EASTER FOURTH SUNDAY/Good Shepherd Sunday

IV EASTER SUNDAY (GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY), 30 APRIL 2023 (Reflection 1) Indicative: God is our good shepherd. We are all His sheep. We belong to Him and we are fed and led by Him. 1. Today we celebrate the Good Shepherd Sunday.  We are reminded of our identity and duty. Our identity is being sheep to the supreme shepherd. Our duty is to walk like good sheep and to shepherd over other sheep. 2. First of all, we must always remember that God is our greatest good shepherd. He is not one among many. He is not one of the many alternatives. He is one and unique. He is the best and the highest. He is incomparable and irreplaceable. 3. Therefore, our first and primary loyalty is to the Lord, who alone is our chief shepherd. We need to seriously question whether we are faithful to the one true shepherd or the many false shepherds. How easily many forsake the true shepherd and run behind the false shepherds! How thoughtlessly many sheep are carried away by the false directions, attractions, pulls and pressures of the false shepherds! 4. Good sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and they follow him. But How often we give deaf ear to the direction and leading by the Good Shepherd? How often we resent and resist and reject to follow him? How quickly we allow ourselves to be easily trascinated and misguided by the false shepherds? 5. We are not sure whether there is a deep belonging and bonding between the Good Shepherd and the sheep. How many sheep are shallow and superfical in their intimacy with the Good Shepherd? Allegiance to the fold of the good shepherd is no guarantee of our closeness and faithfulness to him. 6. Another very important note is we should be able to distinguish between our core identity and role identity. Our core identity is being sheep to the supreme shepherd. And our role identity is shepherding others. This may look rather superfluous. But this is crucial. We may do the duty of shepherding others. This means that we protect others, nourish and guide others. This is the role of a faithful shepherd. But just because we shepherd other sheep, we will not become shepherds. 7. Now some may be annoyed about this unnecessary distinction. But I believe this is very important. This can keep us always humble as sheep. Otherwise there are many who act arrogantly as shepherds. This can also remind us strongly about our duty to shepherd others. Otherwise there are many who completely forget about their mission towards others and become self- centred. Imperative: There are no two categories like shepherds and sheep. There is only one shepherd, the Lord, and all of us are sheep. Let us be true and faithful sheep. Let us hear and follow the one and the only one Good Shepherd. Let us not allow ourselves to be snatched away by the evil and perish (Reflection 2) Focus: We live in a world which often looks confused and deviated. This is exactly the situation of a shepherdless sheep 1. Today is the 4th Easter Sunday, and this is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The focus of the Word of God is, God is the Good Shepherd. This image is very powerful and significant. This implies an essential and intimate bonding. It is a covenant,  a commitment. Like a true shepherd, he protects us, is attentive and sensitive to us, deeply caring and concerned toward us. We matter a lot for him. Our safety, growth and happiness is his abiding concern. His shepherding is not a mere duty as a hirling. It is a passion. He owns us up. That is why, for our sake, for our safety and wellbeing, he goes to any extent, even to the point of dying for us. 2. This is what Jesus did for us: he protects us from every attack of the evil. He safeguards and guards us against every snare of the enemy. He directs and guides us in the right path. He leads us to the safe zones. He preserves and sustains us in clear and steady ways. He cares, nourishes and strengthens us in nurturing grounds. And, in order to  extricate us from the iron hold of the evil, he immolates his own self. In order to cleanse us from the bruises and blows of sin, he sheds his own blood. 3. Now, on this celebration of the Good Shepherd Sunday, our first duty is to understand and accept the Lord as our supreme shepherd. He is the first and the best. No other shall claim our allegiance to them. We shall not owe our loyalty and commitment to anyone else. We shall not be wooed or misguided by any false shepherd. We shall not run behind any false shepherding. 4. Therefore, on this day, first of all, we shall deepen our trust in our unique shepherd. Confide in him. Not enough. It is not enough to know and affirm what he is, or what he does. But much more important is, what we are, and what we are to him, what we do to  him. In other words, he is always a good shepherd to us. But how much are we good sheep? 5. Now, our whole identity and  the essence of our discipleship is our identity as the sheep that belong to the one supreme shepherd who is the Lord himself. The purpose and the quality of our vocation as the sheep consist in our bonding with the shepherd and experiencing the effect and the fruit of this bonding. 6. This bonding between the shepherd and the sheep is characterised by the spirit and ambience of belonging and intimacy. He is OUR shepherd and we are HIS sheep. Such an owning and closeness do not pertain to others who can be manipulators and destroyers of the sheep. 7. In the light of this image of shepherd and sheep, it is for us to check sincerely and see how much we nurture and grow, foster and testify this bonding with the shepherd. How deep is our belonging and closeness with him? How eager, attentive and prompt is our listening to him? How ready and willing we are to be guided and led by him? How loyal and committed we are to follow him and walk in his footsteps?  8. It is also a clear indication to all those who are acclaimed as shepherds of the sheep of the faithful. There may not be something invalid in it since they are sharers and collaborators with the chief shepherd. But it should be very clear that there are no co-shepherds. There is only one shepherd and that is the Lord. 9. All are only sheep. The so-called shepherds are only caretakers and stewards, at the most, "herdmen". The title of 'shepherd' or 'pastor' is nothing dignitary or status symbol or vesting with a secular power or authority. This is in no way diluting the sacredness or the merit of these stewards.  10. Certainly they are unique in being specially chosen and anointed by the Spirit and appointed as priests, ministers and leaders. But it is not a position wielding powers and rights. It is a sanctified and sanctifying obligation. It indicates more the sacred duty and ministry of shepherding, that is, loving, caring, guiding, serving the sheep and thus leading to the chief shepherd and enabling them to receive and enjoy life in full measures. Direction: One receives and enjoys the abundance of life and promotes the culture of life, only to the extent one is in a binding bonding with the Lord, the chief shepherd.