The fourth Sunday in Easter is referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday, because the focus of the Scripture readings is on Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

What is unique about Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is that He is the only Shepherd who also became a Lamb. St Paul reminds us in a beautiful hymn we find in his letter to the Philippians (2:6-11) that, though the Son of God is truly equal to the Father from all eternity, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. Being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. The Son of God became man. The Shepherd became a Lamb.

When Jesus began His public ministry, He joined the cue of sinners who went down to the Jordan river to receive John’s baptism of repentance. The sinless One joins the queue of sinners.

When James and John sought the privilege of sitting at Jesus’ right and left in the kingdom of heaven, the other ten Apostles became indignant with the two brothers. Jesus used this instance to teach them what true greatness consists of: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mt 20:26-28).

And finally, at the beginning of the Last Supper, Jesus took upon Himself the service normally rendered by a servant. He washed the feet of His disciples. After doing so, He told them: “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:14-15).

We see a pattern here. The Shepherd becomes a Lamb. The sinless One joins the queue of sinners. The Son of God becomes a servant. The Saviour is found among sinners. The Divine Physician walks among the sick.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. And how does He do this? In a way no one ever expected. The Good Shepherd will lead us to the green pastures and life-giving waters of heaven by becoming the sacrificial victim for our sins, the Lamb of sacrifice. This is expressed so beautifully in the reading from Revelation: “A great multitude from every nation, race, people and tongue stood before the throne of God and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. These are the ones who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:9, 14).

The Shepherd becomes a Lamb and sheds His blood for us on the cross. The Shepherd’s Blood makes their robes not red, but white! His Blood purifies the soul from the stain of sin.

Vanish.co.uk advertises products to get whites white again. By the way, they did not pay me to write this. White items can fade for different reasons. They say that “using too much detergent, using too much chlorine bleach, antiperspirants and even the grime and pollution you can encounter on your commute can set into your fabrics and discolour your whites.” But they promise that with the power of their product, it’s possible to bring whites back to their former brilliance.

Our Good Shepherd does not sell us a product. He freely offers us His own Blood to bring our souls back to an even greater brilliance than they had before the sin of Adam and Eve.

This is the Good Shepherd we have. One who joins our ranks. One who walks among us sick and wounded sinners. One who gets down on His knees to wash our feet. One who goes to the point of shedding His blood to wash us clean of sin. Jesus refers to His disciples as those who hear His voice and follow Him. And what is His voice saying to us who listen? “I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:15). O Good Shepherd, who humbled yourself to become one of us and who shed your Blood to save us, help us to love and serve as you did.

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The fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Christ is set before us as the Good Shepherd in the Gospel, in the Collect, in other liturgical texts of the day. And the Church, his people, we ourselves, are presented as his flock, the sheep of his pasture. The image is one of intimate communion. Our shepherd knows us all by name, and we know his voice and follow him.

The Communion Antiphon tells us why he is called Good. (He) laid down his life for his sheep and willingly died for his flock.  Greater love has no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends. Such love cannot be destroyed. It establishes an unbreakable union with God, who is love. As God is immortal, so the Good Shepherd could not remain in the power of death. He rose from the grave on the third day and lives to protect his flock and lead us into the joys of heaven.

We need such a guardian and guide. The world is a confusing place, and those who view Christians with no friendly eye are many. We are not assured of a peaceful life, but, thanks be to the Good Shepherd, we can hope for a peaceful end, in eternal pastures where no wolves trespass and no sheep stray.

Bidding Prayers

Let us pray for vocations to the priesthood, that the Good Shepherd may raise up shepherds after his own heart to pasture his flock.

Let us pray that all nations may hear the voice of the One Shepherd and enter into his fold, and into his peace.

Let us pray for all who have died in the peace of Christ, that the eternal pastures of the heavenly kingdom may be opened to them.

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Note: These hymns have been chosen from different sources.

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God's spirit is in my heart (Go tell everyone) (CFE227, L864, LHON297)

Thou whose almighty Word (CFE738, L887, LHON689, TCH269)

All people that on earth do dwell (CFE22, L466, LHON121, TCH201)

Hail Redeemer, King divine (CFE239, L320, LHON310 TCH142)

The King of Love my shepherd is (CFE699, L804, LHON656, TCH265)

The Lord's my shepherd (CFE706, L806, LHON661, TCH266)

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Key

CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone

L – Laudate

LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)

TCH – The Catholic Hymnbook (Gracewing)              

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