Reflection for the Vigil of the Fourth Sunday of Easter 2008
Ezekiel 34: 20-31
John 10: 10-21
Chris Kean, OSB

We all have days, times in our lives that we might wish never had happened. We all have a certain amount of pain and suffering. Surely each of us has had one sorrow or another that we have had to endure. Even to the best of us, the most positive, philosophical persons there probably has been at least one time when we asked that the cup might pass from us or that the trial might soon be over. No matter how much we learn from a situation there are those times when, once they are passed, we breathe a sigh of relief and probably pray that we never be put to that test again.

Imagine for one moment one of those times in your life. Try to place yourself in the situation again maybe as it was just beginning or perhaps when it was at its most intense. Are you there? Now imagine yourself in an encounter with someone whom you trust. Someone who says, “Oh, don’t worry. I will help you. I know you. You are a very good person. You have never hurt anyone else and I know the situation you are in and I am going to help you to get out of it.” Maybe they even say, “I am going to introduce you to so and so. This person will be able to help in this way because this is what they do. Just in case though I’ll keep my eye on what is happening and I promise that in a short period of time this situation will all be over and you’ll never have to go through this again. I believe in you and in what you stand for.”

So, now how do you feel? Do you feel a burden lifted or lightened? Do you feel like you can take a deep breath again and not be frightened that it will hurt or feel bad? Or are you still skeptical?

You get to answer those questions for yourself, but may I suggest that our two readings this evening from Ezekiel and from John hold exactly that message for us. We are the chosen people we are the flock who are meant to be with Jesus. We are meant to be secure in the knowledge that no one and no thing is ever going to hurt us again as long as we believe that Jesus is the way to the Father. When John calls Jesus the “gate” he means that exactly. As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus and are willing to follow things are going to be fine. Both of these readings promise that to us. We are going to be fine as long as we follow the voice of the one who calls us.

As I was preparing this reflection I had an interesting image. I was thinking about symbols surrounding sheep. The image of the dog with the flock popped into my mind and I thought that yes the purpose of the dog is to keep the flock together, to keep them rounded up. Then I thought about the shepherd’s staff. It has a crook at the end of it. The purpose of course is to nab an errant animal around the neck and bring them back to the fold. Both of these images presented me with the notion that no one sheep is in charge or out in front of the flock. They move together as one either following or being lead by the shepherd.

It seems to me that as community we have a very simple, but obvious task. We are to follow the voice of the master calling us each day. Simple, reassuring, positive, can’t miss, we get to heaven. “And may he bring us all to everlasting life.” Sometimes however I think that we mess it up. We forget that it is an invitation. We decide to take over, to do the leading; to run ahead of the rest and do what we deem is best. We lose sight of the gate, the purpose of our life together and begin to rely on ourselves. Perhaps it is then that the crook of mutual obedience and listening to one another gently pulls our attention back to the one from whom we are sent and to whom we will return with each other as we are lead to that final pastureland.

© 2008 Benedictine Sisters
Mount St. Scholastica
Atchison, Kansas