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26 Apr 2015 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle B

I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him. “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father” (from John 10). Taken from The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2014 ); actapublications.com; 800-397-2282.

Good Shepherd

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Exploring the word

21 Apr 2013 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

It would be difficult to approach this annual feast of the Good Shepherd without sparing a thought for the freshly installed (and probably still overwhelmed) pope, but the Good Shepherd the church relies on in every season remains the same as always. Many voices claim your attention every day: family and friends, boss and coworker, media and culture. Interior voices speak as well: old injuries, weaknesses, fears, and desires. Listening to all of them can be as frustrating as trying to keep up with the rapid-fire emails, tweets, and texts that continually bid for your attention. But there is a clear hierarchy as to which voices speak the loudest and require your highest allegiance. As the Letter to the Hebrews says, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you’ve been listening to him all along, you’ll recognize his voice at once. If you haven’t, now is a very good time to begin. There’s a small warning from the Acts of the Apostles today. The Gentiles, unaccustomed to the voice of God, hear Paul and Barnabas and are delighted at once by the message. Meanwhile their own community of faith, long-time hearers of the salvation story, seems unable or unwilling to endure one more word of this proclamation and expel the preachers from their territory. They hear the message; they do not recognize the divine voice in it. It’s a tragic day for them. The rejected apostles, by contrast, dust themselves off with joy and continue on their way. It can be illuminating to see the joy on neophyte faces in the Easter season and compare it with lifer-Catholics. Are the rest hearing the same message new members are hearing? The danger of believing you’ve “been there, heard that” grows the longer you’ve been in the pews. The Shepherd is still calling you forward and it’s never healthy to presume you’ve arrived at the pasture to end all pastures and have nowhere else to go. Some are being called farther than they may have dreamed or dared to go in the past. The vocation to leadership in the community of faith stirs in the hearts of a number who are present in the assembly today. It may require assistance to discern whether that discomfort you feel is a summons to the doctor’s office or to the spiritual director’s. Paul and Barnabas took the message as far as they could. Now it’s your turn to supply them with successors to share their joy. Scripture links The Father and I are one: John 18:21-23 Gathering up the fragments: John 6:12 144,000: Rev. 7:4-8; 14:1-5 Weakness is strength: 2 Cor. 12:1-10 Catechism links Vocation: CCC 1-3; 542-546; 825; 836; 1694-1696; 1699

Authors Alice Camille

Leadership Good Shepherd

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Prayers

11 May 2014 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle A

Penitential Act Invitation Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries. Invocations Lord God, you call us to repentance. Lord, have mercy. Lord God, in you we are saved. Christ, have mercy. Lord God, you guide us in your ways. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer With the Lord as our shepherd, we seek God’s guidance in prayer: Let the church answer the call of Jesus to live in a spirit of repentance, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. Let the world seek righteousness, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. Let goodness and kindness come to those who suffer oppression, Lord, hear our prayer. Let this faith community recognize and follow the voice of Jesus, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle A

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Prayers

26 Apr 2015 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle B

Penitential Act Invitation Only God can lead us to salvation, and in prayer we express our dependence on God and God’s mercy. Invocations Lord God, your Son Jesus is our shepherd, Jesus. Lord, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you lay down your life for us. Christ, have mercy. Lord God, you love us as your children. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Sisters and brothers, we have become children of God, and we ask our loving God to listen to our prayers. For leaders everywhere, that they may serve with selflessness and devotion to those they lead. Lord, hear our prayer. For the followers of Jesus, that we may always grow more like him. Lord, hear our prayer. For the church, that it may be a living witness to salvation in Christ Jesus. Lord, hear our prayer. In this Year of Consecrated Life, may the universal church continue to support and celebrate the good work and joyful witness of the men and women in consecrated life. Loving God, your mercy endures forever. We give you thanks for hearing the prayers we make in the name of Jesus, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle B

