Gospel: John 10:11-18
Jesus said: “I am
the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired
man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming
and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This
is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good
shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I
know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep
that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my
voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves
me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it
from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to
take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
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Reflection:
Who is a good
shepherd? A good shepherd is someone who desires nothing but the good of his
sheep. A good shepherd is also someone who would be willing to sacrifice his
own life for the sake of his sheep.
In modern times right now a shepherd could
also be an object of our attention or even obsession. That seeks to control and
dictate upon us. For example, greed for money
could be our shepherd if we allow it to control us. But if we allow money to be
our shepherd it will not only control us it may even possess us. It may even
destroy not only us even our family as well.
Our Job could also
be our shepherd, in what manner could this be? This could happen once we allow
our job to enslave us. For instance, we focus more on our jobs rather than our
family that we hardly have time for our family. So what would happen to the
family? It may be destroyed and eventually disintegrate. Our ambition to be wealthy could also be our
false shepherd and there are many more false shepherd wannabes.
In the midst of all
these false shepherd wannabes. Jesus wants to offer Himself to us for He is
the good shepherd. He tells us in the gospel: I am the good shepherd (John
10:11) and I will lay down my life for you (John 10:15). Why don’t we consider
this offer of Jesus and allow Him to shepherd our lives?
Perhaps we could
start by reading the life story and the life changing words of Jesus in the
bible. We can also begin to take seriously the celebration of the Holy Mass by
paying more attention to this sacred celebration. Where we can receive Jesus in
the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
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