The Fourth Sunday of Easter - Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd We Need
through our difficult moments. When we eat the garbage of the world, our hearts will remain restless and our souls will be starving. Happy homes are found where parents love their children unconditionally. Flourishing parishes are found where the sheep have plenty of good grass.
Sheep without a shepherd have no defense against the wolves of this world. The human person is a social being and is incapable of living life alone. No one by his own efforts can defend himself from the temptations that assail him and from the evil of the world that attacks him.
In most cases, our land has become a land of orphans. Many children have become orphans of living parents. Many priests have become isolated from their brothers in the priesthood. The sheep are without shepherds.
Faith filled communities have become a safe haven for the orphans. True priests are ministering to the starving. True Catholics are ministering to their priests. Priests are ministering to each other. Throughout the nation, the orphans gather in order to hear the Word of God, feed on the Bread of Life and experience the loving care, affection and understanding of real people that desire to shepherd to one another.
Catholic priests who spend substantial time each week preparing a Sunday homily that will teach, console and inspire their people; priests who are available 24 hours a day for the urgent needs of their sick and dying parishioners; priests who dedicate long hours each week to the confessional are true shepherds of the flock.
Parents who are home with their children; parents who have dinner with their children each night as a family; parents who review every book, every television program, every CD, DVD and Internet site; parents who are dedicated to really parenting their children are true shepherds of their homes.
True shepherding is a life of total self-giving. The true shepherd needs time for renewal in order to shepherd the flock. The true shepherd needs to spend time daily with Jesus, the chief shepherd. He will give us the strength, the inspiration and the sustenance to shepherd the flock. Periodic moments of solitude and silence are essential for the continued ability to give unconditionally.
If we are going to be true disciples of the Good Shepherd, we must forget ourselves completely and be totally dedicated. Jesus calls us to love one another unconditionally.
-----
Father James Farfaglia is the pastor of Saint Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. Father has a hard hitting blog called Illegitimi non carborundum. He has also published a book called Man to Man: A Real Priest Speaks to Real Men about Marriage, Sexuality and Family Life.
- - -
Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
Keywords:
NEWSLETTERS »
Rate This Article
1 - 9 of 9 Comments
Leave a Comment
More Lent / Easter News
- The Power of the Resurrection in our Lives: Christ Is Risen; Indeed, He Is Risen!
- What a Day! What a Way, the Easter Way, Alleluia!
- The Surprise of Easter
- Easter Vigil Homily of Pope Francis: Let the Risen Jesus Enter Your Life
- HOLY SATURDAY: The Whole Earth Keeps Silence
- The Resurrecting Power of Mercy
- On the Friday We Call Good, the Whole World Stands Still
- Good Friday Reflection on the Logic of the Cross
- Reflection: Let us Apply the Splint of the Cross to our Fractured Freedom
Featured News
- Fr. Paul Schenck: Finding Living Faith on Catechetical Sunday
- The Movie Yellow: Incest as 'Normal' and Cassavates's Slides Into the World of Woes
- The Chicago School Teachers Strike Reveals the Need For School Choice
- The Sexual Barbarians and the Dissolution of Culture
- The Happy Priest Challenges Us to Ask: Who is Jesus to Me?
- Michael Coren on Canadian Public Schools: Teachers, leave those kids alone
- We Cannot Ignore Our Consciences: Cardinal Dolan On Religious Liberty
- In the Face of Danger, Successor of Peter Travels to Lebanon as a Messenger of Peace
- Reflections on the Dignity and Vocation of Women: Who or What?
More Easter / Lent
'So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead' - Luke 24:46
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption. continue reading
Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four canonical Gospels. (Mark 11:1.11, Matthew 21:1.11, Luke 19:28.44, and John 12:12.19) ... continue reading
On Palm Sunday, we celebrate the first joy of the season, as we celebrate Our Lord's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem where he was welcomed by crowds worshiping him and laying down palm leaves before him. It also marks the beginning of Holy Week... continue reading
HOLY THURSDAY is the most complex and profound of all religious observances. It celebrates his last supper with the disciples, a celebration of Passover ... continue reading
On Good Friday, each member of the Church tries to understand at what cost Christ has won our redemption. In the solemn ceremonies of Holy Week we unite ourselves to our Savior, and we contemplate our own death to sin in the Death of our Lord ... continue reading
Easter is the principal feast of the ecclesiastical year. Leo I (Sermo xlvii in Exodum) calls it the greatest feast (festum festorum), and says that Christmas is celebrated only in preparation for Easter. It is the centre of the greater part of the ecclesiastical year ... continue reading
Explore Easter, Lent & Pentecost Season
For most people the easiest practice to consistently fulfill will be the traditional one, to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. During Lent abstinence from meat on Fridays is obligatory in the United States as elsewhere. Christ Himself said that His disciples would fast once He had departed (Lk. 5:35). continue reading
Everything answered from when does lent end, ashes, giving something up, stations of the cross and blessed palms. The key to understanding the meaning of Lent is simple: Baptism... continue reading
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. First Station: Jesus is condemned to death... pray the stations now
What did you give up for Lent?
