4th Sunday of Easter Homily Good Shepherd

Today is “Good Shepherd” Sunday and the Worldwide Day Prayer for Vocations.

So we might be tempted to think that this Gospel only pertains to Priests, Deacons, and maybe those “professional” ministers, e.g. catechists, communion ministers.

If so, we are losing out on something very important for our lives.

We are losing out on life.

And remember Jesus says that he came so that we may have life in the full.

What is ministry?  What do mean we say we are going to minister to someone, or I have a “ministry”?

Ministry, at its heart, is to help someone experience their inherent dignity, their inherent worth, their inherent Goodness.

When we minister to someone we show persons they have a value simply because they are a person.  

It is not based on their social standing, economics, politics, nor even on their level of morality.

Every human person, regardless of their status, religion, whether they are still unborn or are on the verge of death, is a child of God, and deserve to experience life in the full.  This is core to our faith as Catholics.

Because this is is exactly what our Good Shepherd did for others.  This is how and why Jesus ministered.

He first of all came, gave of himself to become human, so that we could know of this Divine Love, this divine worth.

He lived it time and time again; giving mercy to those in need of it; feeding those who were hungry, forgiving those who needed and wanted it.

He ultimately gave of his life so that we could know the extent of this, to show us our value.

The Resurrection shows us this is the way to LIVE; to have Life.

All of us are called to minister in this same way, because truly it is part of being human.

See, ministry is not something added to our lives, it is not a chore we have to do.  Ministry is part of our very nature as humans.

Spouses minister to each other;

Parents to children; and eventually children back to parents.

It is friends giving time to friends.

It is the stranger doing acts of kindness for others.

Ministry on the day to day level are those acts of compassion that we show, those acts of mercy, acts of love.

It is when we say to ourselves, what I want at this moment is fine, but I need to let it go for this person who is in need.

It is when we say, I am really angry, but I will forgive.

It is giving up the need to try to control all aspects of our lives and other’s lives, and letting others work with us.

And sometimes it is saying “no” to someone when they want something wrong and by doing so we know they will be angry...parents get this all the  time from kids.

This is the way of the Good Shepherd.   

So much life comes from giving of ourselves for others.

Parishes thrive with people engaged in this kind of ministry; homes and marriages flourish with this Way of the Good Shepherd; relationships are stronger for it.

There is life because we are engaged in truly living.

The other way, no so desirable.  The way of the ego, of self-centeredness.

We may think we are doing the work of Christ, but really it is all about me, myself and I.

And we end up robbing people of their dignity, their worth, their inherent value.  The good we think we do, becomes about and for us and not the other.  In essence we make their dignity based on ourselves.  

And sorry to say, it happens to the best of us.

I have seen it certainly in “professional” ministers, whether clergy or lay persons.

I remember one guy who entered seminary because he knew he could make the church “right” again.  He lasted a year.  His ego was Tremendous.  And sad to say, it is always an ongoing challenge with us priests.

It happens in marriages and family.  When one spouse will overtly or covertly dominate.

It just builds up resentments.  I have seen that too.

Friendships wither and fade because of the ego.

I hear it from people who are so angry because the world and the people in the world do not do want they want them to do.  Whether it is drive at a certain speed on Virginia street, or support some sort of political view.

Again, this is not really living life.  

The antidote...prayer and especially the Eucharist.

The challenge for us is to discern, to reflect always on our lives.  How do we minister?

I know this is not what society seems to want of us, which demands immediate reaction.

But, we need to take time each day or each week, in quiet contemplation.  

Take that time and review ourselves in comparison to the Good Shepherd, to Christ, and ask ourselves...how have I ministered to my wife, to husband, kids, parents, friends, parishioners?

Eucharist keeps us centered on the Good Shepherd.  

It is one of the reasons we need to be here each week.

We celebrate Jesus and his way of self-giving, through Scripture and through the Bread and Wine that become his body and blood.

We give of our time for this community, for all, simply an hour or so, so that we can be fortified to go forth and live more humbly.

To go forth and give for others…

To go forth and minister and live.  

Go forth and minister how?