The fourth Sunday of the Easter season is often called “Good Shepherd Sunday,” because the readings for the day always come from the passage in the Gospel of John where Jesus speaks of himself as the “good Shepherd” and his disciples as his sheep. Shepherds:
- protect sheep from predators;
- lead sheep to places where there is sufficient grass and water; and
- bring sheep to the place of shearing, where their wool is taken and the sheep thus fulfill the purpose for which they have been bred.
That third function of shepherds is often neglected in our thoughts about Christ as the Good Shepherd: Christ doesn’t care for us merely because we need care, though it’s true that we do need care and that Christ cares for us in part because we need him. But our Lord also has a purpose for us. He does not need us, but he intends us to enrich him with our wool—metaphorically speaking, our good deeds and our maturity as followers of Jesus. The Good Shepherd calls you to become good sheep—that is, to become saints!
—Fr. Dave