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Prayers

21 Apr 2013 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

Penitential Act Introduction to the Penitential Rite As our Easter celebration of new life continues, we look to God’s mercy and ask for God’s pardon. Penitential Rite For when we have not trusted in God’s word, Lord, have mercy. For when we have not had faith in God. Christ, have mercy. For when we have not been witnesses to God’s salvation. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Our Lord leads us to eternal life. With confidence in our shepherd we pray to God. For the church, that it remains faithful to the grace of God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For every nation, race, and people, that they may know the light of God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For those in a time of distress, that they may find their way to God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For this community of faith, that we know we belong to God through Jesus, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. We stand before the throne of God who hears the prayers we make in the name of the Lamb of God, Christ our Lord.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

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Mighty Mississippi menaces Delta region

15 May 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter--Good Shepherd Sunday--contain many shepherding allusions. Residents of the Mississippi Delta region need the assistance of a good shepherd to help them navigate flood waters from the swollen river that are cresting at near record levels this week. The river topped outTuesday at Memphis just inches short of the record set in 1937. Some low-lying neighborhoods were inundated, but high levees protected much of the rest of the city. The damage was estimated at more than $320 million, but an official tally won't be available until the waters recede. To the south there were no early figures on the cost of the devastation, but with hundreds of homes already damaged, "we're going to have a lot more when the water gets to where it's never been before," said Greg Flynn, a spokesman for the Mississippi emergency management agency. Downstream in Louisiana, inmates were filling sandbags to protect property in Cajun swamp communities that could be flooded if engineers open a spillway to protect the more densely populated Baton Rouge area. Fear was high across the region. "I went through [Hurricane] Katrina," said Lynn Magnuson, a New Orleans resident. "I would not wish flooding on anyone, and this city is the last place on Earth that needs any more high water." "After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike--as well as the oil spill--Louisiana can ill-afford another large-scale disaster," said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D, La.) "Billions of dollars in property is at stake, not to mention the threat to human life." Source: Articles by Holbrook Mohr and Shelia Byrd for the Associated Press and CNN.com

flooding louisiana mississippi river floods good shepherd sunday memphis new orleans

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Pastors hope to shepherd young people from crime

06 Oct 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

God gives us "a spirit . . . of power and love and self-control,” says the reading from 2 Timothy this Sunday. Leaders of the black community of Montgomery, Alabama, working with the police department and local churches, hope to inculcate those values in troubled youth by way of Operation Good Shepherd, a publicly funded Christian outreach ministry that puts Christian pastors on crime scenes to counsel and pray with victims and witnesses.Police claim the program is a way to regain trust in the community, but there's another motive, which they openly acknowledge: They believe a stronger sense of religious faith and the values associated with religion will reduce crime.Billy Irvin, a popular Christian radio preacher, took the pulpit at Montgomery's City Hall to kick off the program in late August. He talked about a documentary he had recently seen about young, wild elephants running amok which were tamed by an older elephant.“Once the older elephant was introduced to the pack, the younger elephants had somebody to look up to,” Irvin told the crowd. “They had someone to guide them. And that's what our youth needs: someone to guide them. Without that, how will they know about moral structure?”So far this year 39 people have been murdered in Montgomery, the vast majority of them black. With a population of only 200,000, those numbers make Montgomery among the most violent cities per capita in the country. If the pace keeps up, 2013 will be the city’s most violent year in four decades.“What we want to do is combine the religious community and the Montgomery Police Department and we want to unite those as one,” said Cpl. David Hicks during an interview on Irvin's Christian radio program. But it’s not entirely clear that the program is legal from the constitutional perspective of separation of church and state.When asked why he thinks a program like Operation Good Shepherd could work, Montgomery Police Chief Kevin Murphy said he didn't know but hoped it would. “Look, I'm not a criminologist. But if we can sow some seeds today, we might see the fruits tomorrow. It may not be soon. Might be a few years down the line. But just like we lost our moral foundation years ago and are now feeling the effects, we can sow the seeds for tomorrow.”Homily hint: Though the causes of crime are many and complex, more than a few young people have turned their lives around after being exposed to the Good News in one form or another. Sometimes they only need something bigger to believe in that brings meaning and purpose to their lives. Be a bearer of Good News. Source: An article by Ray Downs for The Atlantic

crime operation good shepherd montgomery alabama pastors billy irvin david hicks kevin murphy

