CYCLE B 4TH EASTER
1. In years past on Grandview, I raised Turkeys and Chickens. One night, as Beth and I lay sleeping with our back door open, all of a sudden we heard this GREAT SQUAWKING and CAGE RATTLING going on.
-We JUMPED UP out of bed and PEERED into the dark night.
-With no Gun in the House. No Bat handy, needing contacts to see, no shoes and not properly dressed to run outside, or for that matter wanting to run outside, we in our PANIC, YELLED…, HEY, HEY!.
-I remember Beth asking me, …”Do you want some ICE CUBES?”
-In our fear we went back to bed and listened to one Turkey’s loud Squawk fading the farther it was carried down the creek.
Was it Wolves or a fox or dogs? How about Coon, Badger or Beaver? In ANY case, as a keeper of CHICKEN or TURKEY FLOCKS, I failed.
2. The image of the SHEPHERD and his FLOCK is frequently used for the relationship between a king and people. In ancient Israel this image was deeply rooted in its nomadic past. The shepherd was the SELF-GIVING, DEDICATED FIGURE, providing ALL CARE for his Flock. The image also included a STRONG HERO. Because the Shepherd was ‘FIT TO DEFEND’ the Flock from the wild beasts of the fields or creeks’.
3. Yahweh was Israel’s shepherd. He was described in OT as the:
-ONE who would LEAD his flock through the desert…to the abundant Pasture Lands for rest and food.
-He was described as the ONE who would GATHER and UNITE his Flock…into one faith.
4. Yet Scripture also tells us Yahweh confided the CARE of His flock to other shepherds. David, the 1st of the Kings was seen as a Shepherd. The Religious leaders were also seen as shepherds to his people.
And when things weren’t going right and the Israelites found themselves being over run by foreigners and in exile, God spoke through His Prophets, especially Jeremiah and Ezekiel chastising some of the pseudo Shepherds, for having NEGLECTED his flock. For they had in fact LOST, WOUNDED and KILLED His flock. Yahweh then promised to come to personally care for His flock. And He came in the form of Jesus. And as we Hear today….Jesus described himself saying, I AM the ‘GOOD SHEPHERD’. (remember ‘I Am’ is another way of saying Yahweh)
5. The church promotes and we have come to truly CHERISH that image of Jesus as our Shepherd. He IS God that came to LEAD us, to HEAL us, and to UNITE us. He also is that Strong Hero, ‘Fit to defend’ us. He is that ‘Good Shepherd’ that came to LAY DOWN His life for us.
After the Resurrection, the Son, like Father, also passed on to others the job of Shepherding. Recall Jesus words to Peter “Feed my flock”. And in Acts where the apostles words tell other ministers to …be examples to the Flock. Do not Lord it over those assigned to you.”
6. It takes PRAYER and COURAGE to shepherd. Fr. Merlin is doing a fine job, but he is not the only shepherd here. In some form most us here have shepherding responsibility. Over family, neighbors or Friends. Employees, co-workers OR students. The Act of Shepherding takes constant vigilance and Personal Commitment. So that in every generation, the words of Jesus DO NOT ring true, “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. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.”
7. Important is not only the image of the Shepherd, but we must understand the image of the WOLF. In every generation the WOLVES are out and about. Lurking to pounce on every Ram, Ewe or lamb. And the wolf will succeed, if the Shepherd is not doing the job:
-The sheep will head in the wrong direction away from safety and care.
-Those off by themselves, are clearly neglected and in danger.
-or He if he leaves the weak and vulnerable from age or wounds un-cared for, make the flock easy prey.
8. How do we describe the WOLF. It might be a person. But I rather think it is a pervasive Idea or action which is contrary to the will of God. When this SIN is allowed to infiltrate into our flock, it can destroy some of God’s People. If we are scattered and not strong in our faith, this Wolf can cause great harm to the welfare of all.
-Like Actions that are against the Sanctity of Life; from birth to death..
-Like Actions that destroy marriage or scatter the family.
-Like In-Actions that prevent care for the weak and wounded in our society.
9. Wolves Do what wolves do. They scatter us in our Catholic Identity and destroy our precious faith. Sheep do what sheep do. They hang together for the benefit and protection of all. But the success of the wolf or the safety of the sheep is a determined by the shepherd. The Good Ones take the time, look to the needs, unite and lead or even lay down their life…the bad ones throw ice cubes and run and hide under the covers Let us pray that we have Good Shepherds.
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