Life has changed in our parish since the pandemic hit more than a year ago. Many parishioners I have not seen in all that time. I hope this Easter season finds them well. Even for those who physically attend Mass, life still isn’t the same. We aren’t allowed to socialize over a cup of coffee. Has the pandemic altered your relationship with Jesus Christ? On this Sunday, traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday, are you just as committed to Jesus, the good shepherd, as you were before the pandemic began?
As a sign of absolute selflessness, the image of the Good Shepherd is quite clear. Jesus speaks of laying down his life for us, which he did on Good Friday. Unlike any hired hand who would flee when the going gets tough, Jesus, the good shepherd, does whatever needs to be done, gives whatever needs to be given, suffers whatever he needs to suffer for the sake of his flock. Love is the heart of this gospel.
Whenever I witness a wedding, instead of responding, “I do” to the questions I ask, I insist that the bride and groom exchange their vows by saying the words to one another, “I take you to be my spouse, I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.”
Ideally every spouse in this gathering has those words committed to memory as the very foundation of their marriage. If they do, then they can relate to the point Jesus is making in this gospel passage as our Good Shepherd. Out of love, they would lay down their lives for each other.
Of the many couples I have known in my years as a priest, one comes to mind living out the vows they took years ago. I have no idea how long Joe and Alice had been married when I arrived at their parish as a newly ordained priest in 1986. Alice, ill with dementia, was living in a nursing home. From the loving, faithful devoted wife and mother of his children that Joe had known for many years, Alice had become a dazed, withdrawn invalid who never seemed to know anyone around her. Whenever I came to celebrate Mass at the nursing home, I could see the pained look in Joe’s eyes, grieving for a past that could not be recaptured.
Joe never abandoned Alice. He was with her until the day she died, feeding her, dressing her, visiting her daily with their pet poodle. He did so knowing that things would never get better for her. He did so even when she no longer recognized him as her husband.
For me, their marriage is a story of faithfulness, of refusing to give up on one another, no matter what. Alice was stripped of everything we call human and still her husband, Joe, did not leave her. Instead, he loved her all the more. He reminds me that God is love and love never gets tired.
Our society is not very comfortable with such faithfulness or commitment. How many relationships are we truly committed to, no matter what happens? How many spouses can claim such love for each other when the love they hoped for in return is not evident? That is the point I hear Jesus making in this gospel passage.
Jesus is committed to us, no matter what our response may be, no matter how often we fail to live up to our end of the deal. Unlike the hired hand, Jesus would never abandon us even if we choose to reject what he is calling us to do as his disciples. He loves and values us personally. “Beloved,” John tells us. “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.” As his children, we are expected to imitate God by loving others.
What would we do if our love is put to such a test? That is a question every engaged couple should ponder in their courtship. The faithfulness to stand by the other, no matter what, is a scary proposition. Sometimes when we cannot return the love that is being given to us, we say, “Get out of here, I don’t want you in my life.” We do this with one another and we do this with God.
As Peter points out, Jesus was rejected by the people of his time. The notion of unconditional love made the elders uneasy for they believed they had to earn God’s favor by keeping the letter of the law. Yet Jesus sought out those who were labeled sinners. He offers God’s unconditional personal love everyone.
Jesus doesn’t enter into relationships with the mindset of “What’s in it for me?” Often we do with that question in mind. We bring our list of wants and if they aren’t met, we move on. They need to be nice, witty, and pretty, think like me and not affront me. They should make us feel good. After all, isn’t that the plot of every romantic movie? While the Hollywood image of love may be what leads a couple to the altar, that isn’t the kind of love that will last for years.
When someone lets us down by doing or saying something that prompts us to want to end that relationship, are we too proud to forgive? Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have someone to forgive. To better experience his love for us, we should turn to Jesus for the grace to forgive when the need arises. A cousin recently shared this insight that I find timely: “We all have a past. We all made choices that maybe weren’t the best ones. None of us are completely innocent, but we all get a fresh start every day to be a better person than we were yesterday.”