Christ
has no body but yours,
no
hands, no feet on earth but yours,
yours
are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Yours
are the feet with which he walks to do good:
Yours
are the hands, with which he blesses all the
world.
Yours
are the hands, yours are the feet,
yours
are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ
has no body now but yours,
No
hands, no feet on earth but yours,
yours
are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ
has no body now on earth but yours.
Sr.
Teresa of Avila
We are aJl members
of the Body of Christ.
Are you being caJled by
our Lord to service in
his Church?
Bishop President of the National Vocations Commission.
PASTORAL LETTER FOR GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY FOURTH SUNDAY OF
EASTER, 11th May 2014
My
Dear People
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, named after the fact that
traditionally today we have proclaimed to us the Gospel of the Good Shepherd.
The Shepherd theme is a rich one throughout the Sacred Scriptures and none more
so than when Jesus himself is spoken of as the Pastor. The adjective used in
the Bible is 'kalon in Greek, which
can mean good, faithful or beautiful. Personally I love the description of
Jesus as the beautiful shepherd because beauty denotes attractiveness and
perhaps that best sums up Jesus success in gathering together the 12.
All
the Gospel texts tell us that the fisherdisciples left their nets (some even
say immediately) and follow him. Their call was a response to the Jesus whose
personality had attracted them and they in turn were faithful in responding to
him. True, often they would fail Jesus and not understand what he was trying to
teach them. But their encounters with the Lord deepened their friendship with
him and from being called in the fullness of time they were also sent. Having known
him, having witnessed his deeds and his love-in-action he gradually formed them
into Apostles, sent out to proclaim the Good Shepherd's truth and love to the
world.
Today
is also World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Pope Francis has this to say to us:
A
vocation is a fruit that ripens in a well-cultivated field of mutual love that
becomes mutual service, in the context of an authentic ecclesial life. No
vocation is born of itself or lives for itself. A vocation flows from the heart
of God and blossoms in the good soil of faithful people, in the experience of
fraternal love. Did not Jesus say:
''By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you
have love for one another" (In 13:35)?
In other words the Call of Jesus
requires a response. Also, the call is not for me alone, but so that I may be
sent by the Lord. The call to be a priest, for example, is not for the
individual who is called but so that this man, chosen by Christ can be sent to
his brothers and sisters in the Church to love and serve them: to 'wash their
feet', as the Lord has taught us.
Christ, the Good Shepherd, never
ceases to call. But the filters and barriers and attractions and life-styles
that young hearts sometimes experience can drown out the call of Jesus. So
listening is necessary and listening, not just with the ears, but also with the
heart. Listening with our heart is what we call prayer. And it is prayer that
brings us to encounter Jesus again and again; it is prayer that enables us to
show our fidelity and love for the Lord.
The call to priesthood and religious life is one call among
many. But it is never a call to selfishness and self-indulgence. If service and
self-offering love are not at the heart of it, then it will not be a genuine
vocation. To answer a genuine vocation also needs courage and generosity and
perseverance.
Do you have the capacity to love and
serve others? Do you have the courage to try to follow Jesus in this dedicated
way? Could Jesus the Good Shepherd possibly be calling you to follow him? You
won't know the possibility is there until you consider it.
Yours
devotedly in Christ
+ Stephen Robson
+
Bishop Stephen Robson
Bishop
President of the National Vocations Commission.
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