Church of the
Annunciation

An attentive reader or listener cannot miss the connection between our Gospel passage today (John 10:11-18) and the conversation Jesus has with Peter in the concluding chapter of the Gospel (John 21:15-19). In chapter 10, Jesus speaks of being a Good Shepherd who will lay down his life for the sheep. In the final chapter, Jesus asks Peter to express his love for him (publicly before the other disciples) and then Jesus invites Peter to tend/ feed the lambs/sheep at the cost of his own life. At the very end of the Gospel, Jesus the Risen Lord entrusts the office of “shepherding” to Simon Peter. Peter, who had denied knowing Jesus, becomes a good shepherd. Customarily, on the 4^th Sunday of Easter, when this Gospel is proclaimed, we pray for vocations to priesthood and religious life. Indeed, it is a good thing to do and should be on our priority list of intentions. But today I would like to focus our attention on another group that has been entrusted with office of shepherding – parents!

At baptism we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling us to enter into friendship with him and then to share this intimate life with others. In the Sacrament of Marriage, the love that husbands and wives publicly promise each other, models and mirrors God’s love and fidelity in Christ. In family life, the gift of faith is shared with children. This is awesome and yet so challenging – especially when parents are unsure of their own belief and are searching for words to explain their faith with a daughter or son. The task of living and sharing our Catholic faith is given not only to parents but to all of us. It is our responsibility.  

Something beautiful happens when we risk sharing our faith with children; our own adult faith matures and deepens. The teacher (whether at home, in our school or in religious education programs) inevitably becomes a student. In the words of the great Catholic theologian St. Thomas Aquinas: “We can testify to something only in the measure that we have shared in it.”

Now I address my words to parents with children in our Religious education programs. We need your help to make our faith formation at Annunciation the best it can be. Sr. Lori and I have set up a Religious Education Advisory Council (including parents with children in our programs) to identify our strengths and also our needs. Sr. Lori has scheduled times to briefly meet with parents to get their input and request their participation. The pool of potential catechists, hall monitors and greeters, and office help comes from the adults who have a vested interest – parents! I urge you to attend.

Shepherding is a combination of feeding/nourishing/refreshing, of guiding/leading, of protecting, of sharing, of laying down one’s life. When parents assume this role wholeheartedly they draw closer to the Good Shepherd and teacher, Jesus Christ.