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4th Sunday of Easter John 10:11-18 |
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| Background: This selection from the shepherd imagery in John’s gospel follows on Jesus’ condemnation of the bad shepherding of many religious leaders and his reference to himself as the sheepgate, offering safety to any who enter through him. John writes, familiar with the image about irresponsible shepherds in Ezekiel, an image his audience would know. Jesus, however, is the Good Shepherd, just as God became the saving shepherd in Ezekiel’s time. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus promises to be faithful to his sheep, willing to lay down his life for those he knows and who know him. As usual his audience is divided in its reaction to him. COMMENT:Today is Mother’s Day in the United States. In many churches, a mother from the congregation is asked to reflect on her experience of motherhood. Unfortunately, this practice often leads to increased anguish for the childless women in the congregation -- those who are unmarried –and would like to be married—and those who are having difficulty becoming mothers. I suggest that instead of reflecting on the experience of motherhood, the celebrant, or the woman reflector, speak of the experience, shared by all in the congregation, of being mothered. |
read the padre |
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Story: Once upon a time there was a Mom, who tried her best to be a good Mom and to be fair with all her children. Her children, like all children, didn’t really appreciate this and were always telling her she did more for one or the other of them than she did for all of them. "You love her (him) more than you do me", was an oft heard refrain from one or the other. Though the Mom felt bad about her children’s reaction, she just continued to do the best she could to keep them all satisfied. She encouraged their individual talents, seeing them as God-given gifts that needed her encouragement. When they reached adulthood and were out on their own, each one doing his or her own thing, she often wondered if she could have done something else to discourage sibling rivalry. Imagine her surprise one Mother’s Day, when she was well up in years, when each child told a story about a time when she made them feel so loved that they were able to take the necessary steps to succeed in some project. They said that these memories have been a powerful force in their everyday lives and in how they try to parent their children. They ended their storytelling by singing "A Mother’s Love is a Blessing!" |
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