Good Shepherd/Connections (2025-05-11, 4th Sun Easter, Mother's Day)

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 [v.4]   Homily – May 11, 2025 /  4^th Sunday Easter ● Acts 13:14, 43-52 ● Psalm 100 ●  Revelation 7:9, 14b-17 ●  John 10:27-30 ● 

 Today, the 4^th Sunday of Easter, is known as Good Shepherd Sunday—and this year, it also falls on Mother’s Day. It’s a good coincidence . Just as Jesus, the Good Shepherd, guides and cares for us, mothers often serve as our first and most faithful shepherds in life.

We give thanks today for every mother, grandmother, and godmother—those with us, and those we carry in memory and prayer. Long before GPS was invented, mothers had their own guidance and navigation systems.

Even when we weren’t listening—or didn’t even know we were lost—they were already pointing us in the right direction. They welcomed us into a world that is often wondrous, confusing, and at times, overwhelming. They offered us safety, direction, and love. And in so many ways, their sacrifices reflect the Good Shepherd’s care.

I’d like to share a story told me about guidance and connection that was shared with me

2 friends of mine, many years ago, traveled to the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. They weren’t athletes, just spectators. What made their trip memorable wasn’t just the events they attended but how they got there.

They had a friend who was the son of the U.S. ambassador to South Korea at the time. Thanks to that connection, they were invited to stay at the U.S. Embassy. Lodging covered. Food provided. Each morning, they toasted Thomas’s English muffins before heading out.

They told me this story so often that they eventually started teasing me: “Hey Jim, did we ever tell you we went to the Summer Olympics?” I enjoyed hearing the story, actually even multiple times - because it reminded me of how much connections matter, especially in unfamiliar places.

When we feel disoriented or lost, the presence of someone we trust can change everything.

That’s the kind of presence Jesus offers as the Good Shepherd. He says in today’s Gospel:

“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”

It doesn’t matter how turbulent your journey has been. Once you’re with Him, you’re in the right place. You belong—not to a location, but to a relationship. Jesus doesn’t want to be just the friend of a friend. He wants to be your Shepherd, your guide, your Savior.

We all know how tuned in we are to familiar voices. You can often recognize someone by how they knock on the door, or how their footsteps sound. We're wired to notice what’s familiar. The same is true spiritually—we’re called to listen for the voice of the Shepherd, especially in a world full of noise.

Today, we might be tempted to listen only to voices that affirm what we already think. But Jesus invites us to something deeper—not popularity, not comfort, but faithfulness.

This also applies to leaders in the Church, especially our Holy Father. Some of you may have seen recent news about the new pope—Pope Leo the 14th.

Whether or not he was a familiar name to us before, what matters now is how he listens: not just to those around him, but to the voice of the Good Shepherd.

When we profess the Creed and say we believe in “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,” we’re claiming something remarkable: that we are connected—not just to Rome or to our local parish, but to the very apostles themselves. That connection isn’t about power. It’s about fidelity. Every leader, every pope, every pastor is called to follow the Shepherd first.

But leadership isn't easy. Today, in our culture, being popular often feels like the highest goal. We measure our worth in likes, follows, and shares. But popularity can become a form of idolatry.

And even though it’s natural to want to be liked, we’re reminded that Christian leadership—and Christian living—isn’t about being liked. It’s about being faithful.

That’s true for our leaders, and it’s true for you and me.

When I was younger, my parents used to tell me: “Use your connections!” I didn’t fully get it at the time. I thought, “Shouldn’t you just rely on hard work?” But they explained that even if a connection gets you in the door, you still have to do the work. That principle applies spiritually too.

Faith opens the door. Grace invites us in. But discipleship—listening to Jesus and following Him daily—that’s our work. That’s our calling.

And just like those Olympic guests had a place to stay because they knew someone, we, too, are invited into a place of peace because we know Jesus. And He knows us. He calls us by name. He leads us through confusion and noise into clarity and calm. He brings us to still waters, to green pastures, to life everlasting.

So today, we give thanks for the Good Shepherd.

We give thanks for the mothers and women who have guided us faithfully.

We pray for leaders in our Church and world to be more faithful than popular.

And most of all, we recommit ourselves to listen—really listen—for His voice.

The real question is: Am I listening?

Because the question is not whether Jesus is communicating. He is right now and will continue to speak each day to you and me.