Transcript
Dear friends, today is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. We reflect upon Jesus the Good Shepherd, prepared to lay down His life for His sheep. And of course, yesterday we celebrated Anzac Day. Anzac Day honours shepherd like service, and a memorial to all our uniformed service people, who have been prepared to lay down their lives, in the service of peace in our world. Today we might reflect also how we might be Good Shepherds. Now when I was a military chaplain, the callsign for chaplains was “Shepherd”, and chaplains carried a Shepherd’s crook or a staff, instead of a rifle. Chaplains would shepherd their sheep, by going out into society, to be present in people’s day to day lives. Now of course, I was so fascinated by Jesus regular use of the metaphor of shepherding, that I actually established this flock. Here at our veterans retreat we have been caring for these sheep, along with many veterans. It’s challenging work. They get sick and injured, they wander off and get lost, they then despair about being separated from their tribe. They get anxious of predators, and the shepherd must be present to guard them and assure them. Shepherding of sheep, or people, can be messy and frustrating, and requires love, and patience, and resilience. But God calls us all to contribute to the shepherding of souls. We need more people to be actively involved in ministries, following the example of Jesus. Now He broadly exercised His ministry by going out to the margins of society, embracing those most in need. Pope Leo also calls us to be Good Shepherds. In his recent encyclical, called, Dilexi Tea, he says that we must be a church focused on caring for those who are poor in body, mind or spirit, both at home and abroad. Now that might seem a bit risky, but we can get involved, by following the compassion, the commitment and service that our ANZACs have witnessed to, in missions of service, as peacemakers. They took a risk. Some gave all, all gave some, some are still giving. May we be service people, proactively involved in the mission of God, as shepherds of souls. Know also that when ever we need to enter into a valley of darkness, we need not fear, for the Good Shepherd will be watching over us.