Sheep without a shepherd

The Church has a long tradition of characterising its leaders, that is its bishops, as shepherds, and the local Christian community as their flock. The bishop's crosier, despite any ornate decoration, really represents the shepherd's crook.

This characterisation can also be seen in many liturgical prayers, and also in some theological statements on the office of bishops. But the metaphor originally referred to political leaders, and more specifically to the kings.

Archaeology has uncovered many ancient Near-Eastern paintings of kings in shepherd grab, signifying the ruler's responsibility of guidance and protection of the people in his realm.

Today's Gospel says that Jesus took pity on the crowds, "for they were like sheep without a shepherd". Here the reference was probably to religious leaders, because at the time the Jews were an occupied people and the real political power was in the hands of the Romans.

Still, just as the earlier Israelite kings, primarily through political leaders, also wielded religious power, so the religious leaders at the time of Jesus also enjoyed significant political influence. The fact that many of them had been co-opted by the Romans was of grave concern for many religious groups.

If we look around us we are sure to find many good people today who are searching, people hungering for instruction, good people who are looking for direction. They may be parents who are sick with grief over the future of a troubled child; a man stripped of his dignity by unemployment; a woman facing a pregnancy alone; elderly people who feel the diminishing surge of life in their bodies; people who are hungry and confused because they have lost confidence in their leaders, whether political or religious.

All these are people who are looking for answers and striving to find meaning in the reality of which they are part. They are like "sheep without a shepherd". To whom should they go?

In a situation of this kind, it is Jesus himself who comes to our rescue. He repeats to us the same invitation, which he addressed to his disciples: "Come away into a desert place and rest awhile!" Isn't this invitation addressed to each one of us as well?

Don't we also, at times, no less than Our Lord's disciples, feel "like sheep without a shepherd"? Desert places, usually called 'Retreat Houses', are available everywhere today, also here in our country. That is where we can meet the Lord, in an atmosphere of recollection.

Spending a day or a weekend in one of these houses will help us look into ourselves in a spirit of faith under the guidance of Our Lord himself, who may talk to our heart of hearts and enlighten us to discover where we stand and what we still need to do to accomplish his divine will and grow inwardly in a spirit of faith and love. St Bernard of Clairvaux has written these words in this connection: "The whole of the spiritual life turns on these two things: we are troubled when we contemplate ourselves, and out sorrow brings salvation; when we contemplate God we are restored so that we receive consolation from the joy of the Holy Spirit.

"From the contemplation of ourselves we gain fear and humility, but from the contemplation of God we receive hope and love."

Somewhat along the same lines can be understood what they say about St Ignatius Loyola: "He was contemplative in his actions and active in his contemplation." Is not this well worth trying also by each one of us?