The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Imagine tallying all of the different voices we hear in a single day.
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There are the voices of those living within our homes; voices on social media; the car radio; the television; the cashier at Food Town; the teller at the bank.
There’s even our own inner voice, which can lead us in a variety of directions. Sometimes that voice lifts us up; other times it tears us down.
With all of these different voices vying for our attention, how do we hear the voice of Jesus, our Good Shepherd?
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We must pray.
“And when you pray,” Jesus says, “go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.”
Our “inner room” isn’t a physical place; it’s the deepest part of our selves, that place where we hide our fears, our hopes, our insecurities, and our dreams.
When you pray, Jesus says, go there. Go to that deepest part of yourself, open the door, and allow the Lord in. Let him look around.
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What is my “inner room” like? Is it a place filled with noise? A place of fear? Or a place of peace? Are there competing voices in that room? Or do I leave space for only one, the voice of God?
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“I am the Good Shepherd,” Jesus says. “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
It’s only when we push all other voices aside and make room for the voice of Christ that our hearts – our “inner room” – can be filled with peace.
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Image credits: (1) Watchtower Online Library, jw.org (2) Scripture in Song, Ben Eaton (3) Pin on Hope City, Pinterest
The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem the circumcised believers confronted him, saying, ‘You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them.” Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying, “I was at prayer in the city of Joppa when in a trance I had a vision, something resembling a large sheet coming down, lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me. Looking intently into it, I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. I also heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.’ But I said, ‘Certainly not, sir, because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a second time a voice from heaven answered, ‘What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.’ This happened three times, and then everything was drawn up again into the sky. Just then three men appeared at the house where we were, who had been sent to me from Caesarea. The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying, ‘Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, who will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as it had upon us at the beginning, and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?” When they heard this, they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying, “God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too.”
The Word of the Lord.
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The Acts of the Apostles describes the life of the early Church, and though in its infancy, the Church is already filled with tension.
The disciples are questioning each other and disagreeing over many things.
As we hear in our first reading, could the Gentiles be saved? Or was salvation only for the Jews? Did Christians have to follow Old Testament rituals? Could you eat meat sacrificed to idols?
What was the work of a deacon or a female deaconess?
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Although Jesus instructed his Apostles for three years, he didn’t answer every question they had. Nor did Jesus leave answers for the questions that would arise as the Gospel started mingling with other cultures and religions.
The disciples would have to pray and discern together as a Church.
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We are no different today.
There seems to be an endless amount of questions and concerns about how the Gospel is relevant to our lives – and how the Church can minister to people from every walk of life.
It’s a challenge we’ll even feel here in our parish.
How will we bring people back to St. Pius X? How will we welcome people from different walks of life? How will we evangelize our young people and make the Gospel relevant to their lives?
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As we’re reminded in the Acts of the Apostles, we have to work together. We should voice our concerns – and not be afraid to disagree – but then we have to pray together. Discern together.
Be open to the Spirit, who often generates new ideas and creative solutions, and at times inspires change.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, enkindle in us the fire of your love, and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Have you ever wondered why Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, and we, his sheep?
Why not something with a little more pizzazz?
Something like, “I am the Mighty Lion. You are my cubs.” I’d rather be a lion cub than a senseless sheep.
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But that’s the point.
Sheep are defenseless.
They have neither claws, nor paws, nor venom, nor fangs. When a wolf comes along looking for its next snack, sheep are an easy target.
When attacked, sheep literally run around in a big circle, hoping they’re not the one eaten! Imagine these sheep thinking, “Catch her! Catch him! Just don’t catch me!”
That furry frenzy reminds me of musical chairs. Push others aside! Save yourself!
Cowardice at its best.
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Sheep need a shepherd.
Without him, they’re defenseless. Literally.
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Are we any different?
Just think about the frenzy caused by the Coronavirus. A single virus has thrown the entire world into a frenzy. A year of social distance and face masks has left all of us shaken. It’s hard to see our way out of this.
We need a shepherd.
The same idea applies when different crises litter our lives: health issues, financial problems, tense relationships.
Such experiences can really unnerve us, making us feel like we’re running around in circles. We all know that feeling of being flustered. Afraid. Defenseless.
We need a shepherd.
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So, where are the wolves in my life? What makes me feel insecure, as if I’m running around in circles?
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Saint Paul tells us, “No trial – no wolf – has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.”
Our shepherd will keep the wolves at bay.
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Even when we must walk through the valley of death, the Lord will be at our side.
Again, the imagery of a shepherd and his sheep applies beautifully.
Sheep will not go anywhere their shepherd has not gone first. If he stands behind the flock and calls them, the sheep make a U-turn and gather quickly behind him. They prefer to be led. You might say, sheep have a “you first” mentality.
The shepherd goes first to assure his sheep that where they are going is safe.
Herein lies the power of the Easter message.
Good Shepherd Sunday, which we celebrate today, is above all else about death and resurrection. Death is the greatest “wolf” threatening us. But the tomb is empty! Our Good Shepherd is leading us all beyond the grave.
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This Gospel also speaks to us as a parish.
If a sheep gets separated from its flock, it starts to panic; it literally stands in place and shakes. This is why Jesus leaves the ninety-nine for the one lost sheep. Without him, it would perish.
When Jesus finds the sheep, he brings it back to the flock – back to the Church – where it belongs. This is what we must do, also.
As we pray for an end to the pandemic, what an opportunity we have to gather the lost sheep, to invite them back to Saint Pius X.
I dream of our parish being a place where families connect; where children and teenagers gather together to worship and to socialize; a place where burdens are shared; friendships are created; a place where we all derive a deep sense of meaning.
The Lord is asking us all to discern, “How can we create an even stronger sense of community? How can we gather the lost sheep? How can we increase our fold?”
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Now is the time to embrace that first pillar of our parish’s three-fold mission: building community, while increasing the size and strength of our flock.
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While sheep have no way of defending themselves – they have neither claws, nor paws, nor venom, nor fangs – they have their shepherd.
We can rest comfortably today, knowing we have our Good Shepherd and we have one another.
