Traditionally the 4th Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel for each year of our 3-year cycle is taken from the 10th Chapter of the Gospel of John. Each of these has reference to Jesus as Shepherd. The title of the parish priest, “pastor,” means shepherd. A shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects his flock—responsibilities that belong to every Church leader. The earliest Christians had seen Jesus as the fulfillment of the ancient Jewish dream of a good shepherd. They also wished to include the Gentiles as part of God’s flock. In today’s first reading, Peter asserts unequivocally before the Jewish assembly that there is no salvation except through Christ the Good Shepherd whom the Jewish leaders have rejected and crucified, and in whose name the apostles preach and heal. The setting of our Gospel narrative is probably the time of the Jewish Hanukkah feast (the Feast of Dedication), which commemorated the triumph of the Jewish commander Judas Maccabaeus over the Syrian leader Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 165 B.C. Jesus was walking on the east side of the Temple, which offered protection against the cold winds from the desert as it was winter time in Jerusalem. The Jews had gathered round him. They were not sure whether Jesus was the promised Messiah. They tried to assess the situation by asking Jesus if he was the Christ or simply a wandering preacher, one of the many wandering preachers and healers. Instead of giving them a straight answer, Jesus tells them that he is the Good Shepherd and explains to them his role as such. Carole King wrote some lyrics in a song that could be applied to our Gospel of the Good Shepherd: “Looking out on the morning rain, I used to feel so uninspired. And when I knew I had to face another day, Lord, it made me feel so tired. And when my soul was in the lost and found, you came along to claim it…” Our Gospel points us to the truth that no one could care for us as deeply, eternally or passionately as God does. If we trust in ourselves alone, we will eventually find a limit to our knowledge, our strength, or our health. Our Gospel tells us that God and God alone is in whom we place our trust. Jesus contrasts the hired shepherd from the owner shepherd. Sheep have no built-in protection, they do not have sharp claws or loud cries, they do not run fast, climb trees or fly. If sheep are to be safe, they must have a shepherd. Jesus is the good shepherd and that He cares for His sheep. He knows them by name, He takes a personal interest in them. He does not see us as someone else’s business. And Jesus tells us that He is willing to lay down His life for the sheep. As He said, “Greater love has no person than to lay His life down for another.” If we truly are the Body of Christ then all of us are called to be shepherds, to care for others. Real shepherds give themselves freely offering love and care to those who are in need. But being a good shepherd does not mean being perfect, only Jesus is the perfect shepherd. To be the shepherd, Jesus calls us to be, means being humble and open, recognizing our own sins and weaknesses. Many in our world today feel lost and lonely and are looking for someone (you) who will guide them in a good and healthy life, helping them to find meaning in their life in Jesus the Good Shepherd.