Be a Good Shepherd

4^th Sunday of Easter/Good Shepherd Sunday

May 11, 2014

John 10:1-10

“…whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd…(John 10:2)”

 

Today, we are joyously celebrating the Good Shepherd Sunday. Doubtless, our hearts are fixed to Jesus as our Good Shepherd. Definitely He is and always will be the One, but if looking closely at the passage of today’s Gospel, Jesus did not explicitly call Himself as the Good Shepherd, but rather the true Gate to the Sheepfold.  So, who is the good shepherd Jesus is referring to?

I remember the words of our Provincial, Fr. Gerard Timoner, OP during one of his conferences to us, Dominican student-brothers, that we are “brothers-shepherding brothers”. We are a shepherd to one another especially when the formators are not around! The underlying truth is that each one of us is a shepherd following Jesus as our archetype. A bishop is a chief shepherd in his diocesan and while the parish priests are the dedicated shepherds to his local faithful. In Indonesia, a priest is also fondly called a ‘pastor’ (Latin word for a shepherd). Yet, being a shepherd goes beyond this Church hierarchy. A father is a providing shepherd for his family. A mother is a carrying shepherd for her children. Even an elder sibling is an influential shepherd to the younger siblings. A recent study quoted by National Geographic Indonesia reveals that the elder child has greater impact in the language and characters building of the younger brother/sisters.

In this highly interrelated human world, we are called to be a good shepherd. And how are we going to be good in the first place? Reading Jesus’ words closely, He describes several actions of the shepherd: he enters through the gate, calls the sheep by name, and brings the flock out. In short, there is deep sense of intimacy and belongingness between the shepherd and the flock. This is core value that a good shepherd has to possess. Yet, admittedly, lack of this sense of belongingness is a deep-seated problem of our contemporary society. Andrew Matthews, a popular author, mentioned a research that a lot of people are longing for someone who sincerely listen to them. It is a lonely world.

Then, how do we, the good shepherds, counter this? Pope Francis once told the cardinals and the bishops to smell like sheep. Only by being one and rubbing our shoulders with our flocks, we may assume our identity as good shepherds. Pope Francis in fact walked the talk. Before he was elected Pope, as an archbishop, he visited and said mass in slum areas of Buenos Aires in regular basis. He is dearly loved by the people simply because he ‘smells’ like the people he serves.

I am predominantly an introvert person, meaning I prefer to be in solitude to find purpose and strength, rather be with others. But, when I was asked to become the coordinator of Mukha Ad, a youth formation apostolate group in my seminary, I decided to stretch myself out and plunge myself into an unimaginable social encounters. Spending my Sundays with these young people, organizing formative activities, and listening to their stories turn to be my routine. I could not have been a good shepherd if I had not gone out of my comfort zone and smelt like these young people. Well, at least, the fragrant of these youthful are much better than sheep!

Looking back into our lives, have we become a good shepherd to one another? Have we spent a quality time listening to our friends, or we just focus on ourselves instead? Have we given a due attention to our children, or rather thought that sending them to a good school is enough? Are you a good shepherd?

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP