Secure In Our Good Shepherd

𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟏𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐜 𝟏𝟑:𝟏𝟒, 𝟒𝟑-𝟓𝟐

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟎𝟎:𝟏-𝟑, 𝟓 “𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤.”

𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐑𝐞𝐯. 𝟕-𝟗, 𝟏𝟒-𝟏𝟕

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐍 𝟏𝟎:𝟐𝟕-𝟑𝟎

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑴𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆… 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆.” (𝒗.27)

          It has always been said that the Sacred Scriptures can be defined in just one word – love. It is so indeed for there is nothing in the Scriptures that do not speak of love from the Old Covenant to the time Jesus laid down his life for the world. It is as if the Sacred Scriptures was written to assure us of his presence and of his undying love for us.

         And today we are being reminded once again of the Good Shepherd who remains watchful of the sheep that he calls his own: “𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒅; 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓; 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒑.” (𝒗𝒗.14-15) Understandably, those whom Christ was referring to in this particular passage are those who believe and abide in him.

         That is not to say that Our Lord has no compassion for those who may have lost their way and whose vision of their heavenly destination may have been clouded by the lures of this world because Christ also made room for those who at the moment are lost: “𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒑, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒅; 𝑰 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆. 𝑺𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒅.” (𝒗.16)        

         Love is what this short Gospel passage today is all about as it is does not only speak of Christ being the Good Shepherd who watches over those whom he considers his own but this gospel lays bare the kind of love that God has for his people.

         The Old Testament spoke of God as the Shepherd of Israel: “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒅, 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 (𝑷𝒔𝒂 23:1). 𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝑶 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑰𝒔𝒓𝒂𝒆𝒍, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑱𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒉 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌! (𝑷𝒔𝒂 80:1). 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 (𝑷𝒔𝒂 100:3).        

         And Jesus as the Good Shepherd has also been prophesied in the Old Testament: “𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒅; 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔.” (𝑰𝒔𝒂 40:11) As the Scriptures unfold we will see that the Bible speaks of the love story between God and his people, a kind of love that has no parallel and whose depth cannot be measured as it tells of a love that was engraved in sacrificial offering of Himself to seek out and save the sheep of his pasture (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟏𝟖:𝟏𝟐, 𝐋𝐤 𝟏𝟓:𝟒) with Jesus as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (𝟏 𝐏𝐞𝐭 𝟐:𝟐𝟓).        

          As we read in the New Covenant, Jesus made three promises to those who will deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow him (𝐋𝐤 𝟗:𝟐𝟑) and he promised those who will abide by his terms that they will enjoy everlasting life which means that those who will follow him will be ushered into the very life of God Himself.

         And what is most amazing about this Gospel passage that we have for today (𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟎:𝟐𝟕-𝟑𝟎) is the promise of Jesus that for those who will obey and follow him God assures a life that has no end: “𝑴𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆; 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉.” (𝒗𝒗.27-28) As he explained then and which he is also telling us now that death is not the end but only the beginning of a glorious and indestructible life.

         Christ also promised his disciples and is making the same promise to us now that our lives are secure in him. Jesus said that nothing could ever take us away from his hand, not even sorrow and death, since he is everlasting life itself. Thus, our lives are secure in his hands.

         But why is it that many still are thrown into the bowls of the earth where there is gnashing and grinding of teeth. Was it because they did not hear the Gospel of Christ preached to them? Or was it because they chose not to listen to it much more take heed of what the Gospel says – to love God and neighbor as well.

         It was all because the presence of Jesus especially his teachings were rejected by the Jews because they could not accept that a carpenter’s son from Nazareth was the Son of God whom the Old Testament spoke of. Even his kin thought he was insane. He cured the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk and, cast out demons from those possessed by it but the Jews remained indifferent.

         But for those who heard, listened and obeyed, Jesus offered them peace and joy of life that has no end. Cyril of Alexander, one of the earliest Fathers of the Church said: “𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘯…, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴 (1 𝘑𝘯 3:16), 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴. 𝘏𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩: 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 (𝘊𝘰𝘭 2:14)….        

         What St. Cyril was saying is what the Gospel today also said – that there are two kinds of shepherds in this life, the world which is the bad shepherd who flees and deserts us when the going gets tough and Christ the Good Shepherd who is prepared to lay down his life for us.

         What this Gospel passage is telling us is that we must take time to listen attentively to the voice of the Good Shepherd and obey his Word for there is much to gain from listening to him and abiding by his commands and precepts.

         While others may say they are the master of their fate and the captain of their souls it doesn’t mean we are to put our lives at great risk. It doesn’t mean we can live our lives in wild abandon because at the end of the day we must think of life’s end. Will we end in life’s bitter pool or are we going to come to a glorious end in heaven?

         On Monday, approximately 55,000,000 Filipino registered voters or 80% of the 69,000,000 million total registered voters will go to their respective precincts throughout the country to cast their votes for the senatorial elections, their representatives, provincial governors, vice-governors and provincial board members, mayors, vice mayors and councilors.

         Over the last 90-days, we have heard so many differing voices most of which are saying the same thing – that they all want to serve. Unlike other religious sects or denomination, the Catholic lay people are basically on their own when it comes to choices during the election. And while the pastoral authorities of the Church are not remiss in their duties to remind the lay faithful of their rights to suffrage through a pastoral letter, still the Catholic faithful are left alone to decide on whom they should vote for.

         This is in keeping with the doctrine of free will which the Church adheres to since this is a theological principle that is biblically rooted in the narrative on the creation of man. Let me stop here for a moment since we have limited time and space to discuss this lengthy subject. Let’s just say that this doctrine of free will gives man the capacity to make choices whether these choices are positive or negative, but man are held accountable for the choices they make.

           So, it is possible that man will always err in his electoral choices since his mindset is affected by his senses that is influenced by his environment. How can we then make the right choice in this electoral exercise. We cannot but what we can do is go to a place that is quiet, sit still, try to feel the presence of God around you and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you in making the right choice. Remember what the Apostle James said: "𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉." (𝑱𝒂𝒏 5:16)

          Let us not play with our lives. Let us listen to the Words of Jesus the Good Shepherd because it is in them that we will find the plan of God for us. If we say no to God’s invitation to follow him, we readily condemn ourselves and deprive ourselves of the joy of an eternal life. If we say maybe, tomorrow may never come. But if we say yes, we have God’s assurance that we will have a share of his endless glory in heaven. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘔𝘢𝘺 11, 2025)