Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 4: 8-12;

1 John 3: 1-2;

John 10: 11-18;

The life of a Palestinian shepherd in Jesus' time was pretty rough, as it still is today; there's little pasture, and the sheep are totally dependent upon their shepherd leading them to "pastures new."

All four Gospels use the image of Jesus as a good shepherd, Jesus had obviously watched shepherds building up an affinity with their flock, walking ahead of their sheep, calling on them to follow, developing a bond, with their flock, where every sheep was known individually. He always shows Himself as the One willing to give up His life for His flock. So many times, we just don't see Jesus in the same light: we don't think of Him as "real" in our lives: yes, He's there as God, someone to talk to, but too often He's still on the fringe, outside of our own real family.

If we can relate Him to our own family circumstances, then we might begin to see Him in a totally different light, and realise that He really is there to take care of me, protect me, and love me as an individual for whom He has all the time in the world. That's something to which many of you as parents can relate to: most of the time you could strangle your offspring, but when it gets down to the bit, you would willingly do anything to protect them in the face of real, or even perceived, danger.

It's not easy, when life is hard, to put ourselves in Jesus' hands and follow where He leads. lf only we could see where we're going, following might be simpler. We want to make plans and can't - the saying: "tell God your plans and make Him smile!" Anxiety and insecurity are frightening, and that's when Jesus assures us, "Trust Me, I'm the Good Shepherd, I will keep you safe."

Jesus is calling you and me to follow Him. Am I willing to follow His voice? Are there occasions when I could imitate Jesus and be a good shepherd to someone who needs more help than I do? Filled with the Spirit, Peter and the other apostles weren't afraid to bear witness to the good Shepherd by their words and lives, We're now called to do the same by the way in which we live, work and speak.

On this Vocations Sunday, I'm reminded of how I went straight from high school to the Scots College in Rome, where the total pastoral training in my final year consisted of baptising a doll - no advice concerning confession, engaged couples, anointing of the sick, dealing with the bereaved, conducting of a funeral - in other words, total lack of preparation for a pastoral ministry! So today, pray for those who are tinkering with the idea of the priesthood or the religious life, that they may have the courage to hear God's voice quietly, but definitely, calling them, and then to follow it. And pray for us who are already there - and still struggling!