Deacon
Tom Writes
“Hearing Voices?”
Jesus often used everyday examples from the
pastoral settings that surrounded Him. He drew upon them because they didn’t
need any explaining. People knew that all a shepherd had to do was to call out
and his sheep would follow his voice. It is said that shepherds would graze
their sheep in different fields during the day but when night came the
shepherds melded the sheep into one sheepfold so they could have safety in
numbers. At daybreak, the shepherds would simply call out and, amazingly, each
sheep would instinctively follow the voice of its own protector and guardian…
What a beautiful image of this dynamic relationship between the sheep and the
shepherd.
We may have lost the pastoral setting that the
shepherds enjoyed back then, but we are still able to understand the message Jesus
wants to communicate when he says, “My sheep hear my voice”. This is
what Jesus expects of his disciples….Not only the hearing but also the
following too. So, a disciple is one who hears and follows the voice of the
Good Shepherd.
Today there are many voices competing for our
attention. Whose voice are we attuned to? Jesus is calling us to “eternal life”.
He is promising us the safety and security that comes from the Father, a joy
and happiness that is “not of this world”. He is calling us
to be his disciples and to live our lives according to his teachings on love,
forgiveness, and on how to have a genuine relationship with him and one another.
Other voices are calling us to focus our attention on ourselves, on getting as
much as we can here and now, no matter the cost. Many paths of life to choose; many
different flocks to be a part of, and many different shepherd voices to follow but only one will lead
us to green pastures.
Today’s Responsorial Psalm reminds us of some of the
additional benefits we receive from the hands of the Good Shepherd… we are
filled with his joy and gladness; we share in his unending kindness and
enduring faithfulness. God cannot be
outdone in generosity to paraphrase Scripture. He loves each of his sheep;
our safety, earthly well-being and eternal destiny are his only concern.
May the voice we hear this Easter Season be that of
the Good Shepherd, calling us to grow in love, in holiness and service to our
brothers and sisters in Christ, the Risen One!
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
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