Fourth Sunday of Easter

"The sheep hear his voice as he calls his own by name."

In the Old Testament Yahweh and the king were portrayed as shepherd of Israel. In the New Testament Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd. Why the predilection for the image of the shepherd?

In Israel sheep were raised for wool and not for meat. Hence, the sheep lived long enough so that a bond grew between shepherd and sheep. For this same reason the shepherd came to know each sheep and even gave them names much as the owner would would give a name to his pet dog or cat.

As in ancient times pet names reflected a physical attribute or a personality trait. Pet names are names of endearment. Fur ball. Whitey. Taba.

To show how dear you are to God, what pet name do you think God give you?

If the shepherd knew his sheep, the sheep also knew his master. At the night the shepherds would gather their sheep into one flock. The sheep would all get mixed up. You would think there will be a big problem in the morning in finding out which sheep belongs to which shepherd. But that's not how things go. In the morning the shepherds would position themselves in different places and would call out their sheep. And their sheep would go to their respective shepherds. Amazing!

Do I know my Shepherd? But how can I know my Shepherd if I have not spent enough time with him in prayer, if I have not sufficiently paid attention to him throughout the day (awareness of his presence).

I remember the film Anak. Vilma did not know that her bunso was allergic to a certain food and that his son does not play basketball--all because she had to be in away in Hong Kong as a domestic helper.

Wild animals do not exist now in the Holy Land. But in ancient times they roamed the land in search of prey. That was why the shepherd had to have a staff and a slingshot to protect his sheep. It is no wonder that David was able to defeat Goliath. He was a shepherd who was skilled in the use his slingshot.

The shepherd knows his sheep. God knows me. I can't relate to the image of the shepherd because I never lived in a farm where there is shepherd and sheep. So I could relate better to the image of God knowing me as a parent knows his child.

I am not just a face in the crowd. God knows my name. God knows my personality. God knows my strengths and weaknesses. God knows my likes and dislikes. God knows fears and hopes.

God does not only know me but precisely because of that God understands me.

For this reason God can be very patient and forgiving. He knows what I am going through and under what difficulties I am laboring. He is in a better position to know how to help me much as a doctor who knows the real situation of his patient can help him.

Comforting is the thought that God accepts me and loves me in spite of knowing the real me. There is a book entitled "Why I Am Afraid To Tell You Who I Am?" by John Powell SJ. The answer was because if you knew who I really am you might not like me at all.

I don't have to earn God's love. I don't have to careful to always put my best foot forward. I don't have to pretend. God loves me in spite of my defects. God likes me because he knows and appreciates the good that is in me.


Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me;

you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.

Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage.