Repetition is Good
To paraphrase from Father Patrick’s homily last week – “repetition is good”, so I was tempted to dust off the reflection I prepared last year for the 4th Sunday of Easter because after all, “repetition is good.” However, I thought a bit of variety is equally good, so this reflection is a bit different from last year.
Wherever you go these days, people have job titles, and they seem to get more fancier by the day, for example there is a business that calls their customer services representatives, “Happiness Heroes”. Jesus was certainly ahead of the curve. Jesus did not stop at referring to himself as a Shepherd but took it up a notch and called himself the “Good Shepherd” Jesus kept it simple.
The image Jesus portrays of himself as the good shepherd who tends his flock with great love and who knows who belongs to him provides a great sense of belonging. As followers of Jesus, we could quite easily feel smug about ourselves and believe that Jesus loves us only- the children of God. However, he is clear, that he is the good shepherd to all – “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice.” These words give me great hope as this is the essence of Easter for me. Jesus died and rose again to save us all – he has no favourites.
The image of the paid shepherd who abandons his flock at the first sign of danger is a reminder to us of the fickle society we live in. Self-interest and the pursuit of power and money can blind us from loving God and one another and make us believe that we can do things on our own. The good shepherd knows our every need, worry and experience and will never abandon us. All we must do is to continue to invite him in and make him the cornerstone of our lives by spending time in his presence through prayer and thanksgiving. As the psalmist reminds us “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his kindness endures forever”.
We have all heard the reading of the good shepherd and sung the beautiful hymn “The Lord’s my Shepherd” many times before. It can be repetitive, but it reminds us how much we are loved and who does not like to be told they are loved. Sometimes we may stray and do things according to our own will, and God allows us to do that, but he will never abandon us. He will always be there for welcome us with open arms just like a shepherd will do when he finds that lost sheep in his flock.
It is certainly good to know that we have a loving God and to hear that all the time. Repetition is good indeed.
Clint Ramoo – Finance Committee Chair
