Good Shepherd Sunday

On this day, which the Church refers to as Good Shepherd Sunday, our first reading provides a series of contrasts. On the first sabbath Paul and Barnabas spent in Antioch, many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed them, and the disciples urged these followers to remain faithful. Many recognize the truth and the goodness that Paul and Barnabas proclaim.

Then, on the following sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. Again, multitudes responded to God speaking through his disciples. But here, it turns. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and violent abuse, which contradicted what Paul said.

Remember: Israel’s vocation was to recognize the Messiah when he came. By heeding the words and warnings of their prophets, by rejecting idolatry, and by worshiping the one true God, the Jews were meant to prepare the world for Jesus. They were to be a people set apart so that, from them, God could bring forth a Savior who would redeem the entire world.

With Jesus’ coming and the inauguration of the Church, this became the Christian vocation. By virtue of our baptism, we are meant to recognize Jesus, to love him and be in relationship with him, and to proclaim him to the world by our words and by the witness of our lives.

My sheep hear my voice; Jesus says in today’s Gospel. I know them, and they follow me. For us, who are meant to be Jesus’ “sheep,” today’s first reading can be an examination of conscience. We are called to know him and to follow him. Do we recognize Jesus and listen to him? Or are we like those in Acts who, filled with jealousy, were deaf to the Good News as it was proclaimed in their midst?

Likely, we are both. We may have moments where we can hear, and moments where distractions, struggles, busy schedules, pride, or any other number of things deafen us to our shepherd’s voice.

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, it is fitting to reflect on the profound paradox that Jesus Christ presents to us in today’s Gospel. He tells us that he is the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them. Yet, as the Book of Revelation reminds us, he is also the Lamb slain for our salvation—the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He is at once the shepherd who leads the flock and the sacrificial lamb who gives his life for the sheep. This paradox reveals the depth of Christ’s love for us: a shepherd who does not merely guide from a distance but enters into the very vulnerability of his flock, becoming one with them to the point of offering his life for their redemption. In Christ, we find the one who leads, protects, and saves us, not through domination but through self-giving love.1

Under this image of Christ as both shepherd and lamb, we are called to reflect on our own vocations, particularly on this day when we pray for vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life. We know that the Church needs shepherds—faithful men and women who will follow Christ’s example of sacrificial love and service. We pray especially for those discerning their call to serve as priests, deacons, or religious. May they respond with courage, humility, and joy, trusting that the same Christ, their shepherd and lamb, will guide and sustain them.2

We also rejoice with the Church universal as we welcome our newly elected Pope Leo XIV, a missionary who served in Peru, who has taken up the mantle of shepherding Christ’s flock here on earth. Let us pray for him that he may lead the Church with wisdom, courage, and a heart modeled after the Good Shepherd himself.3

Today, let us pray for new hearts, open ears, and the knowledge to follow Christ in this season and always. Let us seek out the silence, the stillness, the prayer, and the wise friends who can help us hear the voice of our shepherd more clearly. Let us have the humility to seek and find him on his terms, not our own. May the One we encounter in this Eucharist shelter us, shepherd us to springs of life-giving water, and wipe away every tear from our eyes. May we be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit and be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.