4^th Sunday of Easter (A); April 30, 2023

Acts 2:14,36-51.  Ps 23.  1 Pt 2:20-25.  Jn 10:1-10

Deacon Jim McFadden

            Today is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday, which presents us one of the most beautiful images that has portrayed our Lord Jesus since the earliest centuries of the Church.  When Jesus declares in the 10^th chapter of John’s gospel that “I am the shepherd of the sheep…(and) The sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (Jn 10:3), he is revealing the depths of intimacy that we all hunger. 

            The Lord calls us by name, which is how Yahweh addressed Moses in the Burning Bush encounter.  Similarly, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord says to Israel, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine” (Is 43:1c).  Why does God address us so personally?  Why not just say, “Hey, you: listen up!”  Simply put, the Lord call us by name because he loves us.  At the same time, the Gospel says that there are other voices vying for our attention, which should not be followed:  those of strangers (who don’t know our name), thieves and brigands who meant to do harm to the sheep, to us.

            These different voices were shown in the struggle between Isaac’s two sons: Esau of the flesh and Jacob of the spirit.  The question is: which voice are we going to listen to?  The voice of God, speaks gently to our True Self, made in the image of God, beckoning us to follow our conscience and do the right thing.  The other voice entices us to follow our egoic self-absorption.  How can we recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd from that of the thief; how can we distinguish the promptings of the Holy Spirit from the suggestions of the Evil One?  One can discern these two voices because they speak two different languages; that is, they have opposite ways of getting our attention, of knocking on the door of our hearts.  If we listen, if we’re paying attention, we can distinguish the voice of God from the voice of the Prince of Darkness.

            To begin with, the voice of God never forces himself upon us, which we witnessed so gently in the Annunciation.  God always proposes himself; he does not impose himself because he respects our curiosity, dignity, and conscience.  What about the Dark Voice?  He seduces, assails, tears asunder—he forces himself upon us.  How does he do it?  By arousing us dazzling illusions that we can find happiness by pursuing the goods of the world.  By encouraging us to become addicted to positive feelings, that are tempting by transient.  At first, he flatters us, making us believe that we are Number One, that we are the “King of the World,” that we are all powerful, that we are master of our destiny because we are in control.  After we give into his lies, we end up empty inside and then he comes back and accuses us that “You are not worth anything,” which leads to deep feelings of self-loathing. 

            The voice of God, instead, corrects us with great patience, which is why Jesus gave us the healing sacrament of Reconciliation. Our Lord encourages us, consoles us: he never gives up on us and always nourishes hope.  God’s voice has a sense of direction: the Good Shepherd is leading us home.  The voice of the Evil One inevitably leads us to a self-imposed prison, backs us into a corner where we feel that there is no way out.

            Another difference: the voice of the Evil One distracts us from the present moment where the great I AM dwells and wants us to fear for the future or have sadness and regret about the past.  The enemy does not want us to live in the present where God dwells, so he brings to the surface regrets, resentment, bitterness over the wrongs that we inevitably suffer and those who have caused us harm.  He wants us to stay stuck in the many bad memories.  On the other hand, the voice of God speaks to us in the present: “You are my beloved child; with my grace you can do good; you can receive and share the creativity of my love; you can let go of the regrets of the past and remorse that has held your heart captive.”  The Good Shepherd uplifts us, inspires us, leads us ahead, but he speaks in the present tense: right here, right now.

            Again, the two different voices raise different questions.  The one that comes from God asks “What promotes the Father’s will?  What promotes the good for myself and others?”   Instead, the tempter will ask a different question: “what do I feel like doing? “  The evil voice always revolves around the imperial Ego where I am the center, life revolves around me, and I am in control.  Everything in life becomes self-referential.  Take the easy path: just do it!  The voice of the Lord, however, never promises joy at a low price: he invites us to go beyond our “skin-encapsulated egos” in order to find the Pearl of Great Price, where our true peace lies.  If we are going to follow the Good Shepherd, we must be prepared to die to ourselves, pick up our Cross, and follow Jesus wherever he may lead us. Remember, evil never brings us peace; it simply can’t.  First, it causes freneticism bouncing off one discreet event after another and then leaves us exhausted and bitter.  This is the style of evil.

            Brothers and sisters, let us pay attention to the Voice that reach our hearts.  Let us ask ourselves, “What voice am I listening to?”  Let us ask for the grace to recognize and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd, who brings us out of the enclosures of selfishness to the verdant pasture of true freedom.  Amen.