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Take a moment of silence

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Occasion: World Day of Prayer for Vocations Readings: Readings for Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday IT WAS JULY 1992, and I was on a three-week study tour-pilgrimage in the Holy Land. In the middle of a long hike on a scorching day, we came across two shepherds, smoking and chatting in a patch of shade. Their two flocks were all mixed together, hundreds of sheep, lazily rambling the hillsides. The two shepherds were happy to see us, and we began to visit. We asked, through our guide, how the sheep, all jumbled together, would know their rightful shepherd when the time came to move on. The two herdsmen chuckled and rose to take the dare: Each one went to an opposite side of the path, shouted out an indecipherable yell, and began to walk away. Immediately, the sheep ran behind their proper shepherd. And the few stragglers were spotted right away by their vigilant leader and summoned to follow. It was clear: The sheep knew their shepherd; the shepherd knew his sheep. Ah, but the show was not over. Charged up by the attention of their audience, the shepherds said, "Watch this." They then exchanged their outer apparel. Once again, they each went to opposite sides of the path, gave their familiar call, and began to walk away. Without a pause, the sheep followed their proper shepherd, even though he had completely changed his outward appearance! The sheep knew their shepherd so well-his voice, his command, his walk—that they could not be deceived by a disguise. Jesus said: ". . . The sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out . . . . he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice." Jesus, the Good Shepherd, gives us the most effective strategy in promoting vocations: We must come to know our shepherd so intimately, his voice so unmistakably, that we sense his call in our gut and follow him. We gather for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on this Fourth Sunday of Easter, "Good Shepherd Sunday," designated as well "World Day of Prayer for Vocations." We recognize that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, continues to tend to his flock in a variety of very effective and tender ways. For us as Catholics, we also acknowledge that a unique way he shepherds his people is through his priests. In fact, we call our parish priests pastors, which is simply the Latin word for "shepherd." For the past 30 years we have been praying ceaselessly for "an increase in vocations to the priesthood." Yet, at times it seems the Lord is ignoring our plea, as the data would indicate far too few are responding. The problem, of course, is hardly that Jesus is not calling; the problem is that we have wax in our ears. The problem is that we are not listening to his voice! Jesus, the Good Shepherd, like those I met on the hillside of Galilee, gives us the most effective strategy in promoting vocations: We must come to know our shepherd so intimately, his voice so unmistakably, that we sense his call in our gut and follow him. And I would propose that we best hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in silence. The Bible tells us that the language God prefers is silence, and the atmosphere God best works in is silence. "Be still and know that I am God," God whispers. "In quiet and confidence shall be thy strength," God encourages Isaiah. Each of the seven years I was rector of the North American College in Rome, I had the pleasure of reading 50 or so autobiographies of the men entering. I soon discovered a common thread: Almost all of the men discerned the call to the priesthood in silence. It was often during quiet prayer before the Eucharist; sometimes during a retreat or another period of stillness; maybe during a time of quiet reflection after a pivotal experience or encounter. For some of them, it came in silence on a life-changing episode such as a pilgrimage, service project, or World Youth Day. Never did it come as a shout, as a yell, in a panic, or in a crowd. No, it came gently, softly, quietly, the voice of the Shepherd only to be discerned in silence. And it came from a person to a person. These young candidates knew their shepherd so well they recognized his soft voice. They had come to know him through wonderful parents and families, vibrant parishes and communities, careful catechesis and uplifting liturgy, service to his neglected, and immersion in his Word, the support of friends and the joy of fellowship, and his Real Presence in the Eucharist and merciful forgiveness in penance. They had come to know this shepherd so well that when, in silence, he whispered, "Come, follow me as a priest," they recognized him and heard him. Does it seem too simple? To promote vocations we best promote silence. To hear his voice we must be quiet. To let him talk, we stop talking. Our first vocation, then, is not to priesthood, marriage, religious life, lay ecclesial ministry, deaconate, the single state. No. Our primary vocation is to know Jesus, the Good Shepherd, so well, that when he whispers to us in silence, we will hear his voice and follow his call. Then, we'll have all the vocations we need.

