Scott Hahn with David Scott
Israel’s mission—to be God’s instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth (see Isaiah 49:6)—is fulfilled in the Church.
By the “Word of God” that Paul and Barnabas preach in today’s First Reading, a new covenant people is being born, a people who glorify the God of Israel as the Father of them all.
The Church for all generations remains faithful to the grace of God given to the Apostles, continues their saving work. Through the Church, the peoples of every land hear the Shepherd’s voice, and follow Him (see Luke 10:16).
The Good Shepherd of today’s Gospel is the enthroned Lamb of today’s Second Reading.
In laying down His life for His flock, the Lamb brought to pass a new Passover (see 1 Corinthians 5:7), by His blood freeing “every nation, race, people and tongue” from bondage to sin and death.
The Church is the “great multitude” John sees in his vision today. God swore to Abraham his descendants would be too numerous to count. And in the Church, as John sees, this promise is fulfilled (compare Revelation 7:9;Genesis 15:5).
The Lamb rules from the throne of God, sheltering His flock, feeding their hunger with His own Body and Blood, leading them to “springs of life-giving waters” that well up to eternal life (see John 4:14).
The Lamb is the eternal Shepherd-King, the son of David foretold by the prophets. His Church is the Kingdom of all Israel that the prophets said would be restored in an everlasting covenant (see Ezekiel 34:23-31; 37:23-28).
It is not a kingdom any tribe or nation can jealously claim as theirs alone. The Shepherd’s Word to Israel is addressed now to all lands, calling all to worship and bless His name in the heavenly Temple.
This is the delight of the Gentiles—that we can sing the song that once only Israel could sing, today’s joyful Psalm: “He made us, His we are—His people, the flock He tends.”
St. Basil of Seleucia
Homily 26 on the Good Shepherd
Abel, the first shepherd, was pleasing to the Lord, who willingly accepted his sacrifice and looked with even more favor on the giver as on the gift he made (Gn 4,4).
Scripture also draws attention to Jacob, the shepherd of Laban’s flocks, noting the care he took for his sheep: “How often the scorching heat ravaged me by day, and the frost by night!” (Gn 31,40); and God rewarded this man for his labor. Moses, too, was a shepherd on the mountains of Midian, preferring to be ill-treated with God’s people than to know rejoicing [in the palace of Pharaoh]. And God, pleased at his choice, as a reward allowed him to see him (Ex 3,2).
After this vision Moses did not abandon his shepherd’s office but with his staff commanded the elements (Ex 14,16) and pastured the people of Israel. David was also a shepherd but his shepherd’s staff was changed to a royal sceptre and he received a crown. Now, do not be astonished if all these shepherds were close to God. The Lord himself was not ashamed to be called “shepherd” (Pss 23[22]; 80[79]). God was no more ashamed of pasturing men than he was of having created them.
But let us now consider our own shepherd, Christ. Let us see his love for humanity and his gentleness in leading them to pasture. He takes pleasure in the sheep who surround him just as he searches for those who stray.
Hills or forests are no obstacle to him; he runs down into the valley of shadow (Ps 23[22],4) to reach the place where the lost sheep is to be found… He is seen in hell; he gives the command to come out; thus he seeks for the love of his sheep. Someone who loves Christ is someone who listens to his voice.
Pope Benedict XVI
Homily, St. Peter’s Basilica, April 29, 2007
Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter traditionally known as “Good Shepherd Sunday”, has a special significance for us . . .
The theological density of the brief Gospel passage which has just been proclaimed helps us to perceive better the meaning and value of this solemn Celebration.
Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd who gives eternal life to his sheep (cf. Jn 10: 28). This image of the shepherd is deeply rooted in the Old Testament and dear to Christian tradition. The Prophets attributed to David the title: “Shepherd of Israel”, which hence possesses an indisputable messianic importance (cf. Ex 34: 23).
Jesus is the true Shepherd of Israel, since he is the Son of Man who desired to share the condition of human beings to give them new life and lead them to salvation.
Significantly, the Evangelist adds to the term “shepherd” the adjective kalós, good, which he only uses with reference to Jesus and his mission. In the account of the Wedding at Cana, the adjective kalós is also used twice to signify the wine offered by Jesus, and it is easy to see it as a symbol of the good wine of messianic times (cf. 2: 10).
“I give them (that is, to my sheep) eternal life and they shall never perish” (Jn 10: 28). These are the words of Jesus, who had said a little earlier, “the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep” (cf. Jn 10: 11).
John uses the verb tithénai – to offer, which he repeats in the following verses (cf. 15, 17, 18). We find the same verb in the Last Supper narrative when Jesus “laid aside his garments” in order to “take” them back later (cf. Jn 13: 4, 12).
Thus, it is clear that the intention is to affirm that the Redeemer has absolute freedom to do with his life as he chooses and thereby give it up or take it back freely.
Christ is the true Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep, for us, sacrificing himself on the Cross. He knows his sheep and his sheep know him, just as the Father knows him and he knows the Father (cf. Jn 10: 14-15).
This is not a matter of mere intellectual knowledge but of a profound, personal relationship: a knowledge of the heart, of one who loves and one who is loved; of one who is faithful and one who knows how to be trustworthy.
It is a knowledge of love, by virtue of which the Pastor invites his sheep to follow him and which is fully manifest in the gift of eternal life that he offers to them (cf. Jn 10: 27-28).
St. John Damascene
Exposition of the orthodox faith, 1
A pastor’s prayer to the Good Shepherd
O Christ, my God, you stooped down to me, poor straying sheep, to take me on your shoulders (Lk 15:5) and have set me down in green pastures (Ps 23[22]:2). You have quenched my thirst at the springs of true doctrine through the mediation of your pastors, whose shepherd you were before entrusting to them your flock… And now, O Lord, you have called me… to serve your disciples, by what design of your Providence I know not; only you know.
But, Lord, lighten the heavy burden of those sins of mine that have so gravely offended you; purify my mind and heart. Lead me by the right way (Ps 23[22]:3) as by a light enlightening me. Enable me to proclaim your word boldly; may your Spirit’s tongue of flame (Acts 2:3) give perfect freedom to my tongue and make me constantly attentive to your presence.
Be a shepherd to me, O Lord, and together with me be the shepherd of your sheep, that my heart may not cause me to swerve either to right or to left. Let your good Spirit lead me in the right way that my actions may be carried out according to your will – even to the end.
St. Gregory the Great
Homilies on the Gospel, no.15[14]
“I give them eternal life”
The Lord says: “My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me; I give them eternal life”. A little earlier he said to them: “Anyone who enters by me will be saved; he will go in out, and will find pasture”. (Jn 10:9) He will go in to faith; he will out from faith to vision, from belief to contemplation; will find pasture in eternal refreshment.
The Good Shepherd’s sheep will pasture because whoever follows him with a guileless heart is nourished with a food of eternal freshness. What are the pastures of these sheep but the eternal joys of an ever-green paradise? The pasture of the elect is the face of God always before us. When we see him perfectly our hearts are endlessly satisfied with the food of life…
Let us seek these pastures, dearly beloved! There we may enjoy the celebration of so many citizens. Let the festival of those who rejoice attract us… Let us enkindle our hearts, my friends, let our faith grow warm again for what it believes, let our desire for heavenly things take fire. To love thus is to be already on the way. Let no adversity recall us from the joy of inner festivity: no difficulty on his journey alters the desire of a person wanting to go to some particular place. Let no seductive good fortune lead us astray: he is a foolish traveler who sees pleasant meadows on his journey and forgets where he is going.
