Sunday 30th April 2023 - Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14,36-41/ Psalm 22(23)/ 1 Peter 2:20-25/ John 10:1-10

The theme today is Jesus the ‘Good Shepherd’ caring for us as his flock. If that is the case, then we are like sheep dependent on the shepherd for our care and protection. In the first reading Peter calls on his listeners to repent and save themselves from a ‘perverse generation’. The messages from scripture are never outdated and are as relevant to our lives today as they were to the people who first heard them. If we look at our world today, we see that despite the many right thinking people of faith or no faith we still live within a perverse generation. Greed, ambition, and self-reliance result in all sorts of injustice leading to much suffering. Many people who heard Peter were ‘cut to the heart’ and asked what they must do. The message of the gospel is the same today, but do we see people cut to the heart and responding to it asking what they must do? It seems that many are not convinced by the arguments put forward through the teaching of the Gospel. There might be many reasons for this, but it is the duty of the Church, which is made up of all of us, to keep bringing that message to as many people as possible. The answer to the question of ‘what must we do?’ is still the same, repent.

We might view repentance as a negative concept causing us to dwell on the negative rather than the positive, concentrating on what we have got wrong and feeling guilty and forlorn. A more positive way of looking at repentance might be to seek a complete change in lifestyle and attitude, a total change of direction leading us away from the perversions of the world around us towards the perfection of eternal life in heaven.

The self-reliance fostered by the world we live in discourages us from seeking repentance and the guidance of a shepherd. The image of us as sheep, helpless and gormless as they can be, is not one that appeals to a generation who see themselves as in control and masters of their lives. Sheep can appear to be very stupid and need care and guidance or they will wander into all sorts of danger. Humanity can be very much the same, not wanting to be cared for or guided by a God, however loving that God might be. We will stray into dangerous situations that we have not foreseen and cannot control. In all our cleverness we still end up having disagreements leading to conflicts and wars. Resources are squandered and only available to those who can afford them, with the poorest of people suffering the most. In all our technological mastery we can convince ourselves that this mortal life can go on forever and that life can be saved on every occasion rather than just postponing the inevitable.

The truth is that we are like sheep in need of a shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who laid down his own life for us his sheep. He is there with his crook and staff wanting more than anything to guide us along the right path through this life leading us to the fresh and green pastures of the next. Considering ourselves as sheep in need of the care and guidance of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, should not be seen as a negative thing. We are in this world but not of this world, we need to swallow our earthly pride, acknowledge our weakness and propensity to stray and fall under the guidance of Jesus our Shepherd, guide, and protector.

In the Gospel passage Jesus speaks of thieves and brigands who enter the sheepfold in other ways than through him, the true gateway and shepherd. This can include those within the Church itself that sow dissent to spread their own influence rather than that of the Holy Spirit, but it can include those in the world who are selfish and grasping leading to the many injustices we see today. Jesus points out that these thieves come only to steal, kill, and destroy whereas he has come so that we may have life. Not just any life but life to the full. This life to the full is our ultimate destination, an eternal life, united with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The way to this full life, the only way, is through Jesus, the gate to the sheepfold.

God Bless Brendan