Jesus compares Himself to a Good Shepherd and those who follow him he calls, His flock.

This was the favorite image of Christ for the early Christians. The earliest Christian sculpture in Rome, dating from the first century, portrays Christ as a Shepherd carrying a sheep on His shoulders. It depicts His loving care for each member of His flock individually, the kind of care that will go to any lengths to unite a stray member with Him and the rest of the flock.

But what does this image of the Good Shepherd mean to you? How does it apply to your life?

This image represents the intimate relationship Christ wants to have with all His people. Jesus says that his sheep (his followers) “hear his voice” and “follow” him (John 10:3).

The question is: how do we hear His voice and follow Him?

We “hear his voice” when we meditate on the word of God in scripture. That is the voice of the Good Shepherd, the voice of His holy word which we can listen to and meditate upon when we read the scriptures.

We “follow” Him when we put his word into practice, when our behavior is inspired and guided by His example.

St. Francis of Assisi was a most Christ-like man. He was not always like that. In his early life, he was a playboy, a lover of extravagance and loose living. Then one day he heard the call of the Good Shepherd who drew him back into the flock he abandoned in his youth, and he followed Him. Francis was never happier than when he abandoned his old ways. He embraced a life of simplicity so that he would no longer be a prisoner to wealth and riches and the fleeting attractions of the world. He discovered the pure joy of living, unencumbered by worldly possessions. He found the joy of following the Good Shepherd.

What is true of the call of St. Francis is also true of everyone who wishes to follow Christ, the Good Shepherd. You don’t have to give up your profession, or your car, on your house, or your savings account. But, you have to be detached from all these material things if you want to follow the Good Shepherd. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but looses his soul?” says Christ, the Good Shepherd (Mark 8:36).

What is the most important thing in your life? Your possessions? Your job? Or, your soul? To the degree that you listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd in scripture, and put his words into practice, you are nourishing the needs of the soul. To the degree that you do not listen to the Good Shepherd, and put more emphasis on material possessions than spiritual riches, you are worshiping at the God of Mammon; that is, money or possessions.

Now is a good time, when this Coronavirus pandemic is turning the economy on its head, to examine your calling to listen to and follow the teachings and example of the Good Shepherd.

But will people ever learn and pay attention to the voice of the Good Shepherd in these challenging times? When the “great recession” of 2008 swept through the world, toppling people’s financial investments, I was naive enough to think it would make people wary, finally, of putting their trust in money and possessions. I was wrong. Greed came roaring back worse than ever. But now, we have a another chance. The Good Shepherd is again calling us to our senses. There’s more to life than money and there’s nothing like helping someone in need.

The voice of the Good Shepherd has always been counter-cultural. It is a voice that will always be listened to by the faithful members of His flock who know He will always be there for them and will never abandon them.

—Fr. Hugh Duffy