இவ் மறையுரையை வழங்குபவர்

Rev.Fr.Vedha Bodhaga Sahaya Selvaraj(OFM Cap)
Burkina Faso, West Africa.
vedasahayam1982@gmail.com

ஞாயிறு மறையுரைகள்

மதிப்பிற்குரிய அருட்பணியாளர்களே, துறவிகளே, அருட் கன்னியரே, உங்கள் ஞாயிறு மறையுரைகளை எமது இணையத்தளத்தில் பிரசுரித்து, ஆண்டவர் இயேசுவின் நற்செய்தியை எல்லோருக்கும் அறிவிக்க விரும்பினால், info@tamilcatholicnews.com என்ற எமது மின்னஞ்சலுக்கு உங்களுடைய ஆக்கங்களை அனுப்பிவைக்கவும். உங்கள் மறையுரைகள் உலகெங்கும் இருக்கும் அனைத்து தமிழ் உள்ளங்களையும் சென்றடையும்.



இதோ! ஓநாய்களிடையே ஆடுகளை அனுப்புவதைப்போல நான் உங்களை அனுப்புகிறேன். எனவே பாம்புகளைப்போல முன்மதி உடையவர்களாகவும் புறாக்களைப்போலக் கபடு அற்றவர்களாகவும் இருங்கள்.
(மத்தேயு 10:16)

நீங்கள் போய் எல்லா மக்களினத்தாரையும் சீடராக்குங்கள்; தந்தை, மகன், தூய ஆவியார் பெயரால் திருமுழுக்குக் கொடுங்கள். நான் உங்களுக்குக் கட்டளையிட்ட யாவையும் அவர்களும் கடைப்பிடிக்கும்படி கற்பியுங்கள். இதோ! உலக முடிவுவரை எந்நாளும் நான் உங்களுடன் இருக்கிறேன்
(மத்தேயு 28:19-20)

நீ அவற்றை உன் பிள்ளைகளின் உள்ளத்தில் பதியுமாறு சொல். உன் வீட்டில் இருக்கும்போதும், உன் வழிப்பயணத்தின் போதும், நீ படுக்கும்போது, எழும்போதும் அவற்றைப் பற்றிப் பேசு.
(இணைச்சட்டம் 6:7)









Fourth Sunday of Easter (A)

THE SHEEP AND THE SHEPHERD

Acts 2: 14, 36-41
1 Peter 2: 20-25
John 10: 1-10

Dear friends in risen Christ, how are you all? Today, we celebrate the 4th Sunday of the Easter. This Sunday is called as Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus with the sheep was considered as one of the best images of Jesus in the world. Because Jesus himself addressed that “I am the good shepherd” Jn 10:11. Why does Jesus call himself as the shepherd? we find the answer because Jesus is from the descendants of Jesse. Jesse is the father of David. And David was a shepherd. Thus Jesus claims himself a good shepherd.

The Old Testament presents both interesting and enlightening the image of shepherd is often applied to God as well as to the leaders of the people of Israel. In the book of Exodus, we find several times Yahweh identifying himself as a shepherd. Likewise, prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel compare Yahweh’s care and protection of His people to that of a shepherd. Ezekiel represents God as a loving shepherd who searches diligently for the lost sheep. Psalm 23 speaks of David’s famous picture of God as the Good Shepherd: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. He makes me lie down in green pastures he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.” The prophets often use harsh words to scold the selfish and insincere shepherds (or leaders) of their day. Jer. 23:1: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture.” Ez. 34: 2: thus the Lord says “Ah you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not Shepherds feed the sheep?”

Thus we come to understand that Abraham, Moses, Jacob, David and the leaders of Israelites are called as shepherds. And God calls these shepherds to lead His flock. Today through the readings, Jesus invites you and me to become a good shepherd.

Today who are all Shepherds?
Normally shepherd means the one who takes care of the sheep. Today all those people who take care of the ‘other’ is considered as shepherds. For example the church leaders like Pope, Bishop, Priests, and lay leaders are considered as shepherds and pastors because they lead the faithful to God. In the same way if a politician leads people into right path then he too must be called as a shepherd. In schools, teachers lead their students in correct path then they also must be considered as shepherds. In the family, the parents lead their children to right way then they too must be considered as shepherds. And when the elder people lead the youngsters they too are called as shepherds. Thus all those who lead others in to a correct path are considered as good shepherds. Today you and I are called to be the shepherds of God. If we say that we are shepherds, do we have the qualities of Shepherd?

