GOSPEL
Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.
Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep and runs away as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep; this is because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep.
And there are other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and these I have to lead as well. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock, and one shepherd.
The Father loves me because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will, and as it is in my power to lay it down, so it is in my power to take it up again; and this is the command I have been given by my Father.’
(John 10:11–18)
DID YOU KNOW?
Points of interest and Catholic lore
- The Latin word for shepherd is the root of the word pastor, which is often used to describe the priest who leads the community.
- From this Latin root, we also derive other terms such as pastoral associate, pastoral council and pastoral care, all of which imply a duty of love and care towards others.
- Bishops carry a staff known as a crosier, which is the shepherd’s crook and a symbol of the care of the bishop for his people.
- John’s Gospel will be read for some weeks during this period. John is the latest of the written gospels, probably being composed at the very end of the first century.
EXPLORING THE WORD
King David had been a shepherd as a boy, so the image of the Shepherd Messiah underlies this text. But the intimacy of Jesus’ relationship with his flock goes beyond even this. This gospel is a statement of the seriousness of Jesus’ commitment to the Father’s will and his self-giving love for humankind. Jesus’ life is freely given for his flock. It is sometimes thought that Jesus died to satisfy the will of the Father imposed on the Son. This is not so. Jesus’ gift was a free gift because he responded at all times to that which was most profound in him: the Father’s love, which he wished to make known to the world. It is generous, self-giving love for others.
- In what ways are Christians today called to offer this same self-giving love for others?
- Who are those in our world who are most in need of this generous love?
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer
- Who have been the shepherds in your life who have guided and protected you?
- What or who are the ‘wolves’ that threaten and cause fear?
- Share memories of times when you were given special responsibility to care for something or for someone.
- Who are the people who rely on your care? Extend that care in special ways this week.
- Use the opening lines of Psalm 23 this week:
The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose.
By quiet waters he leads me to revive my soul.
SHARING THE TRADITION
A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ
Continuing the reflection on the Liturgy of the Eucharist, provide copies of the Eucharistic Prayer II.
The eucharistic prayer, the heart of the Eucharist, is the great prayer of praise and thanks addressed to God. It recalls Jesus’ Passover from death to life and, in remembering, unleashes the power of that event in our present lives. The Spirit is invoked to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord. It is a trinitarian prayer.
- Read through the opening dialogue. Why is it right to give God thanks?
- The preface proposes reasons for giving thanks. Read through a couple of prefaces. How do we understand ourselves as part of a holy people? In what way are we holy?
- Read through the invocation of the Spirit. Ponder the mystery of the bread and wine becoming Christ present and among us.
- Read the institution narrative, which recalls Jesus’ last supper. What effect ought eating and drinking the Body and Blood have on the Church and all its individual members?
- Read the memorial acclamations together. Why do we cry for Christ to come? This moment encompasses the past, the present and the future. Explore what that means and its implications for how Christians live in the world.
SYMBOLS AND IMAGES
In Australia, we have visions of vast sheep farms where the flock is contained by fences, but this is not the way shepherds worked in Jesus’ time. Then, shepherds wandered the countryside with their sheep in search of pasture and guided them away from dangers like steep ravines or bramble thickets. A shepherd who owns the sheep looks after them well because they are his livelihood.
LIVING THE WORD
Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment
- In what ways does your community become the Body of Christ present in the world?
- The material here is a prayerful reflection. You may simply conclude by saying ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ and singing an Easter hymn.