Sermon Thoughts – 4th Sunday in the Easter Season

Sermon Thoughts – 4th Sunday in the Easter Season

—————————————-

Israel was a shepherd – and nomadic people. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, were shepherds. To be a Shepherd means lot of responsibility.

Jesus also describes himself as a shepherd.

But Jesus is unlike the paid pastors who leave their herd when it gets tight; he fights for his flock, with his life; he is ready to give everything to to protect and to lead his flock – that is his people. Jesus is the good shepherd who heals the sick, embraces the lepers and forgives the guilty.

In the catacombs of Rome, on the various burial sites of the persecuted Christians of the first centuries, appear two symbols mainly: the fish, the sign of Christ and Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who carries a sheep on his shoulders.

These pictures are older than the image of the crucified Christ, which is for us the symbol of the Christian faith today. The image of Good Shepherd, however, is almost gone. This is probably because that the biblical shepherd image was superimposed over the past centuries by the romantic pastoral idyll; on the other hand, we defend ourselves in an age of individualism.

The pastoral picture today embodies peace and tranquility. The many criticisms and errors come from this lifestyle. But in ancient Israel shepherds stand for courage and valor; they were ready to protect their flock from predators and wild animals.

This courage we will see in the deeds and words of the apostles, especially in Peter, Paul. But according to the time, our pastoral images are also changed. Together with that our lifestyle too. And our witnessing power too got weakened. When some one says that a priest- not only in the Catholic Church but also in all religions- loses his “dignity”, then it has to do with his life. And if somewhere a priest is accepted, it is only because he has a credible and convincing lifestyle.

In this sense, Jesus does as our shepherd provide us with care and divine protection. His words have authority, not as of a political authoritarian, but authority based on the real love.

He fights for our dignity. He knows what we lack. Not anything, but God. Jesus sees the lack of “divine intervention” in us. So he suffers this misery on the cross and identifies with our deepest need…

… We can carry out a lot of criticism. But ultimately it does not help. But we can help each other and help to live. Then he takes everything in our lives to God. Then Jesus the Good Shepherd is there in our deepest distress, with his love

He wants to “infect” us with his love. He wants us to be good shepherds for each other and “love each other, as he has loved us.”

May the Good Shepherd, help us! Amen!

–Fr Thomas Kalathil