4th
SUNDAY of Easter 22 April 2018, •• Acts 4:8-12 •• Psalm 118
•• 1 John 3:1-2 •• + John
10:11-18 ••
Title:
“The Good Shepherd: Ready. Rescues. Redirects.”
[__01__] Ready? Are you ready? Yes, we can see that you are and are delighted
that you are ready – dressed so well for your 1st Holy Communion and
with your family and friends here to pray with you.
And, girls and boys this morning, I
imagine you had to get ready TOGETHER, getting ready was not just for you alone
and individually but for the whole family. Sometimes, we forget things and we
all have to go back together … to be ready. In big changes, in marriage,
family, we get ready together.
And, in the Gospel this Sunday,
Jesus – the Good Shepherd – is the one who is READY to receive us, who RESCUES
us, and who REDIRECTS us.
[__02__] I’d
like to share a personal example of something that happened on a day off from
school – when I was in high school.
And, how I experienced this –
READINESS – RESCUE – REDIRECTION.
[__03__] 1st.
READY.
In January of my junior year of high
school, we had a day off from school. I
went downhill skiing with 2 friends of mine [Michael S. and Patrick
T.]. Sorry, to be talking about snow again? After
being dropped off at the ski area – a relatively small ski area run by Bergen
County in Mahwah called Campgaw Reservation.
After a few hours of trying to keep up with
them – they were much better skiers than I as you will soon learn - I had to go to E.R. emergency room because of
some acrobatic move I attempted on a little hill, a very little hill.
I was unhappy to spend my day off
from school in this manner. And, this was hardly a big mountain or difficult
slope. I was not much of a skier. This was hardly Vermont or Utah. A short
vertical drop [i.e., height]. No black diamonds, all GREEN / EASY slopes. Meanwhile, I had to leave my two friends
[who continued to ski] while my mom picked me up and took me to the E.R.
My mother was, of course, very nice;
the doctor also professional. But, what
consoled me that day, in addition to my mom and the doctor was a friend and
coincidence. At the ER, I met one of my high school classmates. Unlike me, he
was NOT a patient. He was, rather, a volunteer on an ambulance squad and had
been in the ER with another patient. He was the ER when I arrived. He just
happened to be there. And, while he did not expect me, he was READY for me. He
was present to me.
My classmate, John, did not “treat
me”, he did not examine me. That’s good, because he was only in high school.
But he had free time and he spent it with me. He was READY.
And, a great gift we can give to
each other is to be ready, to be “quick to listen slow to speak”(James 1:19) …
to try and do what our parents ask when they ask. To remember that it is better
to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)
[__04__]
Jesus the Good Shepherd is [READY],
he [RESCUES]
us, and [REDIRECTS] us.
[__05__]
Jesus the Good Shepherd [RESCUES]
his disciples, he feeds you and me.
This word “rescue” makes us think of
a great drama or a trauma – something meterological or seismic..
However, Jesus rescues us by his
mercy, by his forgiveness.
And, sometimes, we are starving –
very hungry – for help in our lives, and for someone to take a risk, being
merciful, to take a chance on us.
Rescues are risky and Jesus inspires
us to take such risks.
We are rescued by forgiveness. Jesus
is the Good Shepherd who RESCUES - lays down his life for - his disciples, for
you and me, who feeds us with his Body and Blood. This is Holy Communion.
[__06__]
Sometimes, I need mercy or rescue
from something that is my own fault, my own responsibility.
I had landed not safely on 2 skis
but in the ER because I was not really being careful enough, and because I had
not maintained my skis properly, et
cetera, et cetera …using the wrong equipment and fell to the ground. Not a
pretty picture. My responsibility.
Jesus the Good Shepherd rescues us
with mercy not not because of our great TALENTS (SKIING, BALANCE, OR OTHERWISE)
but actually because of our TRESPASSES, our SINS. He loves us, forgives us.
He also [REDIRECTS]
us.
[__07_] I
wonder what my high school classmate – whom I met at the ER is doing now… does
he work in medicine or healing? He had a
wonderful bedside manner. He was simply
present to me.
And, not only was it a consolation
to experience my classmate’s, John’s,
presence in the ER to but also to share the good news of his presence
when I returned to high school that he had been there with me. It was good news
to share, of why I was more calm, tranquil, all of this at the EMERGENCY ROOM!
So, I was “redirected” to share that Good News not only with the 2 friends I
skied with but with other classmates. And, I remember it felt great to share
what had happened.
Sometimes we are rescued not with 9-1-1
but simply with with mercy and forgiveness. And, we are called to share this
Good News with others.
I suggest my friend’s kindness at the E.R. was
also a REDIRECTION of Jesus to me– calling me . When I was 16, I did not think
I was going to be a priest. But, when I
later did think about it, this particular experience was very significant.
As a priest, I try to be present to people
in both sorrow and joy, which includes
visits to hospital, to be present in this way, to imitate the Christlike
example of my friend at he ER to me.
So, to you -- our fathers and mothers -- I
encourage you to help your children to reflect on – and pray about -- their
joys and sorrows on moments of consolation.
These moments will shape them, help them to
grow and understand later what it means – themselves to be a mother, father,
wife or husband, to be a nurse or a doctor, to be a priest to serve the Church
and to listen – in all these ways to Christ the Good Shepherd.
Girls
and boys – God loves you, your mother loves you, your father loves you, your
grandparents. Even if they are not present today, they love you and are praying
for you. Jesus the Good Shepherd loves
you, the community of Our Lady of Lourdes loves you, and is grateful for your
dedication and prayerfulness today and we look forward to praying with you and
growing with you for many Sundays and years to come.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, [READY] to receive us, [RESCUES]
us with mercy, and [REDIRECTS] us to green pasture and restful waters.
OUR
LADY OF LOURDES, PRAY FOR US.
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