by Fr. Tommy Lane
We all know how popular pictures of Jesus the Good Shepherd are. In some of these images we see Jesus holding a sheep/lamb over his shoulders, holding the two front legs of the lamb/sheep in his right hand and the two rear legs in his left hand. This image and those similar to it appeal to us because of the tenderness of Jesus, his care for the lamb/sheep, and his compassion. When we see this image, our minds naturally begin to wander, and we realize its personal meaning for us. We are that lamb or sheep who is being carried by Jesus on his shoulders. Such an image is reassuring for us; Jesus is our support on our journey through life. When crosses and problems come our way or some personal disaster occurs, this image of Jesus the Good Shepherd reassures us that we are not abandoned, that Jesus is supporting and holding us up. This is portrayed very beautifully in the Footprints poem which concludes in this way:
“I have noticed that
during the most trying periods of my life
there has only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, have
you not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The years when
you have seen only one set of footprints,
my child, is when I
carried you.”
Our Scripture readings today invite us to trust in Jesus our Good Shepherd. The beautiful and famous Psalm—The Lord is my Shepherd (Ps 23)—although written many centuries before Jesus, makes us think of Jesus as our shepherd who is caring for us and watching over us:
The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me
repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my
soul. (Ps 23:1-3)
That is fine when everything is going well. But what about when everything is not going well? The Psalm tells us what attitude to have in those times also:
Even though I walk in
the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With
your rod and your staff
that give me courage. (Ps 23:4)
In the catacombs in Rome, the most common image of Jesus from the time of the persecutions and martyrdoms is that of Jesus as the Good Shepherd carrying a sheep on his shoulders.
In our three-year cycle of Sunday readings, we read a different part of John 10 on the fourth Sunday of Easter each year, the chapter where Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd. In Palestine, sheep were brought in by night to the sheepfold for their safety. The sheepfold was typically a circular stone wall a few feet high with a narrow opening where the sheep could enter and exit. A local man guarded that opening in the stone wall by night—the gatekeeper—so the sheep could not escape. That allowed the shepherds to rest during the night and in the morning the shepherds returned to call out their sheep and look after them for the day. The sheep belonging to a number of different shepherds could be in the same sheepfold together for the night. In the morning, the sheep would only exit after their own shepherd because each shepherd had his own unique whistle which his own sheep recognized. There was a bond between the shepherd and his sheep. Jesus puts before us the bond between the shepherd and sheep as an illustration of the bond he wants with us. If a human and an animal can have such a close bond, how much more is the unity that Jesus wants between himself and us. We achieve that bond with Jesus by spending time with Jesus in prayer every day—as much time as possible. The trust that is exhibited in today’s psalm—The Lord is my Shepherd—is the trust Jesus invites us to have in him:
The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me
repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my
soul. (Ps 23:1-3)
Even when everything is not going well, Jesus also invites us to trust in him:
Even though I walk in
the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With
your rod and your staff
that give me courage. (Ps 23:4)
Our Gospel excerpt today concluded with Jesus saying he is the gate and those entering through him will be saved (John 10:9). He achieved that salvation for us when he offered his life on the cross in exchange for our sins. In our second reading today, we heard St. Peter write,
He himself bore our
sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might
live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to
the shepherd and guardian of your souls. (1 Pet 2:24-25)
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2023
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Fourth Sunday of Easter Year A
Related Homilies: The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want 2012