Homily Notes 4th Easter Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd, the image of compassion, duty, service, and love is used to promote vocations to the priesthood.

30 years ago on 5^th July I was in St Dunstan’s church in Birmingham ordained a priest by Archbishop Maurice. The priest from the very start is to realise that he does not rely upon his own powers, gifts, talents, or personality to succeed. His reliance is upon Christ. It takes time passing rapidly and many moments of reflection and prayer, to come to understand this.

When we look at the church and see a decline that takes place it is a temptation to wonder what have we done wrong? Are we still listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd who calls us to his care? Who leaves the 99 while looking for the one who is lost.

When we feel we know best and stride out on our own path, the Good Shepherd remains seeking us, calling us, waiting for our return. As a priest, I rely upon Christ and when I celebrate the Mass, I feel Christ’s heartbeat within.

The diocese started discussions of a plan for renewal, a few years ago now to address the decline being experienced, where it is identified that there are fewer priests, fewer people committing to their faith, parishes being composed of an aging congregation and a Synod is underway to look at the church and how we communicate with the modern world and with each other. The question is how relevant is the church?

For many the church does not meet their expectations, Jesus is not a personal encounter for so many. There is a clamour for change and call for the values of Christ to be better explained and understood. We have to be careful when looking for wholesale change, that we are not ignoring the Good Shepherd and creating a church in our own image, serving our needs or politics or interests and not the values contained in the sacrifice, duty, love and compassion of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

We all need to engage with each other, honest dialogue and prayerful loving support is part of the process of being the church

The Good Shepherd helps us to see the nature of our faith. We look towards Christ, listening for his voice in the multitude of others.

He calls today, he looks for the lost, the wounded, the straying. when the church is most effective is when it proclaims the mercy and love of God.

We are with all the changes and decline and renewal, not to forget the Good Shepherds call to reach out to those in need, to love our neighbour, to seek the lost and offer solace and refuge to the weak, the wounded, and the ordinary person too, who is looking to be sheltered, looking to find a place to be loved.