Today, 4th Sunday of Easter, the church celebrates the Good Shepherd Sunday and invites to pray for the vocation. We will like to share with you the Homily of our Formator, Fr. Stan Achi, which is as well a challenge to each one of us to be not only shepherd, but good one. It is entitled, "Shepherd for others and not for oneself."
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Homily: Shepherd for others and not for oneself. (Jn 10:11-18)
A German proverb says, “Straying shepherd, straying sheep.” And another proverb adds, “The good shepherd shears, not flays.”“Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.” Not only that we are children of God, but we also have a shepherd, and a good one. How fortunate we really are!We are celebrating today, 4th Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday. In this day, we are called to pray in a very special way for vocations.The liturgy of today finds its main theme in the Gospel. Jesus talking about himself insistently says, “I am the good shepherd.” He then carries on listing the qualities of the good shepherd: auto-conscience, concern for his sheep, self-sacrifice for them, knowledge of the sheep. All these qualities and characteristics of the good shepherd are expression of his love. Thus, John can exclaim, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us…” The Lord so loved us that he came to lead us as a shepherd leads his sheep.In our today’s societies, many are those who pass to be shepherds, but very few are the good one. Many are the hired workers, few those who care for the sheep.