Authors Cardinal Timothy Dolan

Special occasion vocations World Day of Prayer for Vocatίons good shepherd sunday
Exploring the word

17 Apr 2016 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

At the anniversary of a priest’s ordination, the homilist said something surprising: “The mystery of the Christian priesthood is this: A priest is a fallible, ordinary man. A man of dust who remembers he will return to dust, even though he presently wears a chasuble.” On this Good Shepherd Sunday, as we observe the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, it’s appropriate to consider the nature of authentic vocation. We hear that we’re all called by God—all of us, not just priests and religious. But what does it mean to be called? How should we listen for it, and what are we to do about it? Jesus says his sheep recognize his voice, and because they do, they follow where he leads. Evidently “call” involves more than a word spoken or message received. It also implies a word heeded. The way we respond is not merely to hear the call but to reply with our behavior. We follow. This response requires our consent. Consent isn’t an item we can hand off once and be done with it. It’s never so easy, even when it comes to perpetual vows like marriage or ordination, or the incarnate pledge of a parent to a child. Consent involves the little-by-little, day-by-day acquiescence of the will to a particular purpose. Consent means “to feel with.” And feelings can change, especially if we allow the incidentals of life to distract us from our purpose. If we intend to “feel with” our primary allegiances, then we have to stay close to them, attend to them daily, heed the voice of those whose claim on us is already established. We do this mindful that we are—as the homilist at the anniversary celebration noted—fallible and ordinary. We’re dust, no matter what noble garments we may wear on the outside. We may be priest, sister, brother, wife, husband, father, mother. Our commitments may not be recognized by any formal sacrament but still very real: like the artist pledged to create, the scientist to explore, the nurse to heal, the business owner to treat employees and customers justly. We give consent to our vocation not just once, in the hour the sacrament is conferred or our profession engaged, but in every fresh transaction, at every bedside we tend, with every brush stroke, in every human encounter. When we link our destiny to Jesus—and Baptism so links us all—we’re also linked to his Father, since as Jesus says, “The Father and I are one.” Jesus gives total and profound consent to his Father, and we dare to surrender our consent to Jesus—fallible and ordinary as we are, dust though we may be. Vocation is the door; our consent is the key. Related scripture links The Father and I are one: John 18:21-23 Gathering up the fragments: John 6:12 144,000: Rev. 7:4-8; 14:1-5 Weakness is strength: 2 Cor. 12:1-10

Authors Alice Camille

good shepherd sunday World Day of Prayer for Vocations sheep consent vocations

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Prayers

17 Apr 2016 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

Penitential Act Invitation As our Easter celebration of new life continues, we look to God’s mercy and ask for God’s pardon. Invocations For when we have not trusted in God’s word, Lord, have mercy. For when we have not had faith in God. Christ, have mercy. For when we have not been witnesses to God’s salvation. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the faithful The universal prayer Our Lord leads us to eternal life. With confidence in our shepherd we pray to God. For the church, that it remains faithful to the grace of God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For every nation, race, and people, that they may know the light of God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For those in a time of distress, that they may find their way to God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For this community of faith, that we know we belong to God through Jesus, we pray. Lord, hear our prayer. We stand before the throne of God who hears the prayers we make in the name of the Lamb of God, Christ our Lord.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

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