Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

The major theme for this 4^th Sunday of Easter focuses on the function of the Lord as our True Good Shepherd who guides us his flock to the safety and happiness of the Promised Land. The 4^th Sunday of Easter is known as the “Good Shepherd Sunday” and the “World Day of Prayer for Vocations” because the Gospel reading emphasizes Jesus Christ as our True Good Shepherd.

With certain faith and true conviction in Christ’s resurrection, we are invited to lead others to the same faith and also to live and to follow the footsteps of Jesus to build the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the readings today invite us to reflect on our Christian vocations of being good leaders and followers, shepherds and sheep, to walk ever closer with our true Shepherd, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to develop deeper personal relationship and greater collaboration with Him and to share the testimony of our faith and experiences with others to build the kingdom of God in our lives.

Often, we hear the term “pastor” which means “shepherd” whose job is to lead, feed, nurture, comfort, correct, protect and serve his flock. However, these tasks are also the responsibilities of every Christian disciple, not only to leaders, because our Christian discipleship demands or requires all of us a daily deliberateness, determination and a constantly renewed disposition to affirm Jesus’ Lordship on our Christian way of life, and to teach or to share this Christian lifestyle with others.

We are called to “lead” others and to “follow” the Lord, but ultimately, our true leader is Jesus Christ, a loving shepherd who calls us away from sin and self-centeredness to God and to be united with him with God and with one another. If we truly listen to Jesus Christ, we will hear his voice in the stillness of our prayerful moments, and also in the cries of the poor and the needy. At the end we will have the Eternal Life that the Lord promised us. We will become witnesses to his way of truth and help others to find the real satisfaction in their life with love, humility, compassion, mercy, justice and peace.

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topic invites us to be good sheep to follow our True Good Shepherd and for us to be good shepherds to others.

How can we become Good Shepherds, being good parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, professionals, government officials… and good sheep, contributing, cooperating in many activities to expand the kingdom of God in our lives?

Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord.