Scripture Reflection – Fourth Sunday of Easter (6-7th May)

The summer has gone and so too the life savers.  The popular beaches are no longer patrolled and controlled.  Now the public will swim at their own peril without protection.  Life savers and the service they provide generates a sense of confidence, a feeling of security and a knowledge that if the worst happens someone will be there to rescue a stranded swimmer.  Further, we are told to swim between the flags as this is the safest area of water which is being patrolled.

In the time of Jesus, shepherds were like our life savers.  They performed a similar function.  They watched over their sheep, they knew each one’s distinctive traits and they knew the safest places to take their sheep.  The sheep knew the shepherds call in much the same way as a dog knows the call of its owner.  Herds were probably composed of ten or so as sheep as they were very precious for their milk and wool.  Shepherds had rudimentary animal husbandry knowledge and skills.  The sheep were totally in their care.

As Catholic Christians, we must picture ourselves like the sheep.  To seek our security in Jesus and his voice – his Word – through which he asks us to make it our own as we follow his way in life.  It is his voice, his word through which we form our values and fashion our attitudes and ultimately our relationship in faith.  In this way we follow Jesus the Good Shepherd through the good and rough terrains of life, being feed at his Eucharistic Table and sheltered in his communities of faith.  The question for us: are we good shepherds to others?