Shepherd for others and not for oneself. (Jn 10:11-18)

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."

++++

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.

Based on today’s gospel passage I will like to make a kind of satire of us, shepherds and invite us at the same time to rediscover our true identity and mission.Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” This “I am” takes more than a philosophical meaning. It is an expression of knowing oneself. He knows deeply who he is and affirms it. We, shepherds of the people of God, do we know who we are and what is our mission? It is sad, but many are the priests, church leaders and parents who do not even know who they are. And because not knowing themselves, they also cannot know who are their own. By knowing who he was Jesus was made able to know his sheep and gave them to know him: “I know mine and mine know me.” We are actually very far away to be like Jesus. Because we don’t know ourselves, because we don’t know our sheep, we also are unable to lay down our lives for them. Because, one can only lay down his life for those he knows.The saddest is that, in our churches and communities, today, many are just like hired workers. They have no concern, no love for those under their care. They actually only care for themselves, for their pocket, for their stomach. Thus, churches count more business men and women than shepherds.As we pray for vocations, let us say it, many are those who enter the seminaries and aspire for priesthood for career. Henceforth, once ordained, they run more for money and possession or authority and position than serving. The good shepherd, the Lord said, has nothing for himself, but all for others, those under his care. This is an exhortation to young people who dream to embrace priesthood. Do not enter seminary for careerism, or authoritarianism. Priesthood and religious life is not to make career; it is not for those who thirst for authority. It is and will ever be a service. It is for those who are ready and eager to serve and lay down their lives for the needy. If you are not ready to serve, don’t even bother yourself, please, to choose that vocation. There are many other ways to be happy and fulfill once dream in life and God’s call.You may have certainly seen priests and church leaders or pastors with big cars, abundance of money, many private properties, making binge of life, surrounded by many beautiful girls and handsome boys, and so one… These are not the shepherds of the people of God, but just hired workers. They are there for their personal interests. Don’t look at them and dream to become a priest or pastor.Sure, we cry of the little number of shepherds. But among these few shepherds, very few are the good one. Do not come to add to the number of the bad shepherds or the hired workers. If you dream to be a shepherd, dare to dream to be a good one. One who knows his sheep and whom the sheep know, one who is ready to give his life for them. One who do not run away from them when dangers appear.You dream being a shepherd, be as Pope Francis exhorted the priests of Rome, “shepherd with the smell of sheep”. Because, sadly, we count today, more wolves vested in sheep, or shepherd with the smell of wolves than shepherd living with the smell of sheep. Could we say, priest and pastors are somehow many, but very few are the good priests and pastors.This call to be good shepherds is also addressed to you, parents. You are the shepherds of your family. Dare also there, to be image of Christ, good shepherd. This starts by knowing your own and finding as well quantitative and qualitative time to be with them. Many are the families today where parents do not have time for their children or for the husband or the wife. Everyone run for business and for money forgetting the most important, the knowing who you are, knowing who are your own, and knowing and caring for their needs. The good shepherd, Jesus says, knows his sheep and his sheep know him. Parents, do you know your children? Do your children know you?We all have this great vocation, which at the same time is a challenge, to be shepherds and mostly to be good shepherds. Let us not live as hired workers who have concern only for their personal and egoistic interests. We are shepherds for others and not for ourselves.