Readings: Acts 13:14, 43-52; Revelation 7:9, 14b-17; John 10:27-30
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today, the Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocation Sunday, and this year, we do so in a particularly profound and historic moment: we are living through the days following the election of our new Holy Father, the successor of Saint Peter. In this sacred context, the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd shines even more brightly for us, calling us to reflect both on God’s tender love and on the shepherding role of those He calls to lead His Church.
In the Gospel today, Jesus tells us: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” He speaks not as a distant king, but as a shepherd who walks among his flock. This is the kind of leadership we are reminded of today—not the leadership of power and control, but of service and sacrifice. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lays down His life for His sheep. He knows us, not merely as a group, but individually—by name, by heart, by every sorrow and every hope we carry.
As we welcome a new pope, we are reminded that he, too, is called to imitate Christ the Good Shepherd. The pope is not merely a ruler; he is first and foremost a servant—one who is entrusted with the care of souls, the unity of the Church, and the mission of proclaiming the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Let us pray fervently that our new Holy Father will lead with the heart of Christ—full of mercy, courage, wisdom, and humility.
The early Christians loved the image of the Good Shepherd. You’ve seen it: Jesus carrying a lost sheep tenderly over his shoulders or sitting under a tree with a lamb in His lap. These are not just sentimental pictures. They speak to a profound truth: the Lord knows our weakness and still chooses to carry us. He doesn’t scold or reject the lost—He seeks them out, lifts them up, and brings them home.
In our own lives, we all have moments when we feel lost or burdened times of uncertainty, suffering, or transition. But today’s Gospel reminds us: we are never alone. Jesus is the Shepherd who walks ahead of us, preparing a path, calling our name, protecting us from harm. He is also the one who carries us when we cannot walk on our own.
Perhaps you’ve read the poem Footprints, where someone looks back on their life and sees only one set of footprints during the hardest times. They ask, “Lord, where were you when I needed you most?” And the Lord replies, “It was then that I carried you.” That is the kind of shepherd Jesus is.
Psalm 23 captures this so beautifully: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” It is a psalm not of fear, but of trust—trust that God provides, protects, and leads us even through the valley of the shadow of death.
On this Vocation Sunday, let us also turn our hearts to the broader call to shepherding in the Church. Every vocation—whether to priesthood, religious life, marriage, or single life—is a way of reflecting the Good Shepherd’s love. Today, let us pray especially for those discerning a call to priesthood and religious life, that they may respond with generous hearts and courageous faith. We need shepherds in every parish, every diocese—those who will walk with the people of God, serve them, teach them, and lay down their lives with joy.
As we journey together under the leadership of our new pope, and as we each seek to follow Christ in our personal vocations, may we always remember we are the sheep of His flock, precious in His eyes, never forgotten, always loved.
May the Good Shepherd bless us, guide His Church, and continue to call many more to follow Him with hearts full of love.
Amen.