Reflection: Good Shepherd Sunday

PSALM 23 by HANGAD

“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me”

To be shepherded by our Lord Jesus Himself means that we cannot go wrong in anything that we do as we are assured that we are in the right flock. Being in the right flock, we feel the comfort, the bliss, and the sense of belongingness that God has endowed to all His sheep. However, these feelings of exuberance, knowing that we are His, do not end in that particular realm. We are given the challenge to take part and live a life like that of our Shepherd – the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, as members of His flock, we have bigger responsibilities ahead; thus, the call for stewardship is instigated every step of the way.

As imitators of Christ, we take part of His pastoral ministry by showing concern, compassion, and love to all. Showing our care and love to the orphans, widows, homeless, prisoners and the least fortunate brothers and sisters (see James 1:27) are some of the direct indicators that we are actively participating in the stewardship that Christ calls us all to be. In this way, people may recognise that we are Christ’s and He is our head. We preach to them the good news not in every word that we say or every verse in the Bible that we quote but from the actions that we do.

Blessed Mother Theresa in India

As the saying goes, “actions speak louder than words.” True enough, Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta proved this during her lifetime while doing her missionary works in India. She was indeed a perfect example and model of Christian charity. Helping the sick, homeless and the abandoned regardless of who they were and what they believed in were just some of her benevolent acts of charity (see Matthew 25:40). Indeed, my Indian friends, Hindu and Moslem alike, speak fondly of the saintly nun. They shared to me how the Indian people loved her because of the incomparable kindness and great love for the needy. Moved by their sharing, I praise and thank the Lord Almighty for giving us Blessed Mother Theresa as a model of stewardship. She was an effective evangeliser who preached, not in words but in deeds.

Mother Theresa has shown what a steward is...The question is, are we ready to be like her and consequently be like our Shepherd, Christ the Lord?