Shepherd One

Seeing Jesus as the one and only Shepherd

07/07/2020

Matthew 9:32-38 A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.” Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Mark Twain once said: “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” People sometimes compliment me by saying they think I should be a bishop. They usually say that after they’ve had a couple of drinks. And after I have had a couple of drinks, I usually agree with them! But in my more sober and sane moments, I agree more often with Hebrews 5:4, which warns ambitious clergy: “No one takes this honor [of high priesthood] upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.” In other words, cool your jets, Fr. John.

But I have discovered another reason not to be a bishop, a more calculating one. I have learned that it’s one thing to be a shepherd to the sheep, but it’s an entirely different matter to be a shepherd to the shepherds. Why? Well, because the shepherds think they know it all, and don’t need to be taught anything new. It’s a lot easier to be a doctor to a patient than to be a doctor to other doctors.

But as the years pass by in the priesthood, a priest discovers there is only one Shepherd, namely, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and the rest of us are his sheep, including the shepherds. When a priest is sent to a parish, he must take care of the sheep, but the sheep must also take care of him. We learn slowly but surely that the priest does not have all the answers, but surprisingly, the sheep often have better suggestions than the shepherd. That is, Jesus’ voice echoes not only from the pulpit, but also from the pews.

What we are really learning is that it is Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who guides, nourishes, heals, teaches and leads his people, both his sheep as well as his shepherds. We begin to penetrate the depths of St. Paul’s statement in Ephesians 4:6, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” There is one Lord, and there is one Shepherd, and it ain’t me.

In the gospel today, Jesus urges his disciples to pray for vocations. He says at the end of chapter 9, before he begins his Missionary Discourse in chapter 10, these famous words: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Clearly, laborers and harvest is another metaphor like shepherds and sheep. Therefore, we should remember that the laborers are every bit as much of the harvest as are the golden stalks of wheat. In other words, just like there is only one true Shepherd and all the rest of us are sheep of his flock, so too, there is only one true Laborer, Jesus, and all of us are his harvest, priests, as well as people, and even bishops. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

As you know by now, last week Bishop Taylor announced the clergy changes that will take effect on September 1st. Two weeks before that, on August 15th, we will have two men ordained to the priesthood: Daniel Velasco and Joseph Friend. The week prior to August 15, we will have five men ordained as deacons, including Ben Riley and Omar Galvan from our parish. God is answering our prayer to send more laborers into the harvest field.

Today, I want to thank Fr. Martin Amaro for his priestly ministry here at I.C., because he will be moving to Russellville, Dardanelle and Danville to work with Fr. Mauricio Carrasco. I’m very proud of Fr. Martin and how he has embraced priestly life in Arkansas after having been out of the country for 9 years. He’s almost speaking English with a southern accent now. Someday, you should ask him to tell you his hilarious stories of meeting Pope Francis, and asking his blessing before leaving the Eternal City. Fr. Martin will learn a lot from Fr. Mauricio, and Fr. Mauricio will learn a lot from Fr. Martin. And it is Jesus who teaches them both.

Our new associate, who will also be newly ordained (a baby priest!) will be Fr. Daniel Velasco. I spent an hour with him on the phone, and really liked him. As I answered his questions, he would pause before asking the next question. I asked: “Are you taking notes?” He said, “Yes.” I said: “That’s awesome, no one takes notes when I talk; they usually just sleep!” I really like this guy. Future Fr. Daniel came from Mexico, studied at Harding University on a tennis scholarship, and earned an MBA degree. He worked for a while before entering seminary. Please warmly welcome him when he arrives, as you do all our priests.

I have learned a lot from Fr. Martin and I am sure I will learn as much from Fr. Daniel. Here’s the only thing I have to teach them. Even though they are ordained to be shepherds, they are still the sheep. Even though they are called to be laborers for the harvest, they are still the stalks of wheat. In the end, there is only “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!