by Joan Mitchell, CSJ
Kids who come to Overlook Farm, a Heifer International Learning Center, love moving the sheep from one pasture to another. One person runs or bikes ahead of the sheep, rattling food pellets in a pail to entice the sheep to follow. Everyone else lines up along the road to keep the sheep from going their own ways into other fields. Almost always some sheep, especially lambs, break away and need to be herded one by one to the new pasture.
Psalm 23 provides an image of God as a shepherd who finds grass and water for the flock, protects them from wolves, and gathers in strays. John 10, Sunday’s gospel, sees Jesus as the good shepherd who knows his sheep and lays down his life for the flock.
As Pope Francis shepherds the Church, he values walking together with people. Shepherds accompany their sheep, seeing and responding to daily needs. Accompanying implies process and patience. “One who accompanies others has to realize that each person’s situation before God and their life in grace are mysteries which no one can fully know from without” (Joy of the Gospel, #172).
Pastor is the Latin word for shepherd. A pastoral person knows his or her people, pays attention to them, leads them in life-giving ways, values keeping them together, can contend with differences and threats. A pastoral person is a relational, attentive leader who puts people before legal issues.
Pope Francis calls all the baptized to form relationships, accompany each other in living the gospel and form evangelizing communities. In the countless ways Christians live the gospels, we among the people of God gather, teach, and lead groups in our time.
- How do you shepherd others in your life?
- What do you expect of pastors?