From the Rector
The fourth Sunday of Easter is known colloquially as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Each year, we hear one of the three portions of John’s Gospel in which Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd. He tells us that his sheep know his voice, that he lays down his life for the sheep, and that he has other sheep that are not of this fold. There is one flock and one shepherd.
As an Anglican priest, the Good Shepherd discourse carries a great deal of personal meaning for me. These passages are commonly read at ordinations, with sermons reminding the clergy of our call to emulate the Good Shepherd, but to always remember that the whole flock belongs to Jesus, and not to us. The word “pastor” derives from the Latin pascere, meaning “to lead to pasture, set to grazing, or cause to eat”—essentially, to shepherd. Consequently, our brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic tradition designate Good Shepherd Sunday as a day to pray for vocations to religious life, asking God to raise up clergy and other vowed religious persons for the service of the Church.
I find myself wondering, though, if we Anglicans might take up this practice, but broaden it a bit and make it more inclusive. Yes, we should pray that God will raise up labourers for the harvest—but aren’t we all labourers in the kingdom? Perhaps this Good Shepherd Sunday is a time for us to reflect on our own callings, whatever they may be. A call might be to job, or to a ministry, or to a way of living. We can have multiple callings at one time, or at different phases of our lives. For example, at present, I am a priest, a wife, and a mother. I am hopeful that at some point, I will have successfully raised my “little flock” and that I’ll have the good fortune to add being a grandparent to that list.
The callings we receive in our lives can be difficult to recognize, and even when we identify them, they can sometimes be difficult to follow due to our circumstances. But it’s important to remain open to God’s plans for us. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calls our names, and leads us where we need to go. This week, let’s pray that we will know his voice, and that we’ll trust in his guidance as we follow him in right pathways for his name’s sake.
Love,
Mother Terry+