5 May 2020
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
In today’s gospel, Jesus continues with the imagery of shepherd and sheep. “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” This was no doubt a relatable and familiar image for listeners in first-century Palestine. But it’s worth asking, 2,000 years later, what relevance this image has for us today in our increasingly urban, industrialized and globalized world.
Being compared to a sheep is perhaps the last thing we want in a culture that overwhelmingly values assertiveness, independence and leadership. To be called sheepish is by no means a compliment. But perhaps it’s a message that we need more than ever today.
Self-sufficiency, self-fulfillment, and self-love will only get us so far. Our hearts will always be wanting something more. This is because we were not made merely for ourselves, but for God and for one another.
Sheep stay close to their shepherd and to their flock. They know that they depend on them to live. Moreover, their keen sense of sight and hearing allows them to identify not only danger, but also the voice and the presence of the one who loves them, their good shepherd.
May we also recognize our dependence and stay close to our flock and to our shepherd. May we readily discern our good shepherd’s voice and his presence in our lives. Yes, in this sense, may we be more sheepish.