“During the depression, a room was filled with applicants for a job opening as a telegraph operator. The drone of conversation competed with a steady flow of dots and dashes. The door opened and yet another applicant entered the room. He stood there for a minute, walked over to a door marked ‘Private,’ and knocked. A man
opened it and said to the others, ‘You may all go; we have our applicant.’ The others were furious and demanded
an explanation. The man said, ‘Listen!’ They did. The dots and dashes kept repeating over and over again,
‘If you hear this, come in; the job is yours.’”
Because of today’s Gospel this 4th Sunday of Easter is celebrated as Good Shepherd Sunday. The Good Shepherd still calls us, but like most of those telegraphers waiting to apply for the job, we usually are
not listening. Our world, our worries, our weariness all conspire to drown out the voice of God.
All of us need to learn to listen more carefully: it’s good manners, and it’s good prayer.
So often we are the opposite of the young Samuel, who was taught by Eli, the high priest and judge of Israel,
to say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:1-18) We, in effect, often pray: “Listen, Lord,
your servant is speaking!”
If we listen, we can hear the call of the Good Shepherd:
In quiet reflection; in sincere prayer; in Sacred Scripture; in the guidance of the Church; in the worthy reception
of the Sacraments; in the peace and beauty of Nature, art, music; in the voice of those we admire and respect;
in the silence of our heart and our conscience.
And, if we listen, what will we hear Our Lord say?
- I created you, and I still hold you in existence.
- I have a plan for your eternal life and happiness.
- I know you better than you know yourself.
- I love you with a love beyond all imagining.
- I am with you always.
But everything we may hear from Our Lord is not always consoling and inspiring; sometimes it must be challenging:
- I will give you my grace, my Divine help, to break that sinful habit.
- I will help you to pray more, and be with you whenever you take the time to talk to Me.
- My grace is enough to help you change, as you know you should.
Hearing Our Lord say these things consoles, inspires, and challenges us to follow the Good Shepherd in
our thoughts, words, and deeds.
Sheep are not perfect: they are stupid, and they stray. Still, the Good Shepherd always seeks us and
draws us back, if only we will accept His infinite, perfect, eternal love.
Good Shepherd Sunday is also World Day of Prayer for Vocations – specifically, religious and priestly vocations. More than ever, we need to encourage young people today (in this loud and distracting world)
to hear the call of the Good Shepherd to follow Him as a priest, deacon, or religious.
May we learn to listen and hear the call of the Good Shepherd in our lives. Also, may we pray that many young people today be like that clever telegrapher with the keen hearing. May they hear that God has a job for
them.
Fr. Don Saunders, SJ
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