JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD

JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Today we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. This day, we celebrate our special call to follow Him and to be with Him. The Shepherd knows His sheep and leads them to everlasting life.
1.Once two people were asked to recite the Psalm, "The Lord is my Shepherd and there is nothing I shall want..." The first man who was a powerful orator got up and recited the whole psalm, and then everyone stood up and clapped their hands and cheered for him. Then the other man got up and repeated the same words and this time no one cheered and they were all sitting quietly in a devotional and prayerful mood.Then the orator got up and said, "I have a confession to make". You should know the difference between this old man and I, " I only know the psalm and this man knows the shepherd".Today we are called to know the Shepherd personally by means of our every day prayer and self-giving.

2.One day a sheep saw a hole in the fence and he escaped through the hole. He wandered far and forgot his way back. Then he realized that he was being chased by a wolf. He ran and ran but the wolf was kept following him until the shepherd came and rescued him. Then he carried the sheep to the fold. After that so many people told the shepherd to nail up the fence but he never did.That is our Good Shepherd who gives us freedom and free will to choose between good and bad and between right and wrong. When we go away from him and fall into sin, He recognizes our failures and weaknesses saying, "I came for the one sheep that was lost". For the Good Shepherd, the lost sheep is also a good sheep. And thus He saves us from peril and danger. He gives us freedom not to go away from Him but to know our humanness fully and thus to love God with all our heart, mind and body and love others.

3. In today's gospel, Jesus says that His sheep hear His voice and they follow Him. And no one can snatch them out of His hand. And people may go away from God and His Church but because of His love and forgiveness they will certainly come back to Him. Nothing can stop them from experiencing His love.There happened a dialogue between a recent convert and his friend."so you have been converted to Catholicism?""Yes""Then you should know about Jesus and His life. Tell me about His native country"The convert said, "to be honest with you, I don't no"."What was His age when He died?""I don't know""How many sermons did He preach?"His friend then looked at him and said, "you don't know much but you claimed to be converted to Christianity".Yes, I am ashamed at how little I know about Jesus but this much I do know.Three years ago, I was a drunkard, I was in debt. My family was falling to pieces. My wife and my children hated me and they didn't even want to see me. But now I have given up drinking, we are out of debt; ours is a happy family. All this Christ has done for me. This much I know.

Conclusion:The love of the Good Shepherd transforms our very nature. The lost sheep is also a good sheep, so let us go to Him with who we are and transform ourselves. Amen.