Reflection for 4th
Sunday of Easter Year C
(Jn 10:27-30)
Today we celebrate Jesus as our Good Shepherd. The readings focus on the duties and benefits of having Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
- "My Sheep hear my voice”
The Good Shepherds speaks to His
sheep. “At many moments in the past and by many means, God spoke to our
ancestors through the prophets; but in our time, the final days, he has spoken
to us in the person of his Son, whom he appointed hair of all things and
through whom he made the ages” (Heb 1:1-2). But how can they hear unless they
listen! And to listen we must be silent and attentive. In fact, attentive silence is an indispensable
disposition for every follower of Christ Jesus.
It is within this silence that we
perceive and decipher the different voices that demand our response. Moreover, this
attentive silence upgrades our ‘hearing
of the voice’ of the Good Shepherd from a momentary encounter to a living habit!
It is the basic duty of the Sheep to make conscious effort to be silent and
attentive before the Good Shepherd. Once this duty is fulfilled, the Good
Shepherd takes over from there...
2. “I
know them, and they Follow me”
“God you examine me and know me,
you know when I sit, when I arise, you understand my thoughts from afar...You
knew me through and through, my being held no secrets from you” (Ps 139:1-15).
God’s knowledge of our existence is so perfect that it sustains in being. It is
fulfilling and joyous to become conscious of this fact. This awareness, which
occurs in the silence of our heart, is equally active—it immediately demands a
response. This response of faith, which involves the offering of one’s whole
being, is to follow Jesus. Thus, the Sheep that follow Jesus the Good Shepherd
are those who are aware that Jesus knows them, and knows even the single hair
on their head (cf. Mt 10:30). So all our worries and needs are before His
watchful care.
3. “And
I give them Eternal Life...”
“I kept those you had given me true to your
name. I have watched over them and not one is lost except one who was destined
to be lost” (Jn 17:12). Despite trials and challenges, the ultimate and final
victory belongs to the Good Shepherd. Our lives here on earth acquire deeper
meaning and value only when it is open to the eternal life that Jesus offers. “Father,
I want those you have given me to be with me where I am” (Jn 17:24).
The Good Shepherd speaks through
the Scriptures, the ministry of the Church, the Eucharist, etc. Those who in
silence and attentiveness listen to His voice, ultimately follow Him in
response, with great joy and fulfilment. Such will be counted among the great
multitude that will behold His glory. “In all truth I tell you, whoever keeps
my word will never see death” (Jn 8:51).
Fr
Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Ss
Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Tedi, Lagos.
Sunday
12th May, 2019.
Good
Shepherd Sunday.
