos was a shepherd before being sent by God to denounce Israel’s idolatry and hallow prosperity.
Shepherds who were murdered, shepherds who became kings, shepherds who gave God’s law and spoke in the name of the Father, shepherds who became heads of great families. In Jesus, we see all these things wrapped up into one. He is a shepherd who was a prophet, who revealed God’s Law, who was also betrayed and murdered, yet also a King, and head of the great family, the Church.
Scripture describes God Himself as a Shepherd. The 23rd Psalm is probably the most beautiful literary expression of God’s shepherding care. The Psalm tells us that God is the Shepherd who feeds us in green pastures, who leads us to safety, who protects us in dark valleys. He feeds, he guides, he protects.
On the 4th Sunday of Easter, ever year, we read from the 10th chapter of St. John, and recall that Jesus IS the Good Shepherd, who feeds, guides, and protects.
How does he feed us? The 23rd Psalm says that he “prepares a table for us in the midst of our foes”. Amidst all of the evils of the world, the good Shepherd gathers us to be fed by his Word. For “not on bread alone does man live, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We are then fed with the supersubstantial bread of the Eucharist. Without this food, the flesh and blood of our Lord, we do not have life within us.
Secondly, Jesus the Good Shepherd guides his flock. The 23rd Psalm says, “he leads us in right paths for his name’s sake.” How does he lead and guide us? He certainly leads by example. He teaches us by the virtue and goodness of His own life, how to give ourselves away in self-sacrifice. We are to be poor in spirit as he was poor in spirit. We are to be pure of heart as he was pure of heart. We are to work for peace, feed the hungry, cure the sick, preach the word, pray, as he. By studying the faith, by following in Jesus’ own footsteps, by looking to the example of the saints, we learn how to walk rightly. Jesus guides us to become the people God made us to be, and shows us what it really means to love one another and love God.
Finally, Jesus the Good Shepherd protects his flock. Jesus tells us that there are thieves and robbers who seek to steal, slaughter, and destroy His flock. There are wolves who want to seize and scatter the flock. Yet, at his Holy Name it is the thieves, robbers, and wolves who scatter. Demons flee at the mention of his name. We can be assured that any evil we must face, we face with him at our side. The Christian is never alone. When we are assailed by the fiery arrows of the enemy, we have the protection of his grace. When we are bombarded with the worldly errors that we draw us away from the Truth, he protects us by sending his apostles and prophets into our lives. In the moment of temptation, he protects us by sending his Holy Angels to remind us of our Christian identity. When we begin to despair of our salvation due to our many sins, he protects us by reminding us to hope in his promises.
The Good Shepherd does not fail to feed, guide, and protect his flock; rather the unhappiness and sin in our lives is always a result of failing to head our shepherd’s voice.
This Sunday is a special World Day of Prayer for vocations to the priesthood. As I mentioned last week, the Church needs men who believe rightly, teaching rightly, and practice rightly. This week we pray that the Good Shepherd might inspire many young men to become shepherds in the new millennium. We need priests who will feed and guide and protect the flock, don’t we?
The Good Shepherd continues to call young men to serve the Church as priests and all of us have a responsibility to help them hear the shepherd’s invitation. Parents, grandparents, god parents, encourage your sons to prayerfully incline their ear to the shepherd’s voice—the consider the calling to the priesthood—to be the shepherds the Church needs.
The Diocese of Cleveland is blessed to have one of the greatest seminary systems in the country, and honestly, probably the world. I know for a fact that there are Vatican Cardinals who look to Cleveland to see how Cleveland has been so successfully in attracting so many young men to discern the priesthood, and how we are retaining so many young men.
As Bishop Pilla would often say, our seminary attracts young men who could be very successful in the different professions—men who could be doctors, lawyers, professors, movers and shakers. And yet good young men in our diocese continue year after year, to take the risk, to devote the time to discern God’s call. It is certainly a sure sign that the Holy Spirit is at work, when a very talented and gifted young man dares to ask the question, is God calling me to a life of holy ecclesiastical service? Is the Shepherd calling me to shepherd?
Our culture is becoming increasingly secular, and we need men to help us remain faithful to the Master—men who will proclaim the unchanging Good News of Jesus Christ and its bold message of salvation with conviction. May God raise up many good and holy priests to help us be holy, to help us work out our salvation, to equip us for the work the Master has for each one of us—to be his instruments in the world, that He may feed, guide, and protect others through us for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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