HOMILY OF THE 4TH SUNDAY OF THE EASTER — YEAR C
HOMILY OF THE 4TH SUNDAY OF THE EASTER — YEAR C
HOMILY THEME: THE MISSING SHEPHERD AND SHEEP
BY: Fr. Paul Karabari
Acts 13:14,43-52; Rev.7:9,14-17; John 10:27-30
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.”
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. The title suggests that there may be Bad Shepherd. A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards herds of sheep . Shepherding is one of the world’s oldest occupations.
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The Good Shepherd is one of the thrusts of Biblical scripture. The Gospel of today (John 10:27-30) lends testimony to it This theme encompasses many ideas, including God’s care for his people. The tendency of humans to put themselves into danger’s way and their inability to guide and take care of themselves apart from the direct power and leading of God.
Unlike modern sheepherd, the shepherd always walked ahead of his flock. He led them. The shepherd knew each of the sheep and usually had a name for each. The sheep knew his voice and trusted him and would not follow a stranger. Thus, when called, the sheep would come to him. ( John 10:14, 16.)
At night shepherds would bring their sheep to a corral called a sheepfold. High walls surrounded the sheepfold, and thorns were placed on top of these walls to prevent wild animals and thieves from climbing over. Sometimes, however, a wild animal driven by hunger would leap over the walls into the midst of the sheep, frightening them. Such a situation separated the true shepherd, one who loved his sheep, from the hireling—one who worked only for pay and duty. The true shepherd was willing to give his life for the sheep. He would go in amongst the sheep and fight for their welfare. The hireling, on the other hand, valued his own personal safety above the sheep and would usually flee from the danger.
So the broader functions of the shepherd were to lead the sheep to pastures and water (Ps 23:1) to protect them from predators (1 Sm 17:34-35); and to guard them at night, whether in the open (Lk 2:8) or in sheepfolds (Zph 2:6) where they counted them as they entered the fold (Jr 33:13). They took care of the sheep and even carried weak lambs in their arms (Is 40:11).
The maxim of the New Testament is the 10th chapter of John especially verses 14 and 16. The three major responsibilities of a Good Shepherd are caring, courage, and guiding. The shepherd figure could be our parent, priest or pastor, teacher, manager, doctor, political leader, and/or traditional ruler.
But the tragedy of our world today is that both the shepherd and sheep are missing. A child no longer thinks about the possible reactions of the parents before he takes a negative step. And our parents have less concerns about the personalities the children are developing. There exists a complete detachment in terms of cultural and ethical values. We have failed to understand that when we fail to give God to our children, the world is ready to give them devil. At the level of religious morality, ministers of the Gospel have frivolously converted the Holy Shrine to ‘Akawo Centre’. It is either we are talking about money, or we are telling the people exactly what they want to hear but certainly not what the Eternal Shepherd has for them.
Some of those who lead in the public sector have become wolves. Some teachers do not do their jobs but wait to cause mass failure so that students could bride them for grades. The public hospitals and health centres are vandalised, leaving the facilities as places where the vulnerable and helpless citizens come to die. Of course, the equipments are taken to private clinics so that we have to sell our only plot of land in the village to get treated in these private facilities. Politicians are nice just during elections. They are socio-economic terrors afterwards. The scenario is that of many sheep left to wander about without directions in the family, church and community. On the other hand, some sheep have become stubborn and unteachable. They feed themselves on the mundane while exposing their souls to the wolves that prowl around looking for what to devour.
In a world with so many confusing voices claiming to be those of the Good Shepherd, and predators dressing in the Shepherd’s regalia, the situation of the missing Shepherd poses danger to the wellbeing of the sheep. So that increasingly, the sheep are accepting the voice of a wild animal for a shepherd. When a sheep is missing, the shepherd should go in search. But who goes for the missing shepherd? GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God grant us the grace to recognise the voice of the Eternal Shepherd and follow him through Christ Our Lord Amen. Happy Sunday.
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