THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND MOTHERS

 

                                    Hanna-Cheriyan Varghese, Malaysia 

Tomorrow  is a double feast-  Good Shepherd Sunday and Mother’s Day. We will celebrate both in our hearts and prayers. We have not bred our sheep for five years now, but one of our Oblate neighbors brought us 7 lambs-  they romp around bringing much joy.

One of the most moving passages in Scripture about God as Good Shepherd is found in Isaiah (40:10-11)

 “Here comes with power, the Lord God, who rules by His strong arm;  Here is His reward with Him, His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He feeds His flock; In His arms He gathers the lambs, Carrying them in His bosom, leading the ewes with care.” 

                                                        Jyoti Sahi- India

Some unusual images of Christ as Good Shepherd can be found in all cultures across the globe

Vinayak Masoji, India (’The Lord is My Shepherd’)

Jesus didn’t come to save only the Jewish  people, and while He started with the lost sheep of Israel, His reach went further.

“I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know me — just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves Me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again.” (John 10:14-16).

When Jesus claimed to be the Good Shepherd, He called to anyone who would listen to his voice.  Having raised sheep for over 30 years, I can attest to this, as my sheep could hear my voice far from the fields, and would answer to me.

    

                                                                        

Isabela Couto, Brazil

Why does Jesus refer to Himself as Good? The Greek word kalos, translated “good,” describes that which is noble, wholesome, good, and beautiful. It signifies not only that which is good inwardly but also that which is attractive outwardly. It is an innate goodness. Therefore, in using the phrase “the good shepherd,” Jesus is referring to His inherent goodness, His righteousness, and His beauty. 

In this month  of May we honor our Blessed Mother as well as our own mothers.  Mary, as mother, is the guardian of the Divine Shepherd, Jesus Christ. This is why the title "Divine Shepherdess" should be read as Shepherdess of the Divine Shepherd. The  title is well known in several Latin American countries, where she is known as the "Divina Pastora."

Just as we hear the voice of Jesus, through the Scriptures and through the teaching of Mother Church, so too do we hear our own mother’s voice on a very deep level.   In pregnancy, mothers to be,  are encouraged to speak to their child in the womb and when  we are born, we  recognize and are soothed by our mother’s voice and we will hear her voice throughout our lives, even when she is gone from us.

Just as Jesus laid down His life for His sheep, so too do good mothers give their lives for their children.  To mothers everywhere a Blessed Day! 

 

       Rudolph Valentino Bostic, USA