QUALITIES OF A SHEPHERD
01. The Shepherd Knows His Sheep
Jesus reveals himself as the shepherd and this Jesus knows his sheep very well. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” Jn 10:14 If you and I are called as shepherds and how many of us know our neighbours fully? Once we went for the parish ministry to one of the parishes in Sivagangai Diocese. It was surprising that particular parish priest thoroughly knew his parishners with their names, family background, their children, and their studies, and the sick people in his parish etc. Today how many parish priests knew about their people fully? How many teachers knew their students? How many politicians knew their people very well? Let us reflect and try to understand our neighbours.

02. The Shepherd leads His flock
The good shepherd always leads his flock. Prophet Isaiah tells us that “He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms carry them in His bosom and gently lead the mother sheep.” (Is. 40:11). The parents, teachers, political leaders, and all others must lead the people into the right path. Today how many of us lead our children, people into right path?

03. The Shepherd protects and gives his life for his sheep
Jesus says that “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.”Jn 10: 12-13. What we are today, are we good shepherds? Or Hired shepherd? If we say we are good shepherds then why do we have many crimes in our society? Why then women and girl children are not protected today? How many children and women are safe in our society, in our schools? God protects us every day. It is our duty to protect and safeguard our sheep.

Yes dear friends, when we look at our society we can boldly say that we are not good shepherds. Because of globalization and industrialization people become more and more selfish. In this situation, Jesus calls us to be good shepherds. Why we are not to be good shepherds? It is because during our childhood we were like sheep. When we were like sheep we failed to equip ourselves with the qualities of a sheep.

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF THE SHEEP?
01.The sheep knows the voice of the shepherd
The sheep knows the voice of the shepherd. In the Old Testament, Yahweh is considered as the shepherd and the people of Israelites as sheep. Abraham listened to the voice of God thus he remains as the Father of faith even today. People who listened to the voice of the shepherd are greatly blessed by God. In the New Testament, John 10: 4-5 we read that when he has brought out his own, entire he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers. And John 10:27 we read that my sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. Hence if you listen to God then you will see greater things in your life.

Once, God was looking at his creation from heaven. He saw a hen taking his little chicks to a dustbin. The hen then started to scratch the waste and made little noise. The chicks came near to the hen, and started to eat the food. After sometimes, it made little different noise the little ones went away. Suddenly there was an eagle flying in the sky, immediately the hen made another noise all the chicks came to its mother and took refuge under the wings of its mother. By seeing this act, God came to the hen and asked ‘Hai hen you scratch the soil, waste etc but how come your chicks eat only food and leave the waste?’ The hen replied to God saying my chicks know my voice. With my voice they understand whether its food, or danger.

Then God said if only like your chicks my people listened to my voice surely they will be greatly raised to the heights. But my people do not listen to my voice. The prophet Hosea beautifully says in 11th chapter that “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the more they went away from me”. Friends, today how many children listen to the voice of their parents? How many students listen to the voice of their teachers? etc. Let us try to listen to our elders and God.

02. The sheep follows the shepherd Today our children look for role models. For example, children imitate like teachers, Doctors, mothers and etc during their childhood. This imitation becomes part of life carrier for most of the children. During the adulthood, they seek a role model for their achievements. As the proverb goes we reap what we sow, it is also true with your children. You lead your children into right path and your children will follow you. If the children are going on the wrong path then your ways also will be wrong. In the Bible, we see that people who walked in the footsteps of God all became a channel of God’s blessings and won over in their life. For example, Moses walked on the path of God thus he worked miracles and wonders. David walked on the path of God thus he won over Goliath. In the New Testament, Zacchaeus followed the path of God thus he was called as a son of Abraham. Today do your children follow your path? let us reflect?

03. The sheep is with the shepherd
The sheep has good life until it is with the shepherd. In the same way the children, students, people have good life until they are with their parents, teachers and leaders ultimately with God etc. Likewise, if we are with Jesus we can achieve many things in our lives. A beautiful saying goes like this “our God does not want our ability or inability but He wants our Availability”. Today how much of time we spend with God rather than TV, cell phone, and Face book etc. how many parents spend their time with their family members and how many children spend their time with their parents. If you are with God you will become hero if you are not with God you are Zero. So let us reflect do we want to become hero? or Zero?.

When Jesus was on the earth He was a good shepherd, and his apostles were good Sheep. After the death of Jesus, the apostles became shepherd and the people became sheep. What are you today? Are you a sheep? or a shepherd?. Do you have the qualities of Sheep? and shepherd? May the Jesus who is the good shepherd lead and protect our families and society. Let us be good sheep and good shepherds.