Gospel: John 10:1-10
Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them. So Jesus spoke to them again: “I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them. I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.”
Homily
The story is often told of a man who was known in his home village as a person who helped the inhabitants of that village whenever there was need. After a while this man was asked to become elected representative of the area. After much persuasion he agreed and won the election handsomely. When asked what influenced them to vote for him, the villagers replied that they trusted him. They trusted him because he helped them selflessly with no thought of personal gain. He simply loved his people.
As I began my meditation on the Gospel passage given to us for our meditation this weekend, that story came to mind because the Gospel story of the good shepherd becomes flesh in the story of that village representative.
There are two images which blend to produce the figure of the good shepherd and which can be found in that village representative. The first is of the shepherd who goes ahead of his flock and whom the sheep follow because they know his voice. This is the image of the leader who knows where he is going and who doesn’t have to look back to see who is following, who doesn’t have to force people to follow because the people trust him/her. They know his voice. The leader speaks a language that they understand. That type of leader does not have to make outlandish promises which will not be kept, nor does that leader have to threaten or cajole, the relationship is one of trust, a trust that is there because of the integrity of the life of the leader.
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When these two images, that of the leader who is followed because of trust, and that of the gate come together in a person, we then have the ideal leader.
The Gospel is always good news, and today the Good news is that there have been and there are leaders today who unite these two characteristics in themselves. We think of our dear departed John Paul 2. In spite of an uncompromising message, many followed him and young people testify to the way he challenged them to a fuller and more meaningful life. Millions followed his funeral not because he was a rock star as some would want us believe. They followed because he was a true leader. We thank God for him and others like him; Mother Teresa, Mons Romero, Nelson Mandela, Ghandi. Each one of these had messages which included difficult choices, the choice to forgive, the choice to remove barriers of ethnicity and social class and status, the choice to believe in oneself. People followed them because they were true leaders. We thank God for parents, for teachers, and for others who as true leaders opened up for us, new possibilities which led us to a fuller life.
The Gospel also calls us to evaluate our patterns of leadership, as parents, because we are the primary models for our children, and then as teachers, in the parish, and wherever we find ourselves. It is so easy to want to be important, to want to be recognized, that we often forget the aim of leadership, to lead others to fuller life. As we recognize our shortcomings as leaders we ask for God’s grace, the grace to be good shepherds after the example of Jesus.
Let us also pray for our country that our leaders may really lead us to a fuller life both materially and above all else spiritually.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, today Good Shepherd Sunday you remind us of what it takes to be a true leader after the manner of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. May your Spirit fill our leaders with the selflessness and love which characterize true leaders. May their concern not be personal achievement but rather the fuller life for all those whom they lead. May they find fulfillment and happiness in leading others to fulfillment and happiness. We ask this through our Lord Jesus, the good Shepherd and Mary our mother. Amen
