Fourth Sunday of Easter
Pope Francis was in Lesbos, Greece, yesterday. He went there to visit the migrants who are now in camps as their flow into Europe has slowed down. Many of these migrants are now being sent back to Turkey, which in turn sends them back to Syria. The Pope visited the migrants there to show his solidarity with them. His visit is more than a symbolic visit. It is his hope that world leaders will follow his example and work diligently to come to the aid of the migrants. Yesterday he tweeted, “Refugees are not numbers, they are people who have faces, names, stories, and need to be treated as such.” The Pope went one step further. On his way back, he took twelve migrants back with him to the Vatican on the same plane that he was returning.
In light of the Pope’s actions, let us hear today’s gospel reading once again: “Jesus said: “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.””
As I read this gospel passage, I could not but think of Pope Francis’ visit to Lesbos. I think he is being a true shepherd. Not only is he leading by example, but he is truly broadening our own understanding of what it means to be church.
What does this mean for us? Let me draw today’s practical implication from today’s second reading. In John’s vision from the book of Revelation, Jesus is both the Shepherd and the Lamb. Here is what John says, “For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Jesus is the Lamb of God who is also the Good Shepherd. As lamb he is sacrificed and as Shepherd he gave up his life for his sheep. Either way, He was all about total self-giving. It is this total self-giving that becomes life-giving.
This precisely is the practical implication for us. Like Jesus, we too are called to be both lamb and shepherd. Take the example of Pope Francis. Last week, he released his apostolic exhortation of the family to the church. This exhortation was the result of the information he gathered from families all over the world and two synods. He listened to people before he led. Sometimes he listens and is the lamb and sometimes he leads and is the shepherd. Even with the migrants - he went to Greece as a lamb and returned from there as a shepherd.
As we live our daily lives and play the different roles we play, we can all learn from Jesus and the example of Pope Francis. We must learn to be both lamb and shepherd. As husband or wife, sometimes you are called to listen and sometimes to lead. As parents, sometimes you must listen to your children and sometimes lead. As a pastor, I must both listen and lead. As children, you are sometimes called to listen and sometimes lead. At our work place we must sometimes follow, sometimes lead. No matter who we are or what we do, we must learn to be both lamb and shepherd
The bottom line is this though - like Jesus, it is all about total self-giving. Only then do we become life-giving. Sometimes lamb, sometimes shepherd.
- Fr. Satish Joseph