Anthony knew his mother’s voice. Just by hearing her call his name, Anthony
knew it was time to go home for dinner, and he knew it was Prince Spaghetti
day! Do you remember that commercial? I’m sure we've all had similar experiences. When my mother calls me, she typically uses
the longer form of my name, “Deacon Michael.”
But not all “Michaels” are created equal. Some “Michaels” simply convey that my mother needs
me for something. These are usually
delivered with a falling pitch: [high/low]
“Michael!” Others convey a hint of displeasure
about something I may or may not have done.
These Michaels have a rising pitch: [low/high] “Michael!” Then, there’s the dreaded “Michael,”
delivered with the pitch of death: “Michael.” I've never heard that one. Some more terrifying than the others, but all
equally effective. I know my mother’s
voice and all of its nuances, because I know my mother. When I hear my mother call, I listen, I follow
(OK, only sometimes). Well, today’s
readings are calling us to listen to Jesus and to follow him. They’re inviting us to know our shepherd.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus identifies himself
as the shepherd who enters through the gate to lead his sheep into green pastures.
Then he calls himself the gatekeeper who
opens the door for the sheep; then he says he’s the gate, the sole admission to
the Father.[1] And in the very next line of John’s Gospel,
which isn't included in today’s passage, Jesus makes clear that he is the Good Shepherd, the one who
will lay down his life for his sheep. (John
10:11)
Why all of this ovine imagery? Well, sheep are simple creatures who do best
when they’re led. A good shepherd leads his
sheep; he provides them with food and water and protects them from danger. “The intimacy of the relationship between the
Shepherd and the sheep is demonstrated by the sheep’s ability to recognize the
shepherd’s voice and the shepherd’s ability to call ‘his own’ by name.”[2]
Sheep learn to know their shepherd; to
trust him and to follow him. That’s what
Jesus asks of us in a nutshell. Now, we
tend to be strong-willed and independent these days, but Jesus knows that that’s
not our true nature. He knows that we
are creatures who are completely dependent on God, whether we know it or not. He knows that we will do best when we are led
by him.
Today’s Psalm, Psalm XXIII, explains so beautifully why
we should follow the Good Shepherd. When
the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want; he makes us lie down in green
pastures and leads us to the still waters. “The psalmist is so confident of the
divine shepherd’s leadership as to trust even when the path leads through
dangerous mountain passes.”[3] But as
our Gospel tells us, Jesus is more than just the shepherd. He’s the gatekeeper and the gate too. As Frederick Buechner put it, “Christ is the way
out. The way home. The only way that matters.”[4] Jesus is someone worth knowing.
So how do we get to know Jesus? How do we create the intimate relationship with
him that he invites us into? It’s not
easy having a relationship with someone who’s not physically nearby. It takes work. But the relationships we have to work for are
the best relationships to have. These
are the relationships that are worth our time and our effort – the ones we
really want. Jesus doesn't have a
Facebook page or a Twitter account. We
can’t just click a button to become his friends, though I’m sure he’d always
accept, if we could. Getting to really know
Jesus, developing an intimate relationship with him will take time and effort. As C.S. Lewis said, “ If you are thinking of
becoming a Christian, I warn you, you are embarking on something which is going
to take the whole of you, brains and all.”[5]
So I return to
the question: How can we know Jesus? Here are a few suggestions:
· To borrow the advice of my mother when I wanted to
know something. “Read a book.” The Bible’s
a great place to start, but there are also some great writers who have explained
the importance of Jesus in our contemporary context: Pope Benedict XVI; Sister Elizabeth Johnson;
Father Robert Barron; C.S. Lewis; and Archbishop Fulton Sheen are some of my
favorites.
· Serve the poor, the sick, the home-bound, and the
imprisoned. That’s what Jesus did. Imitating his life is a great way to get to know
who he really is.
· And while we’re imitating Jesus, love your mother – Jesus
loved his mother and he listened to her. I can just imagine the tone in her voice when Jesus
first refused to perform the miracle at the Wedding at Cana: [low/high] “Jesus!”
Now, not all mothers are like the Blessed Mother, but love them anyway. Jesus does.
· Participate in
Eucharistic Adoration. Spending time
with our Lord in silence is a wonderful way to get to know him, to feel his
presence among us, to hear his voice calling us to follow him.
· Above all, pray.
Prayer puts us in our proper orientation with God. Through prayer we acknowledge that we are the
sheep who need the Good Shepherd. Speak with
Jesus in prayer and you’ll know his voice. Complain to him and you’ll receive his comfort.
Thank him for laying down his life for
us, and you’ll see that your life is filled with countless blessings.
Getting to know Jesus won’t happen all at once. It takes time – it’s a life journey. But knowing Jesus will change your life. An intimate relationship with Jesus gives us the
calm assurance that we shall not want and the courage to fear no evil with his
rod and staff at our side. With Jesus,
we “have life more abundantly,” and all around us will know that we know the Shepherd.
Follow the link for the Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year A.
[1]
See Fulton J. Sheen, The Life of Christ (New York, Doubleday, 1990) at 189.
[2]
Gail R. O’Dea, “The Gospel of John,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. IX (Nashville,
Abingdon Press, 1995) at 667.
[3]
The Collegeville Bible Commentary, Old Testament, Dianne Bergant, ed., (Collegeville,
Liturgical Press, 1992) at 759.
[4]
Frederick Buechner, A Room Called Remember (San Francisco, HarperOne, 1992) at
123.
[5]
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (San
Francisco, Harper Collins, 2001) at 78.
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