Fr Daniel Antonio de Carvalho Ribeiro, SCJ
The Gospel of this 4th Sunday of Easter presents to us the Good Shepherd. Some people might think that this Gospel message is addressed only to priests. It would be like saying that they are shepherds and the people are their sheep. While this is true, we are all called to become pastors and shepherds. The ideal of life is not to remain like “sheep”, but to become good shepherds, according to the Heart of Jesus. Regardless of our vocation, God gives us responsibilities, and we will all have our own flock to take care of, whether in the family, at work or in society. If we reflect on chapter 10 of the Gospel of St. John, we can see that for someone to be a good shepherd, or true leader according to the evangelical model, five conditions are evident in the example of Jesus:
The first of them, as the name says and it seems obvious, you have to be good. When Jesus defines Himself as the Good Shepherd, He speaks about His identity. First, He was a good person. At some points in our lives, we meet people who accept us as we are, who really care about us and who naturally become role models, whom we want to emulate. These noble people can be defined simply as good. If someday someone says that you look like Jesus, that you are a good person, with a good heart, be happy, that is a great compliment. However, being good does not mean being a poor guy who says yes to everything but does not have the essentials to make decisions. True goodness lies in the virtue of the balance between the extremes of power and weakness. This we only achieve when we live charity in truth.
Second, one must spend time or live with the sheep. Pope Francis said that the shepherd must “have the smell of the sheep.” For this, presence and proximity are needed. Only then do we realize the uniqueness of each one, to treat people as they need to and not according to our biased criteria. Jesus, for example, when he perceived the opening of the rich Zacchaeus’ heart, called him by name and went to eat at his house (Lk 19:5). In a society where it is easier to send a message by mobile phone than to speak directly, looking into the eyes, we will only be true shepherds and we will be able to help those whom God has entrusted to us if we are really present and truly love, without hasty judgments.
The third condition is to lead the way by being a good witness. Pope Paul VI in the Encyclical Evangelii Nuntiandi says that “in our cultural world, people listen more to witnesses than to teachers. And if they listen to the masters, it is because they were witnesses before.” This means we have moral authority. That is the unquestionable force, for example, the force of holiness. As such, we need to live what we want others to live. We are usually very keen to see the defects of others and tell them what to change. Let us remember, the first words that came out of Jesus’ mouth in the proclamation of the Gospel were: “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). In addition to personal conversion, it is necessary to learn to serve for Love. Jesus showed the way to eternity by the clarity of his words, actions and by always being ready to love, even when someone came to him unexpectedly.
Another sign of being a good shepherd is to look for the lost sheep. Jesus said that he came for the sick (Mk 2:17). He never excluded anyone from his fold. Although repentance preceded divine forgiveness, Jesus never condemned anyone for their shortcomings and grave sin. The Good Shepherd does not give up on people. It is said that on one occasion Curé d’Ars was blessing through the streets of the city while Francisco Dorel, a superb hunter, walked his dog and mocked the presence of the saint. The priest then stood in front of him and said, “Lord, it would be desirable that your soul were as beautiful as your dog.” The saint meant that the animal fulfilled its mission by being faithful and nimble; but he, as a Christian, was ruining himself. The man became very angry, left and began to reflect on his life. What was apparently an offense, helped that hunter to realize his vanity and wanted to be religious. Shortly thereafter, following the advice of Curé d’Ars, Francis Dorel became a Trappist and died a holy death 36 years later. This was only possible because he, a sinner, was not abandoned but was found by God.
Jesus teaches us that the Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. Everything would be just theory if at the most important moment He sought to save His life by making an agreement with the authorities of the time. Jesus was a real man. Even though he was God, he was faithful to the end and showed that his love for his disciples and all humanity surpassed their merit, just like the love of a mother who gives her life for her son, not failing to visit him even if he is in prison. Loving is like a wound, that is, it often hurts. No one will truly be a Christian leader without following Jesus’ example of loving without limits. The apostles were able to give their lives for love of Jesus because they saw His example, they saw Love itself. Regardless of our vocation, priest, father, mother educator, this will only be fruitful if it becomes a service of Love.
(In picture: Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th Bishop of Rome Pope Leo XIV)
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