By Fr. Glenn Jones:
Some of my former parishioners live in a very rural setting, and besides farming one of their businesses is raising/selling a species of goat used for Jewish religious rites. They related to me recently that they found one of their dogs which guard the sheep bloodied, some slain coyotes nearby. The faithful hound evidently had repulsed a coordinated attack for which the wily coyote is so well known.
I recalled this while reviewing the Gospel for this weekend’s Catholic Mass in which Jesus portrays Himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18). One of the earliest paintings of Jesus depicts Him as carrying an injured lamb on his shoulders—an image which touches the heart. Why does that image touch us so? Because it depicts God’s tenderness, His compassion … His love for each and every human being.
But often we wander from the good path, becoming harassed by predators, feeling abandoned … the darkness encroaching ever upon us. And how often have we heard the Shepherd calling in the distance, urging return to the flock … to the good pasturage to which He directs? But, like the foolish lamb which has yet to experience grave danger, we not infrequently wander from the care of the shepherd … lured away by attractive but toxic weeds.
This is hardly limited to the Christian; quite the contrary. Those of all stripes are lured by the attractive, yet destructive. Strewn across the streets and neighborhoods of our cities are many addicted to drugs and drink. And how many families ruined by adulterous affairs, gambling addiction, violence, grudges, pride and prejudice?
The flock of humanity is constantly exposed to danger … wolves harassing with promises of happiness without God, or even virtue … trusting in momentary but destructive physical or prideful pleasures rather than on joy which can proceed only from fulfillment of the spirit. There are the rustlers/hustlers who steal sheep away from the flock … luring them with tempting bait … ridiculing the lambs and telling them how foolish they are to believe in the wisdom of this 2000-year-old faith established by Jesus.
“Sex, drugs and rock and roll!” is a cultural clarion call to anything rebellious … anything that appeals to baser animal instinct … until they OD, are ravaged by STDs because of promiscuity … rob relatives for drugs, teeth rotting from meth, or dump kids on grandparents to raise, or behind bars for having slain others with drunk or reckless driving.
And, tragically, there are hirelings who abandon the flock at the sign of danger or tribulation, who are concerned only for their own gain and comfort and ease of life. These view the flock simply as job security or opportunity for recognition rather than that of being their and God’s true servant. “I won’t teach them the truth; they don’t like it. I’ll tickle their ears with what is popular, and justify whatever they want to do. Who cares, as long as I get mine!”
Christians, of course, are certainly not immune to human weaknesses and wrongdoings, but an advantage that they (hopefully) have is the teachings of Jesus and His disciples trying to guide their hearers into that which is beneficial rather than the destructive. Yet many if not most of these teachings are not isolated in Jesus’ instruction alone, but many are time-honored realizations of philosophers through their own God-given reason and inspiration. Anything that moves humanity toward the good IS so given by Him, even if the inspired do not recognize it as being so.
Rather than the selfishness of “sex, drugs and rock & roll”, does not the selflessness fidelity, self-control, temperance, graciousness, charity, etc., lead to much better developments? Do not virtues seek the good of not only oneself, but of others? Can we not recognize the things that build up versus those that destroy?
Thankfully, God seeks for us when we stray nonetheless—the voice of conscience, while it can be silenced, cannot be eradicated no matter the morass we may slip into. His voice constantly reaches out to us. And we know that upon the shepherd’s shoulders the lamb is carried to a place of care, of security and of good pasture … where there will be nothing he shall want … where He restoreth my soul (Psalm 23). He has already given His life for the flock … and gave it freely so that the flock might truly live … as He says in our Gospel: “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down on my own.”
Commentator William Barclay related a story about a French soldier in WWI whose arm was so mangled that it had to be amputated. When the young man awoke, the surgeon said to him: “I am so sorry to tell you that you have lost your arm.” But the soldier protested: “Sir, I did not lose it. I gave it—for France!”
Infinitely more profoundly, Jesus sacrificed His life for love of US that we might live with God. And now His disciples are called to be shepherds as He was to those around us … to give our lives for those who have not yet found our True Shepherd. No work in our lives compares to this; in fact, NO work compares to the benefit to mankind than this. To lead even one soul to God’s grace and salvation surpasses all other meritorious works, following Christ’s command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20 RSV)
We, my Christian brethren, are the body of Christ. We are now His hands to work, His feet to travel the dusty road, His voice to proclaim His Gospel to the world to reflect His light to those around us—not only to family and friends, but also to co-workers, to non-Christians, to all who have yet to come to know Him.
The Latin dismissal of the Catholic Mass is “Ite, missa est!”, meaning “Go; you are sent!” A Christian is not one for himself alone, but is to draw others to the joy offered by Christ … to the security and knowledge of God’s goodness and His salvation. It is in living that selfless and Godly life that we become most like Christ … and how we show ourselves to be true children of God.
Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.
