“Jesus Did This for Us!
4th Sunday of Easter
During her visit to the United Nations several years ago, Blessed Mother Theresa was approached by a diplomat who said, “I am not a Catholic, Mother. But I want to know how I should pray.” The frail little nun took his burly hands in hers and spread out five of his fingers on one hand. “When you pray,” she said, “Think about the many blessings you have received; then, at the end of the day, count out on each finger the words spoken to you by Jesus: You did this for me. The diplomat left holding up his hand as though it were a trophy and said: You did this for me.
This simple prayer, Saint Theresa of Calcutta made real for the diplomat that the Resurrection can and does live within each of us. The love and peace of the Good Shepherd is present to us in the many moments of compassion that bless our lives. In kind words, in the listening ear, in the generous actions of others for us, there is Jesus, “doing this to me.” Jesus is also present in the blessings we extend to others. The Good Shepherd of today’s gospel, God’s Word of love made flesh, guides us every day in our journey to the eternal life of the Father.
Left to ourselves, we are inclined to destroy the purpose for our existence and eliminate any meaning to our lives. But if we are committed to Christ, everything in our lives makes sense, it has meaning, it has purpose. Our commitment to Christ protects us from being destroyed by those who mock us and attack us. Our commitment to Christ protects us from destroying ourselves. This is the deep and loving mercy of the Good Shepherd.
St. Paul told the Christians under persecution in Rome, “Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As I reflect on my years of ministry, I must admit to myself that it has never seemed like work; sure, I went home in the afternoons tired from standing at bedsides when I was a Chaplain in the VA or get called back to the hospital in the middle of the night or have all the meetings, we have but it never seems like work.
As I have ministered to the souls that have been entrusted to my care, I have reflected on how the Lord has blessed me through you, the Lay Faithful. I could hold up my hand at the end of the day and on one finger say: “For the ability to see the fragility of life, “you did this for me.” Or I can hold up another and say, “For allowing me to help this woman see the meaning and purpose of her life, “you did this for me.” Or as I sat with a dying veteran and no family was present, I could say: “For the ability to see the connection between our suffering and the sufferings of Christ; His Resurrection and our gift of new Life. “You did this for me.” Or as I escorted a suicidal veteran to the ER I said: “For showing me the gift of life and its sacredness, “you did this for me.” Or as I met with a family here in the parish to plan a funeral Mass, I could say: “For the gift of knowledge to be able to show this family the importance of sacred ritual prayer, “you did this for me.” The blessings have been abundant but only because I have searched for the Good Shepherd in my life daily; and if I couldn’t see Him its only because my eyes were not open to the Sacred around me.
My sisters and brothers, we are called upon today to recognize the presence of the Good Shepherd in our lives. Like the disciples Paul and Barnabas at the conclusion of today’s first reading, the only real need we have in our lives is to learn how to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. For the Mercy of God directs our lives to happiness. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, did this for us.