Good Shepherd Sunday A
April 12-13, 2008
April 12-13, 2008
“..the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and lead them out..”
The Good Shepherd image in the New Testament:
In Palestine the word "shepherd" was a synonym for selfless love, sincerity, commitment and sacrificial service. Hence Jesus selects it as the most fitting term to denote his life and mission.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd and we are his flock, however Jesus is also calling us to be good shepherds to one another – most especially to those people who are entrusted to our care.
In that sense, priests, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government officials and the politicians are all shepherds. The teacher who really loves the children in her charge, the nurse who carefully tends to the sick, the friend who listens attentively to another's problems, the nona or nono who looks after grandchildren during holidays -–all these remind us of the abiding presence of the Good Shepherd among us.
The parents become good shepherds when they provide the means for their children to grow both physically and spiritually. Parents are good shepherds when they become the role models for their children, encouraging them in their prayer and sacramental life.
This Sunday, we join Catholics around the world praying for the increase of shepherds whose task is unique from those I mentioned earlier. We pray for shepherds who will the spiritual needs of God’s people. Thus we pray for the increase of priests in the church.
Nick (guest seminarian from Corpus Christi) later on will speak briefly about the mystery of the priesthood and his personal response to our Lord's calling.
Lost two shepherd
We are saddened about the death Archbishop Frank Little. He was our shepherd for 22 years as Archbishop of Melbourne. We thank the Lord for all his worked in the church.
Yesterday a friend priest of mine, Fr Robert del Rosario, was buried in the Philippines. He was the priest who asking for books early this year for the new school he was building. Last March he celebrated 1st year anniversary. Though his ministry was short, we thank his example of saying “yes” to our Lord to follow him.
We are saddened about the death Archbishop Frank Little. He was our shepherd for 22 years as Archbishop of Melbourne. We thank the Lord for all his worked in the church.
Yesterday a friend priest of mine, Fr Robert del Rosario, was buried in the Philippines. He was the priest who asking for books early this year for the new school he was building. Last March he celebrated 1st year anniversary. Though his ministry was short, we thank his example of saying “yes” to our Lord to follow him.
Pray for new shepherds
We join our prayer today in this Mass that the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd will be heard by many young men and adults today called them to be shepherds of souls.
May I also ask you to pray for us priests, young and old that we may constantly be faithful to this beautiful ministry entrusted to us by our Lord in the loving service of his flock – his Church.
We join our prayer today in this Mass that the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd will be heard by many young men and adults today called them to be shepherds of souls.
May I also ask you to pray for us priests, young and old that we may constantly be faithful to this beautiful ministry entrusted to us by our Lord in the loving service of his flock – his Church.
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