Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
The Good Shepherd Sunday theme continues as Jesus invites us into the intimate relationship he shares with God the Father. Like sheep who know their shepherd, Jesus encourages us to trust in their care for us. With the recent death of Pope Francis, the conclave and appointment of Pope Leo XIV, there has been much discussion of the qualities of a good shepherd, pastor and Pope. Pope Francis loved the shepherd image and reminded those in ministry that we should smell like sheep (ie. be united with those we companion). Pope Leo envisions a church that welcomes all, and especially especially cares for the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
When I was a child, our parish had a children’s Mass each Sunday, where the children sat together at the front of the church, separately from their parents. In this way, the pastor could speak directly to us in an interactive homily, and I could feel the care conveyed to us children as important lambs in the church flock. Though away from my parents, I could recognize the sound of their unique cough and knew they were not far away. I once encountered a sheep farmer when visiting rural Ireland and had a lesson on sheep knowing the shepherd’s voice. When I approached the fence, the sheep wouldn’t come to see me—no matter how I called or what food I held out. Yet when the farmer stood beside me and softly called “Come ye”, they all immediately came up to us—recognizing the comfort of his voice.
The readings invite us to be sheep who know and trust God’s voice through the intimacy of welcoming God’s word into our hearts and lives, with the welcome we give to a beloved friend or family member. To re-discover that we have a God who loves us uniquely and tenderly. We are invited into the intimacy with God that Jesus models and shares with us, knowing that no matter what challenges befall us, we will be guided. We can join with the Psalmist who rejoices at the caring relationship of God and people, and respond, “My home is within you”.
—Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI