A Reflection on John 10:27-30

4th Sunday of Easter

      This Sunday is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” It is also observed as a day of prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, since priests and religious are images of Christ in his role as the Good Shepherd.

     This Sunday’s Gospel marks the typical features of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. He not only teaches his flock but also sacrifices himself for his flock by giving them “eternal life” so “they shall never perish.” The Good Shepherd sacrifices his life for his flock through his Passion and Resurrection; especially, through the sacrament of the Eucharist, which is the supreme Table prepared for his flock. He is truly present in the Eucharist and remains with his flock “always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

     Reflecting on the sacrament of the Eucharist, we should pray more for priests and for those who are discerning for the priesthood and religious life. We should know that if we do not have priests, we do not have Masses, and we do not have the Eucharist. According to the statement of Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, “All the churches on the face of the earth could be destroyed, but wherever there is still one priest, we can still have Mass, we can still have the Holy Eucharist” (The Road of Hope: A Gospel from Prison, #388). 

     Vinh Nguyen