When I was young, my cousin and I used to play these imaginary Lord of the Rings sword-fighting games. In all honesty, we only stopped playing these games last year. But in all honesty, these games would eventually end up in arguments over who was going to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. But we both had this heroic, self-sacrificial complex that would express itself in our play. Hearing Jesus’ words today, in our Gospel, I am the Good Shepherd and the Good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, speaks to my being and to the child within, I hope in some way, it also appeals to you with the same vigour.
Today is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday, with a specific focus on priests, bishops, and the Pope, but today I want to extend that to all the baptised faithful, you, who are shepherds in your workplaces, in your family, at school or with the sporting club. Friends, put on the mind of the shepherd and take on the heart of the shepherd so that we might act like the Shepherd. Allow me to highlight three main points. Firstly, it is important to know God through prayer. Secondly, we should allow our hearts to fall in love with God and the flock, and finally, we should be led into self-sacrificial action.
The most important thing to keep in mind as shepherds is that we all look to the Good Shepherd, who is none other than Jesus himself. Without Jesus, we’re just hired men and women, as we heard about in our Gospel today. And keep in mind, too, that the hired person gets paid, but the shepherd freely and generously gives.
Now, anyone can be a shepherd, but not everyone is a Good Shepherd. A Good Shepherd operates out of their need and reliance on God, who is the source of goodness. So, I think naturally, our first step, as shepherds of God’s people, is to return to God so that we can know God; how can we know God? Through prayer!
Woe to us if we do not pray to God and keep that connection alive in our lives, especially as Shepherds, we become just a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. To pray, then, is to raise the mind and heart to God, and if we learn to do this constantly, we take on what St. Paul talks about in his letter to the Thessalonians when he says, ‘pray without ceasing.’
Now, as a point of clarification, by knowledge of God, I don’t mean superficial knowledge, but the same kind of knowledge Jesus speaks of in our Gospel today between him and the Father. We know eternally that the Trinitarian God is the only love triangle in all of history that works. It puts complete shame on Twilight, Riverdale and Dawson’s Creek. This, friends, is an inseparable, active oneness to infinity and beyond.
That’s the kind of knowledge of God we’re invited into as Shepherds.
Returning to God has multiple effects on our lives, and perhaps the principal effect is falling in love with God and God’s people, which is our second point. I want to approach this differently by providing us with a test instead. Here, I want to call to mind a wonderful character from the Gospel of Luke: the older brother of the parable of the Prodigal Son.
I absolutely praise the Lord when I witness the wonders God has accomplished through them. However, as I watch God do amazing things, I couldn’t help but feel like the older brother of the Prodigal Son, of whom Shannon Noll basically wrote the song, ‘What about me? It isn’t fair!’ What we often miss in relating to the older brother of this parable is what the father says to him. The Father says, ‘Everything I have is yours.’ Now, here’s a good way to test if we’ve really taken on the mind and heart of the Good Shepherd. If something good happens for our neighbour, rather than feeling jealousy and envy, we rejoice and join the celebration the heavenly father is hosting – remembering what the Father says, ‘Everything I have is yours.’ I certainly have a long way to go, but I want to be part of the party, if you’re in the same boat then let’s give this disposition humbly God.
Finally, the Good Shepherd, as we heard Jesus say, is the one who lays down their life for the Sheep. The greatest act that models the Good Shepherd is the sacrifice of Jesus, who even on the cross said, ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ While this may not be the reality for us one day, the opportunity to lay down your life, in other ways, still presents itself to us. Whether we lay down our time for our neighbour, perhaps we might lay down our talent for the Church and the community. Whatever the case, may our hearts come alive to the opportunity that as we model the Good Shepherd, we might begin by returning to Jesus in prayer, allowing our hearts to blaze with the love of the Shepherd so that, as the opportunity arises, we might actively give ourselves freely to one another as Jesus gave it all for us. Amen.
Homily of Fr Will Iuliano for Good Shepherd Sunday, 21st of April 2024.Fr Will is a mentor priest for men in the Canali Program, in addition to being the Parish Priest of the Dutton Park and St Mary’s South Brisbane, and Chaplain to the Emmanuel Community.