From the humorous to the bizarre, people have had interesting Lenten experiences. Tell us about what you are going to give up for this Lenten Year.
What others gave up »
Lent / Easter News
-
The Power of the Resurrection in our Lives: Christ Is Risen; Indeed, He Is Risen!
F. K. Bartels - Catholic Online, 4/6/2013There is great cause for belief in the Resurrection. One of the most wonderful tenets of Catholicism and the true Christian religion the Church transmits, is that the Resurrection is a historical ...Continue Reading
-
What a Day! What a Way, the Easter Way, Alleluia!
Deacon Keith Fournier - Catholic Online, 4/1/2013Have you have heard the old adage, used often in a disparaging way, He´s so heavenly he is no earthly good. I suggest again that it misses the mark completely. We are Easter people. We are called to ...Continue Reading
-
The Surprise of Easter
Fr. Randy Sly - Catholic Online, 3/31/2013To make sure that all mankind knows that it is not over but actually just beginning, God has an Easter bombshell. While we may have been able to anticipate the wondrous joy of a day of resurrection, ...Continue Reading
-
Easter Vigil Homily of Pope Francis: Let the Risen Jesus Enter Your Life
Pope Francis - Catholic Online, 3/31/2013Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness... and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive! Let the risen Jesus enter ...Continue Reading
Good Friday
-
On Good Friday, the entire Church fixes her gaze on the Cross at Calvary. Each member of the Church tries to understand at what cost Christ has won our redemption.
The Cross
In the symbol of the Cross we can see the magnitude of the human tragedy, the ravages of original sin, and the infinite love of God. Learn More
Ash Wednesday
-
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.
The Ashes
The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposure to incense. Learn More
Stations of the Cross
-
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion.
Opening Prayer
ACT OF CONTRITION. O my God, my Redeemer, behold me here at Thy feet. From the bottom of my heart... Pray the Stations
Fasting & Abstinence
-
'Christ Himself said that His disciples would fast once He had departed' Lk. 5:35
Abstinence. The law of abstinence requires a Catholic 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in honor of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and shellfish are permitted.
Fasting. The law of fasting requires a Catholic from the 18th Birthday (Canon 97) to the 59th Birthday (i.e. the beginning of the 60th year, a year which will be completed on the 60th birthday) to reduce the amount of food eaten from normal. The Church defines this as one meal a day, and two smaller meals which if added together would not exceed the main meal.
Learn More »
Very impressive and inspiring. You are a blessing to many. Fr. May God richly bless you.
Although not a Catholic, I found the article helpful in preparing to lead a weekly prayer meeting at my local church. My thanks to the writer.
I am very proud of the Catholic teaching. It is as if our preacher read this article first. God bless your church and all the faithful so that we remain one flock under one shepherd.
A wonderful Article, reminding each one of us our duty as Shepherds in whatever vocation God has called us. I love the bit about grand-parents, because I am one and it is a joy to be with my pre-teen and teenage grand children. Share their experiences and discuss my past life and our Catholic Faith with them. Though they live away from me and their parents are very busy people, spending the rare short moments we have during holidays reveals just what a blessing and God's Grace parenthood is. It is actually when you become a grand-parent that you really realize what immortality is all about and then appreciate what Christ, The Good Shepherd, did for mankind - opening Heaven for us by His becoming Man, undergoing death and resurrection to reconcile mankind with God and offer us Eternal Life.
I was preparing for an RCIA lesson on this topic, and this article was extremely helpful. Thank you so much.
May God Bless our Shepherds and send us many more Good Shepherds!
Excellent work! May Jesus Christ our true shepherd who never leaves His flock untended continue to bless us with good and holy shepherds in our homes, our Church and in the world. We need them in these days!
impressive
It is very interesting and useful article for parenting.Now days parents very rarely do thier duty as a parents.They depending on others such as grandparents, baby sitters but only the shepherd will know the true needs of the sheep and only the parents know the needs of their children.