Jer 23:1-6
Ps 23
Eph 2:13-18
Mk 6:30-34
The shepherd was crucial to Ancient Near Eastern life. His flocks supplied food and wool. He protected the sheep from wild animals and thieves and kept them from getting lost. The shepherd made certain that the flocks were safe at night
and pastured during the day. It is no surprise then, that the shepherd became a symbol for those with authority over others. The ideal king in the Ancient Near East was protector, rescuer, and servant of the people. That ideal was not always met.
Being a shepherd was never easy. Being responsible for the care, protection and guidance of others is not easy. It never will be easy. A good shepherd is a leader but also a companion. A good shepherd is strong, decisive, and demanding when necessary but gentle and flexible when the situation demands.
The shepherd keeps the sheep on the right path and seeks out the rebellious ones who stray and become lost. The shepherd loves and cares for the sheep
and will lay down his life for them, even the ones who need to be dragged back again and again. Ask any parent.
A parent's vocation is that of shepherd. That is to guide and protect when necessary, and to keep the kiddos on the right path, while loving and caring for them at all times. The shepherd's responsibilities are serious and at times burdensome. The responsibilities must never be ignored or perverted as is made plain in the opening verse from Jeremiah, "Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord."
Many of Israel’s kings, about whom Jeremiah was speaking, were unfaithful to their calling. They ignored their roles as shepherds, rebelled against God, and failed to care for those entrusted to them. The same can be said for too many political figures in the U.S.
Many of those ancient shepherds had no concern for their flocks but only for themselves. They ignored the people they were to guide, and allowed them to remain lost and bewildered. Things haven’t changed much. Today, there are financial “shepherds” who take good care of themselves with no concern for those to whom they are responsible. Think back Bernie Madoff who destroyed many lives. But there is also the Little League president who embezzles funds meant for the kids. Same sins simply different budgets.
Too many news stories describe parents who leave young children alone and unsupervised. Parents who ignore their responsibilities as they go out to drink, do drugs, gamble, or shop are beneath contempt. Once we are responsible
for the care of others no matter the type of care, we carry the same responsibilities as the shepherds of the Ancient Near East, and face the same punishment Jeremiah described if we neglect those duties.
Psalm 23, 'The Lord is my shepherd,' is probably the most well-known and beloved of the 150 psalms that make up the Church's ancient prayer book. There are times I cannot hear this psalm without memories of the black and white westerns I watched as a kid. No funeral in Dry Creek Gulch was officially over until the preacher, wearing a black frock coat, intoned "The Lord is my shepherd . . . " while someone pounded a rough wooden cross into the mound of dirt over the grave. And of course there was John Wayne who stood off to the side, glowered, and caressed his gun.
The images in the psalm speak to our desires for peace, safety, rest, and our wish to be cared for. The images are comforting and consoling as they invoke the shepherd who gives the sheep rest, cool water, and protection in green pastures.
It is not easy being that shepherd. The gospel showed that.
The sheep can be demanding, wanting more than the shepherd can give. Despite Jesus' fatigue and the apostles' need for rest we heard his response to those who looked for Jesus. “When he saw the crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them . . . . .”
Jesus' hunger and fatigue took a backseat to the needs of the sheep.
Placing the needs of others before one's own is part of being a good shepherd
in our own vocations, jobs, or occupations or when we are responsible for the care of others. Jesus gives us the model of the Good Shepherd. Our choice is whether or not to accept or reject that model, whether to choose for or against His example.
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Up in VT last weekend. At most I either say private Masses or concelebrate on Sunday. No homily last week. The photos are studies in 'light painting' No need to caption.
Fr. Jack, SJ, MD
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