FAITH MATTERS

Over the weekend we celebrated Mothers Day. I am sure that there were many trays of breakfast in bed delivered on Sunday morning as well as bunches of flowers, special meals, presents and visits, all with the intention of celebrating and thanking our mothers. In the Church calendar we also celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday. Fr James, in his Homily, pointed out the appropriateness of celebrating the two occasions together as both Good Shepherd Sunday and Mother’s Day acknowledge a relationship of unconditional love and steadfast care.

The fourth Sunday of Easter season is called Good Shepherd Sunday because in each of the three lectionary cycles the Gospel reading invites us to reflect on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. When we think about the role of a shepherd, probably a popular occupation in the time of Jesus, we think about someone carefully watching over a flock of sheep, guarding them from predators, moving them to grazing pastures and towards shelter in bad weather. Sheep are apparently quick to panic and they are easy prey but one thing about sheep is that they actually do recognise, and follow, their shepherd’s voice. 

Like sheep, many of us will sometimes follow the herd without thinking. We do what everyone else is doing because we want to fit in or be popular or even as a way of not standing out. Sometimes, like sheep, we follow the rest of the herd, or even just a few rebellious sheep into trouble rather than to stop and listen for that guiding voice. It might be a soft call from our soul, urging us to keep an even keel or it might be the tender, protective tone we hear from Jesus in John’s Gospel reminding us of the way he loves us. “My sheep recognise my voice. I know them and they know me”.  

There are many times in our lives where the herd mentality might take us in the wrong direction. May our students have the courage to be themselves and to be able to respond freely to God’s unique call in their lives. May those in our St Mary MacKillop College community be shepherds to one another through our responsibility to others, so that no one is lost.