John 10:11 - 18
How many of you listened to the gospel about the good shepherd and thought about the picture of Jesus dressed in a white robe, neatly groomed, carrying a quiet little lamb around his neck? Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And that’s what we generally conclude from the idea of Jesus as the good shepherd. He is always there to rescue us, to console us, to keep us clean and well-fed and protect us from wolves.
But we know some things about lost sheep. In places where there is a lot of wide open space and sheep herding, lost sheep will sometimes find each other and travel around together, because they are social animals. A leader will emerge, one who is bigger and stronger and more aggressive than the rest. Of course the leader gets the lion’s share of what to heat and other privileges; but in truth the whole little tribe suffers. You wouldn’t know they are always hungry by looking at them; they tend to look a lot fatter than the sheep overseen by the shepherd. That’s because domestic sheep never stop growing wool. But that’s a liability, because without someone to take care of it, the wool becomes very heavy and the sheep is in danger of overheating; and a good rainstorm can soak into the wool and make it almost impossible for the sheep to move around. A domestic sheep is just smart enough to recognize the voice of the shepherd and respond to a few simple commands. Being in the wild for a week or two will be enough for the sheep to forget all that, so even if the shepherd finds the sheep, it will be like domesticating a wild animal again -- not easy.
You can see why Jesus compared his followers to sheep. And we can look around and see that as well. We are here in church for various reasons -- some because it’s what we always do on the weekend; others because somewhere they fear what will happen if they stop going; and still others because they are hoping God won’t zap them if they keep following the rules. And of course we are all here because at some level we know this is where heaven meets earth, where God begins to feed his faithful from the heavenly banquet. But there are a lot of Catholics who aren’t here, and show up every now and then for a baptism, wedding or funeral, or maybe one of the Christmas masses. And the Catholics who are dropping out are increasing, and the Catholics that are now identifying as something else are increasing. And people in the broader society look at our church and see no reason to consider becoming Catholics; and many of our children look at the behavior of their parents and see no reason to stay in the Church. And being “spiritual but not religious” seems more and more attractive; you go where your heart leads you, unbound by rules, because in the end, all that matters is that you are a good person.
Sheep that follow their shepherd know one thing -- that the shepherd can be trusted. They know from experience that they will be fed, watered and protected and cared for. It isn’t always fun; sometimes when the shepherd makes you get up and move to a different pasture, not fun. When the shepherd shears the wool off of your body, that’s not pleasant. When you have cuts and bruises and the shepherd disinfects your wounds, that burns. But you get up and keep following him, because you trust.
But I think there’s something in every sheep that wants to be free; that’s why they wander off. But if they survive sooner or later they will be found by the shepherd or will join a wild flock of sheep, because sheep need someone to follow.
Jesus is the good shepherd. But all of us participate in Jesus and in his ministry. This weekend we pray for vocations -- and we in our church today are desperate for priestly vocations and we could certainly use vocations to the religious life. And I can’t forget vocations to the diaconate -- which for married deacons becomes a vocation for the wife as well -- because I’m getting old and hoping someone in this parish will consider becoming part of the class of 2027, which will be selected in the next few months. But because we all participate in the ministry of Jesus, we all have a vocation, first of all to call back those who have strayed, second, to call those who are not of this flock, and third, to encourage young people to consider a church vocation. And yes, we do this by leading the kind of life that attracts people, but how about inviting others to come back to church?
You probably know someone, or maybe even some family, who are Catholics who don’t attend Sunday mass anymore. Here’s a suggestion. INvite them to come to Mass with you and go out to breakfast together afterward. It’s an opportunity to criticize the pastor and the deacon and the choir after all, which makes for great fun. Here’s another; think of someone who has dropped out and make it a point to fast for them along with praying specifically for them to return to the church. IF you have a favorite saint, get him or her to help. Ask your guardian angel to talk to his or her angel, and get involved in getting him or her back to church. Storm heaven. And maybe do the same thing if you notice a young man who would make a good priest, or a young lady who could do so much good as a woman religious. You may be a sheep -- I certainly am, in the worst possible way -- but I’d like our flock to increase, and the good shepherd lives in me, and this weekend let us make a resolution to take on a little of the good shepherd’s ministry ourselves.
