Gospel Reflection - 4th Sunday of Easter, Year C / Good Shepherd Sunday



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.” (John 10:27-30)

Even though we have a short Gospel today, it's big enough to designate this day as Good Shepherd Sunday. According to the Collins Dictionary online, one of the definitions of a shepherd is, "One who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people." Jesus is our Shepherd who does indeed give us eternal life. Just as a shepherd in the field will do anything to protect his sheep, including risk & give up his life, Jesus did the same. Willingly, He suffered a violent death to save & protect us from our sins.

How do we repay Jesus? Sadly, many times we don't. Our humanity encompasses our whole being & we often turn our backs to Him. We sheep have wandered so far from Him that we become lost, stuck in the brambles & thorny bushes of Earthly enticements. The distance between us & Jesus has become so vast that we cannot hear Him, especially over the din of the modern world's noise & distractions. We have forgotten His promise that He has given us eternal life & that we will not perish, so long as we follow Him.

It won't be easy, especially the further we have strayed, but we must return to His loving arms & His protection. Step by step, we can gradually make great strides. If you don't already, take some time each day, even if just for 10 minutes, to read Scripture instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media posts or binge-watching your favorite TV show. Start with the Gospels to reacquaint yourself with Jesus & all He has done. Then, move to the Acts of the Apostles to see how they continued His works after He ascended to Heaven. Each day, try to do something a little more to boost your spiritual life & a little less of the stuff that draws you further from Jesus. 
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A little bonus for today...When my kids were younger, I used to sing "Like a Shepherd" by Bob Dufford, S.J. to them at bedtime. Here is a video of my youngest singing when he was almost four. 💗






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