The voice of the shepherd7/3/2023 ![]() ![]() “The Lord speaks in the sacred Scriptures,” some might say. Let us look at insufficient, misleading answers. What does it mean to hear the voice of Christ? Let us consider that carefully, because this is a time when mistakes matter. He walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,īecause they recognize his voice (Jn 10:3-4). The sheep hear his voice,Īs the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ![]() It cannot change the way the world is, but it transforms who we are and how we respond to the challenge. The voice of a leader makes a difference. Some have been a source of information and inspiration. We have also discovered that some voices have something to say. That is a comfort, whether it is sharing drinks with friends via the web or watching as the Eucharist is celebrated in our absence. Physically isolated, we have nonetheless learned to seek each other out by means of modern media. And on this Good Shepherd Sunday, he once again calls out to us, and offers us his love and care.This time of the virus offers many lessons. The Lord Jesus relies upon this knowledge of the sheep, and so identifies himself as our shepherd. The good shepherd, therefore, is “good” precisely because he – and his care – are known by his sheep. He scatters them because the sheep run from strangers and are alarmed by those who seek to be shepherds but act like thieves and robbers.Īs with the playground memory, if someone other than my parents had called out to me and expected me to follow them, the popular wisdom would have been employed, namely, “Stranger, danger!” We would not follow the stranger, avoid them with suspicion, and run for help if they kept calling us. In contrast, the sheep do not follow a stranger. The sheep can trust him and accompany him because they know his voice. ![]() The Lord Jesus highlights the voice of the shepherd. By these actions, he creates a new community, which is formed by those who choose to follow him. The shepherd gathers and leads the fold with care. He walks ahead of them and protects them. The shepherd does not abandon the sheep or frighten them. They hear his voice and meekly follow him. As Pope Francis has popularly said, the shepherd knows “the smell” of his own sheep. The shepherd speaks, he knows the names of his own sheep, and calls them to himself. He does not sneak in or force himself into the sheepfold. The shepherd is allowed in, as the Lord is sent by the Father. But they will not follow a stranger they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”įollowing this identification as a shepherd, the Lord Jesus names the behavior of a good shepherd and the trusting response of the sheep. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. The Lord continues, “The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. He distinguishes himself from others, who do not have a right disposition toward the sheep, and are therefore there to hurt or harm the sheep. Through the use of symbolic imagery, the Lord is identifying himself as a shepherd of souls. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.” This Sunday in the Gospel reading, the Lord Jesus tells us, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. ![]()
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