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 4^TH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: THE UNDETACHABLE BOND OF THE FATHER, THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP

(John 10:27-30)

Today, the fourth Sunday of Easter is the Good Shepherd Sunday. Let us reflect on the undetachable connection existing between God as the Father and owner of the sheepfold, Jesus as His beloved Son to whom the care and safety of the Sheep is entrusted and the Sheep for whom the Owner and the Shepherd dares to give all.

Speaking about this bond, Jesus maintained that they are undetachable. No one can snatch them from Him and invariably from the Father because He is One with the Father, and if the Sheep behaves as expected, their safety is assured.

The confidence and courage of Shepherds is indeed a fascinating one! They so much believe in themselves, in their ability to look after the Sheep, and to make the Sheep owners to be happy with them as well as the productivity of the Sheep.

In order to throw light on today's Gospel, let us know the role of the Father, the Shepherd, and the Sheep within the context of Shepherding.

 

THE FATHER

In cultures where shepherding was practised, families had their Sheep. The father as the head of the family usually used His children or servants as the case may be to tend his sheep. The Father was the sole owner of the herds and did with each one what he willed. He calls for the account to be updated about his flocks from time to time. He supervises to know who among the shepherds is getting it right or wrong. The Father commands what to do with each sheep and its product.

With regard to the gospel of today, God is the Father and the Owner of the Sheep.

 

THE SHEPHERD

The Shepherd is the one who has direct contact with the sheep. He takes them out, stays with them, feeds them, watches over them, defends them, heals them, carries them on the shoulder when weakness threatens, searches for them when they stray, plays with them, takes them to flowing waters and brings them back.

The Shepherd is classified into Good and the Bad. The one who fulfils the above-mentioned qualities of a Shepherd and others is good, while the one who does the contrary is bad. In the Gospel of today, we are not just talking about a good shepherd, but The Good Shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the ideal Shepherd and the Shepherd per excellent.

 

THE SHEEP

The Sheep is the docile and dependent creature, source of wealth, and property belonging to the Father, entrusted to the Son or Servant.

The Sheep follows, obeys, and recognises the Shepherd who takes them to their owner's compound after each day's successful pasturing.

There is also good and bad sheep.

Be that as it may, we the people of the Lord are the Sheep of His flock. We are invited to remain the good Sheep of Our Good Shepherd to the glory of our Good heavenly Father.

 

WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAKE THE SHEEP GOOD?

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to whose direct care the flock of the Father was entrusted, enumerates the qualities that make a Sheep good. These qualities make Him the Good Shepherd fulfilled. They include:

 

HEARING

Shepherds' device sounds they make, which only their own sheep understands even when they are with a multitude of other people's flock.

 

Are you a good hearer? When you hear, do you understand who is calling? In the midst of the many noises in our world today, do you know the voice of your own master? The social media calls, the proliferated churches and ideologies shout, the secular opinions of the world invite, the materialistic advertisements lure. The neo-paganistic forces and satanic mesmerisms ring bells on a daily basis. From these distracting voices, can you decipher the true voice of your Good Shepherd? May God help us.

 

KNOWS AND FOLLOWS

The real Good Sheep identifies with the Shepherd. He doesn't hide from the shepherd. They will never follow a stranger. Some bad and foolish Sheep follows anyone carrying what looks like food. Some bad and dubious Shepherds do enlarge their sheepfold by walking past the sheep of another with food. The sheep that doesn't know its owner follows the stranger and meets its end. Even a fowl knows its owner. But a bad fowl follows a stranger who throws corn on the floor for it into the pot.

May we know Christ our Good Shepherd and follow His paths all the days of our life.

 

BENEFITS OF BEING A GOOD SHEEP

Jesus the Good Shepherd has enlisted His qualities as a Good Shepherd, namely, His ability to know the Sheep that belongs to Him and His mission of giving them eternal life.

He therefore promises those who are good and docile sheep the following:

"I give them eternal life,"

"They shall never perish,"

" No one shall snatch them out of my hand," Alleluia!

 

CHALLENGES OF TODAY'S CELEBRATION

We are all called to learn from Christ the Good Shepherd as we perform our various roles of shepherding at different levels. A society of failed leadership is invited to be passionate and selfless in protecting and ensuring the safety of the people entrusted to their care. They should stop playing politics with human lives. They should put an end to the flow of blood in the land. They should understand that they must account for the mismanagement of opportunities given to them by God to care for the flock of God.

The government that sleeps and snores while her citizens are on strike, without payment of salaries and not schooling, has failed to provide for the sheep of her pasture.

The government that does practically nothing to ameliorate the hardship of the citizens has failed to nourish them while preferring to milk them.

The Church should not forget her shepherding roles. In a special way, her leaders are called pastors. Let the Bishops, priests, deacons, etc. feed the people well with unadulterated word of God so that the many poisons of the world may not attract them. Let them be led by holy hands towards holy lives to save the sheep under their watch from the many wolves out there. Let them not allow ephemerals to distract them from their calling to lead the people to God through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.

Fathers and mothers, you are Shepherds, you know that. Endeavour to lead your family to Christ. Don't allow them to be snatched away from you by social media madness, by peer associations, secret societies, and diabolical practices. Keep an eye on them to avoid them swallowing the poisons of immorality, being beaten by the serpents of  drug addiction, indecency, and secularism.

Let us all unite our efforts in leading all men to God by the examples of Christ The Ideal Shepherd.

 

BLESSINGS

May Jesus give you eternal life, May you never perish, May no power snatch you away from the Lord. May you be one with God, and with Jesus the Good Shepherd of your soul.

May God bless our bishops and continue to bless us with good shepherds. May the goodness and mercy of the Lord who is your Shepherd grant you all your desires. May you be bonded with God in Christ by the power of the Spirit who reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Happy Good Shepherd Sunday to you

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh