April 26, 2015
Dear Parishioners,
Today I would like to share a story with you.
It is a story about a pop quiz that I gave to my high school seniors just before graduation. Most of the students did well on the quiz until they came to the last question: What is the name of the woman you see every morning who cleans our section of the school? The students thought that the question was a joke. When they got their quizzes back, every one of them was marked off for not answering the question. They protested! And so did their parents!!! I told them Her name is Martha. In your careers you will meet many people. All of them are significant. Every one of them deserves your attention and care, even if all you can do is smile and say hello. These students never forgot the lesson, or Martha’s name.
To be a disciple of Jesus demands that we respond to every person the same way the Good Shepherd does. Each person possesses the sacred dignity of being a child of God. Just as every baby born is the most important baby ever born, every person is a unique reflection of God and deserving of the love and care of God’s presence through us. This is the reason why the charity of the Christian must reach beyond his or her family and friends, beyond the parish family, and even beyond the family of their country. We must be concerned about all those who hurt, starve, suffer or are dying throughout the world. Our charity cannot be limited by anything − including the parameters of our faith community. Mother Theresa, for example, reached out to the poor of Calcutta and throughout the world. Most of these people were Hindi, not Christian. All people are made in the image and likeness of God.
Jesus said, “I have other sheep who are not of this fold, these also I must lead, and they too will hear my voice.” Who do you suppose Jesus was referring to? Was he speaking about others outside of his disciples’ immediate group? Was he speaking about non-Jews, the gentiles, who would become fervent Christians? Was he speaking about all good people, searching for Truth? Or, was Jesus simply speaking about all people in the world, all who are made in the image and likeness of God? We have to know that it is the last group. All people belong to God, even those who continually stray or get lost. There is still time for them to return to God, but they need us to point to where happiness can be found, to point to God and to support their efforts to reach them. They need us to let them know by our actions that they are part of the Lord’s flock.
It is easy to say that we need to reach out to others, but it often difficult to do. Perhaps we are totally oblivious to a neighbor who is really struggling. Or parents might be so caught up in the hectic schedule that your kids have, bringing this one to baseball, that one to gymnastics, dance, school meetings, etc., that you might not notice that one of your children has needs far greater than all the activities you are providing for him or her. Sometimes children and teens need our support the most when we are the busiest. This also applies to our young people in school. We have busy schedules, things we need to do. Usually, it is when we are running from one place to the next, that someone desperately needs our time. Following the Good Shepherd requires our never being too busy to be aware of, and to respond to, those around us who need our help.
There is a voice calling us into action. Sometimes, the noise of our lives is so loud, that we don’t hear this voice. But the voice is still there. We need to hear it. It is the voice of the Good Shepherd. It is the voice of Jesus speaking to us in the quiet of our hearts, in the love of our family and friends, in the cries of all who are calling out to us. The voice of the Good Shepherd calls out to us calmly and lovingly. He tells us to take the leap of faith. He tells us to trust in him because he is taking care of us, helping us to become the people that he created us to be. The Good Shepherd is the Risen Lord. He is with us always. He will never leave us alone. Today we ask our Lord to allow us to slow down and hear his voice. Have a great day!
Fr. Leonard+