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Studying at a College called "Good Shepherd"
The sermon of Fr Brian Cummings SM (the Provincial of the New Zealand Province of the Society of Mary) at the "Patronal Feast Day" Mass at the College on 1 May 2009.
One of the earliest representations of Jesus in Christian art was that of the good shepherd.
And it's not unreasonable to imagine that of all countries, it's a representation that should speak to New Zealanders. Our sheep numbers may be down from 65 million to only 37 million, but it still suggests we know a thing or two about sheep and shepherds.
The reality, of course, is that most of us don't.
In the traditional terminology, most of us are townies. We have little first hand experience of sheep and even less of shepherds. The whole concept is remote from us – far more remote than it was to the people of Jesus' time.
And I'd suggest that in order to understand the significance of the image of the Good Shepherd, we need to revisit it.
We need to reflect on what it is a shepherd does.
To state the obvious, a shepherd looks after sheep. But actually, it's not as obvious as just that, for not all shepherds are equal.
The good shepherd, as Jesus points out, has certain qualities: he has faithfulness; perseverance, commitment to those in his care – even to the point of death.
Most fundamentally, there is a bond between the shepherd and his sheep – he knows them and they know him. In Scripture, to know is to love. The shepherd loves his sheep and they love him. The expression used in today's Gospel – “I know my own and my own know me” – is almost that of the Covenant: “I will be your God and you will be my people”. In other words, mutual love unites God and His people, not fear. The model of this union is the relationship of Jesus as Son with the Father. The depth of this bond enables Jesus to surrender his life for the people he loves.
The hired hand – while he might be called a shepherd – isn't really one because his motivation is driven by other factors. He is with the sheep out of self-interest, not out of love. It's a job to him – the salary might be money, security, a certain amount of prestige: but it is not love and his primary concern is his own welfare and safety. And so when danger threatens, he abandons his task and looks after his own interests.
So where does that leave us today? I'd suggest there are two key questions we could reflect on during this Mass.
The first is: ‘what is the significance of studying at a theological institute called “ Good Shepherd College ”?”
The title of this college is of fundamental importance in grasping why it exists. It highlights the difference between “gaining knowledge” and “understanding what we know”. If you like, in Ignatian terms, it is the difference between learning only with our head – our intellect – rather than also with our hearts.
To study at this college, in the true sense of the word, is not only to gain knowledge – it is to enter into a personal relationship with the one who is the Good Shepherd. And that personal relationship requires of us a whole-hearted commitment to the “now” - to the present daily demands of lectures, assignments and exams rather than an attitude that the relationship, the purpose of what we study, will begin when we finally graduate.
That leads to the second question: “how do we in turn become Good Shepherds?” How do we take what we have learned here and proclaim the Good Shepherd to the world we live and work in?
The answer – as always – is in the person of Jesus. We, too, have to have a relationship with others based on love rather than authority or fear; we need to show perseverance, compassion and encouragement. We need to be willing to stand alongside them in the face of society's indifference or hostility rather than in judgement of them.
We may or may not know much about sheep and shepherds in New Zealand . What we can and must know is the voice of the Good Shepherd who calls each one of us by name – and who through us, if we are faithful, will call others by name also.
