The Good Shepherd

John's vision of Christ's Church is that of a community characterised by a love that brings people to Christ and by truth that will make them free. This is what is suggested, among other things, by today's gospel about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

The early Christians were imbued by this whole idea, as one can see from the many paintings and sketches on the walls of several catacombs, representing Christ as shepherd with sheep around him.

Furthermore, the shepherd imagery is deeply rooted in biblical thought. God is the ultimate shepherd of the chosen people, providing guidance, sustenance and protection.

Kings and other leaders were also to be like shepherds, whose duty was to guide their peoples on the right paths and to provide them with sustenance and protection. Israel's hopes for the fullness of time included a messianic figure who, like David the shepherd king, would gather God's people into one fold.

By contrast, the designation 'good shepherd' for Jesus contrasts with the frequent designation of unfaithful leaders in Israel as bad shepherds who neglect their flocks and abuse them for their own advantage.

Though not proclaimed in today's reading, the biblical tradition suggests that Jesus the Good Shepherd will also lay down his life for his flock.

In today's Gospel we read an initial parable warning against thieves and robbers who do not enter the sheepfold through the gate but jump over the fence.

By contrast, the true shepherd enters through the gate, calls his own sheep by name, and walks ahead of them because they recognise his voice. And then he leads them to the right pastures and is delighted in seeing them happy and growing in good health.

If the Good Shepherd is Jesus, who belongs to the flock? The most obvious answer that comes to mind is this: each one of us as Christians and members of his Church belong to God's flock, thanks to our rebirth in baptism and to the Eucharist which nourishes us.

In a more general way, but no less truly, all human beings, no matter what religion they profess, also belong to Jesus's flock. Our Lord's call to salvation is addressed also to them, even though they are not aware of it.

It is up to us as Christians to do our part by spreading to them God's call to salvation, not only by means of our prayers, but also by our good example as authentic Christians, as sheep in God's fold.

Further down in John's Gospel we come again across the same notion of shepherd, when Jesus, after asking Peter three times whether he loved him or not, told him: "Feed my sheep, feed my lambs."

Every ministry in the Church, whether it be that of pope, bishop or priest, is the result of love and fidelity to Christ, the one good and authentic Shepherd.

Since the Second Vatican Council, as everyone knows, every Christian is called to share in the pastoral ministry of the Church.

Lay people too are called to be 'shepherds' of Christ's flock, by their good example by their prayers, and also by their sharing in the apostolic ministries of the parish or diocese.

We must be grateful to God that many lay people today are in fact responding in a practical way to God's call and are being actively involved in a number of Church ministries.

It is good to keep in mind that no Christian, myself included, is excluded from this call: to be an exective instrument of God's call to salvation.