What Have You Done and Going to Do With Your Life?

What does the image of Jesus being the Good Shepherd mean for us – practically speaking - in our day and age and society – in which we no longer see or hear or talk about shepherds…

This image of Jesus being the Good Shepherd and that we are the sheep is a profound statement of reality… 

Domestic sheep are some of the most dependent creatures on earth.  In the presence of natural enemies, they are virtually helpless. They do not have the speed to run away.  They do not have the strength to fight.  For the most part, they rely on the shepherd to guide them to pasture. They cannot even look or search for their own food.  Left alone in the wilderness, they are at the mercy of the elements and predators and they will not survive.  Keep that image in mind 

To say - We are the sheep means - the truth is – there are times when the challenges of life are beyond us… there are times when the struggles we have in life are greater than our own strength.

Well - If you have not yet experienced it, reality check - the fact of life is that - sooner or later it happens to all of us.

We do not have all the answers to all of life’s questions.  We cannot solve all of the problems, and we cannot carry all of the burdens with our own strength.

This reality or fact of life comes to us in many different ways… at different times and moments of our lives. 

…And sooner or later, we will find that we are not as strong as we think we are.  There are just circumstances of life beyond our control, and we, like the sheep, must depend on the Shepherd.

This is a very humbling realization - to realize that truth - about ourselves; but - the Good News is – it is such a comforting thought - that our Shepherd – Jesus - is dependable.  Jesus wants you and me to know that we are safe and secure under His care.  We can depend on Him… He is not like the hired hands who will abandon us when things get rough.

Christ is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep…and Christ has the power to take it up again. Christ is Risen… He has conquered sin and death.  He is alive and He is with us and He is in us.

Jesus said: “Do not be afraid.  In this world, you will have troubles, but take heart (do not be afraid), I have overcome the world…”

But – of course - we have our free will – and so we always have a choice whether to continue to be shepherded by Christ or not; whether to continue to follow Him or not.

Right now – at this point in your life – Who or What is the source of your sense of security?  …  Who or what is your source of hope and courage and strength?  In other words: Who is your shepherd?

When the followers of Jesus found His teachings too difficult to believe and to follow – they started leaving Him and when Jesus asked His apostles if they would abandon or leave Him also like the other disciples who left - Peter said:  “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." (Jn 6:68-69)

Our society is getting to be more and more secular and even atheistic.  There are so many shepherds out there – hired shepherds.  There are so many voices.  More and more leaders are forgetting spiritual realities and they are just trusting worldly or material prosperity. The leaders are trusting more their own cunning, intellect and power rather than the living God.

It is so fitting that today – traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday – that we celebrate also World Day of Prayer for Vocations… because we need to pray for more Christian shepherds…. For more Christian Leaders in the true sense of the word… because there are leaders out there who claim to be Godly, claiming to be Christians but they really make you wonder…

Jesus commissioned Peter to feed his lambs and to tend his sheep (John 21:15-16)… meaning - shepherding God’s flocks is an ongoing task, ongoing mission that is entrusted to the whole church - to all of us - with Peter as the head… with the Pope, Pope Francis, the successor of Peter - as the head. Today as World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we are especially invited to reflect on the meaning of God's call and to pray for vocations.

Christian thinking on vocation has been summarized in one profound saying: "All are priests, some are priests, only one is a priest."

Only one is a priest – refers to the unique priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only one perfect mediator between God and humanity… who is fully God and fully human.

Some are priests – refers to the ministerial priesthood of some of the faithful, those who are called to make a lifelong commitment to serve as ordained ministers… called to the work of shepherding the flock of God… like the priests and religious or those in consecrated life.  They are called to share more closely than the rest of the believers in the life and work of Jesus the Good Shepherd.  They are NOT hired shepherds.  They are not employees.

Our pastor Father Glenn and Father Peping are not hired employees of the Church.  They – too - lay down their lives for the flock of Jesus – for us.

Priesthood is NOT a career like being a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc.  Priests are NOT hired hands. They are giving their lives for the sake of the flock of Christ.

The challenges for the Church to be the voice of the Good Shepherd - are many …  but true shepherds are few.

So - If today you should hear God's voice calling you to priesthood or religious/consecrated life, harden not your hearts. And if you do not hear God calling you to this way of life, then – at least - do everything in your power to encourage and support those who are called to priestly or religious life;

And also – let us continue to pray and encourage those who struggle in their vocations - even with faltering steps - to follow the footsteps of Jesus - the Good Shepherd.

“Only one is a priest; some are priests; all are priests.

All are priests – refers to the universal priesthood of all believers.  By virtue of our baptism in Christ… we all share in the priesthood of Christ… In the first letter of Peter (1 Peter 2:9) – addressed to Christians – to us - “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…”… Meaning - We – also - are all called to be priest to one another…

St . Teresa of Avila said it so beautifully:

Christ has NO body now on earth but yours.

Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world.

Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.

Meaning – To All Christians, the Baptized, Christ has no physical body now on earth but yours. You are the Body of Christ, the Good Shepherd.

God is calling every single one of us to participate in shepherding God’s flock and to use the gifts we have been given… in loving service of one another for the love of God who laid down His life for us. 

Let me close with these questions and challenges:

So, we are invited to think about our life we have been given and what we do with it.

For those of us who have been in the journey of life for many years, advance in years, so to speak – what have you done with your life?  Just in case, God willing, there is still tomorrow, you can still do better.

For the younger ones: what are you going to do with your life?  Think about it and do not let life ran away from you.

The worst we can do with life is to live life without thinking about it – not really thinking where my life goes.

With our Christian faith, by the grace of God, hopefully, we all hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and guide us to the path of life God has chosen for us.