The readings this weekend explain how God, like a good shepherd, redeems His people and provides for them. The readings challenge us to use our God-given authority in the family, in the Church, and in society, with faith and responsibility. In the world of today this includes of course the pastoral care given by our priests but also includes the loving service given by all Christians who follow different callings to serve and lead others.
We need God’s grace to become good shepherds. The Christian life can be regarded as being in the presence of God, then to the presence of people and then back to God again. We do this through prayer which is essentially listening to God and talking to Him. We should allow God the opportunity to speak to us and recharge us with spiritual energy and strength by setting aside time for Him to speak to us and for us to speak to Him. One important way we can facilitate this is by spending some time every day reading the Bible and meditating on the message God gives us in Scripture. We receive strength from God to do our share of the shepherd’s preaching and healing ministry by asking for it individually, in the family, and as a community in the parish Church, when we participate in Mass. We must be people of compassion. We must be able to feel deeply the suffering of others, to understand why they fear and worry. We are all called to lead and “govern wisely” living out what we communicate. We must guide people in right paths and are to be concerned about what is right and just. Our pastoral care should be involved with people’s real needs, both spiritual and material, and provide peaceful care and guidance. There are so many people searching for truth today, people hungering for instruction, good people who are looking for direction. They may be parents who are worried over the future of a troubled child; a man suffering because of unemployment; a woman facing a pregnancy alone; elderly people who feel lonely; people who are angry and confused because they have lost confidence in their leaders. They are all people who are looking for answers and for meaning. They are like sheep without a shepherd. They all need someone filled with the spirit of Christ the “Good Shepherd to help them.
Let us all try in the coming days to be people of compassion and put ourselves out to help at least one person in need. We can all be good shepherds.