Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, 2023

For a very long time, this fourth Sunday of Easter has been called Good Shepherd Sunday. The readings and prayers for the Liturgy of the Mass speak of—and to—the Good Shepherd of our souls (John 10:1-10).

We’ve all seen images of the Good Shepherd: statues, pictures, even the cross that Pope Francis wears publicly around his neck show Jesus as a shepherd with a newly found sheep carried gently on His shoulders or in His arms. As far back as the writing of the psalms, God has been known as a gentle Shepherd (see the twenty-third psalm, The Lord is my Shepherd).

It’s an image, whether written or in visual art, that touches us deeply, especially those among us who know first-hand how easily one lamb from a herd of sheep can so quickly wander away. That’s us, isn’t it? We too often find ourselves feeling separated from God when we’ve been less than holy and we long to be found and carried home to His Heart. How blest we are that He does come to rescue us, if we will only let ourselves be found.

In today’s Gospel Jesus Himself tells us that the Good Shepherd calls His sheep by name. By what name does He call you when He sees you lost and hastens to rescue you? He won’t call you a scoundrel, or a ne’er-do-well, or a worthless one. Instead, He will call you my favored wandering son, my dear confused daughter, my frightened beloved one.

Let me repeat the words of St. Augustine: “Have no fear, for when you seek God He will find you.” Even when we don’t think to call out to Him or to seek Him, but rely instead on our own strength to get out of our terrible predicaments, He comes and finds us. We might say to Him,

“I didn’t even realize I had lost the way.”

Then He will answer softly, “That’s the very reason I came to find you.”

Have a blessed week.