Fourth Sunday of Easter

Today's feast is also referred to as Vocations Sunday because the Gospel speaks of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. In particular, we can focus on the sacrament of Holy Orders through which the Church is given its leaders. Jesus remarks are prompted by the Jewish leaders who ask of him: "If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." (Jn 10: 24) They clearly wish to force him into their mould and define him by their own categories. Obsessed with power, wealth and theological correctness they want to find something that they can use against him. In doing so they are unable to hear Jesus or to see him as he really is. Jesus states: "My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me." (Jn 10: 27) Jesus role and identity can, therefore, be deduced from the actions of his followers who listen to his voice. When atheists, secularists, free-thinkers, etc look at us do they see us as followers of Jesus? Do they detect in our actions the mission and love of Jesus or do they see the same self-seeking and self-focused attitudes of a myriad of other ways of life and spirituality? This is especially the case of those who are called to witness to the Gospel publicly and this applies to priests above all. If the world is to know the truth about Jesus then it will come to know the truth about us. It is not only the apostles and early Christians who were witnesses to the Resurrection. We are called to be witnesses ourselves. This means we need to listen to the voice of Jesus in the Scriptures, the liturgy and the Magisterium so that we may follow him and, in doing so, lead others to him. This can be an intimidating thing to do in a world so hostile to the King of Glory. Jesus reassures us saying: "I will give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand." (Jn 10: 28-29) As we live out our Christian witness we can always be assured that we are in the Father's hand.