A Message from Fr. Jay
Dear Friends,
Any reasonable shepherd would raise his sheep as doing good business for a good price; that his sheep would be the best for the slaughter market. But Jesus portrays Himself as a unique and different type of Shepherd. He promises to save His sheep from strangers and enemies and to sacrifice His own life for them. This is bad business, humanly speaking.
Yes…God’s business is often looked down on as bad business.
To bring more clarity, He gives another figurative speech on Himself being the “Sheep Gate”. In the Old Testament, around the year 445 BC, an exiled Jew named Nehemaiah once as Cupbearer (Bartender) to the King Artaxerxes of Persia (currently -Iran) was favored by the king and sent to Jerusalem as Governor. He rebuilt the City of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the reforms. He revives the customs and rituals of the Jews. Under his favor, as per Nehemiah 3:1, “Then Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests set to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.” The sheep for the sacrifices in the Temple, were brought separately through this consecrated sheep gate.
Jesus claims Himself as the consecrated sheep-gate through which anyone enters, finds salvation! Jesus looks at us all not as sheep to be slaughtered! But to be saved! He gives a price to save his sheep– His own life!
When we realize this Truth, like the people who listened to the exhortation of Peter (1st reading) will be ‘cut to the heart’ leading to repentance!
The worldly sufferings, betrayals and disappointments because of Christ become grace! (2nd reading)
A year ago, on this same Good Shepherd Sunday, I asked a question of the children when they came up for a blessing: ‘who in your life is a Good Shepherd’. They gave expected answers like, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, Poppy, Nana…etc., yet I kept on pushing the question expecting someone to say, “I am the Good Shepherd”. Finally, after a pause of nothing more to claim, one child raised her hand and to everyone’s surprise she said: “I have a German Shepherd!”
Please remember to pray today for your Shepherd including your Pastor! This Sunday being Vocation Sunday, pray for the young generation to hear Jesus’ calling and respond to it with courage.
This Sunday, St. John Bosco Youth Center is blessed and dedicated by our Bishop Dewane. This campus is going to be a place of nurturing for our future generation in faith and leadership. We gratefully remember Marilyn Brummer, who generously contributed to this project and to Fr. Bob Tabbert who inspired her as the former Pastor of our parish.
God Bless,
Fr. Jay Raju
- Reading 1: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
- Reading 2: 1 Peter 2:20b-25
- Gospel: John 10:1-10
