LATEST HOMILY
4th SUNDAY of EASTER
April 26, 2026


Focus: Christ is the One shepherd who leads His Flock to green pastures.

Function: Be the sheep that follows the good shepherd.

A. What Sheep are you? 

  • Good shepherd Sunday which we celebrate today is no,
  • Unfamiliar Sunday to us. Every fourth Sunday of Easter,
  • We hear the words of Christ who proclaims Himself to be,
  • The eternal shepherd of His flock. The sheep know his voice,
  • And they follow Him. He also says that He is the sheep gate,
  • All his sheep pass through Him, in other words no one finds 
  • True, life unless they pass through Him. 
  • The image of the good shepherd and its description is no,
  • Stranger to us. We know that Jesus is the good shepherd that,
  • Leaves the one to find the ninety-nine. We know that His,
  • Voice is clear and distinct and can be discerned from others,
  • Who present themselves as shepherds but are only present,
  • For their own gain. But not enough attention is paid to what,
  • Jesus is really saying when it comes to sheep and their,
  • Relationship with the shepherd. If we knew the real nature,
  • Of sheep, we would know that sheep are dim-witted and,
  • Passive creatures. They are coerced by the, 
  • Shepherd and sheepdogs to follow them. 
  • They are forced to follow,
  • Voice of their shepherd and forced by fear to follow the,
  • Instructions given to them. In a real sheep pasture,
  • A shepherd does not walk in front of the sheep, if a 
  • Shepherd actually did that with real sheep most the sheep,
  • Would remain put. An ordinary shepherd has to poke,
  •  Sheep in order to move them in the right direction. 
  • But with this shepherd who is Christ, He walks in front of,
  • His sheep and they follow Him. What Christ said in this,
  • Gospel is this. The sheep that follow Him are not,
  • Sheepish. They are not foolish. Nor are they zombies.
  • The sheep that follow Christ have discerned the voice of the,
  • Shepherd from the voices of the world. They have left,
  • Pastures of world’s artificial grass and followed the Lord, 
  • Who gives pastures of life. They are not afraid of the wolves, 
  • That may try to attack them or scatter them because the true,
  • Shepherd is always in the pasture, 
  • And always on the lookout. 
  • The Good Shepherd’s sheepdogs, His bishops, priests and,
  • Deacons do not coerce the sheep to the follow the shepherd, 
  • Rather they walk along side the sheep and point to the,
  • Shepherd who leads them. 
  • The sheepdogs also go out with the shepherd,
  •  And look for the lost,
  • Sheep who still feed on the world’s artificial pastures of,
  • Money, worldly pleasures, and ego-domination.
  • The sheep in such pastures are sheep that are sheepish. 
  • That are dim-witted
  •  That are led by worldly shepherd that value,
  • No one but themselves. When the wolves come to attack,
  • Such a flock the worldly shepherds leave them for dead. 
  • But the Good, Shepherd along with His sheepdogs,
  •  Search for these sheep.
  • They leave the ninety-nine to find the one who are so many,
  • In number. And this leaves us with the question:
  • Which sheep are we? And whose voice is guiding us?
  • Do we listen to the Good Shepherd who challenges us daily?
  • Though He gives us green pastures to feed from,
  • He always challenges us to move to higher plains and never,
  • Settle for the place where we are currently stationed. 
  • Or are the sheep that settle for the artificial grass. 
  • Are we under than patronage of, 
  • The shepherd that does not care about the sheep they guide?
  • What pastures are we in? What sheep are we? 

 B. Do I Know the Voice of The Good Shepherd?

  • Many of us claim that we know the voice of God. 
  • We know when God is speaking to us and this is fine. 
  • The question is do we act on it when we hear it. 
  • Or are we like, 
  • The stubborn dumb sheep that stay in place and refuse to,
  • Move. The sheep of Christ are active. They are unique. 
  • They reject the pastures of other shepherds and follow,
  • Christ where ever He may go. The sheep of Christ are not, 
  • Always perfect but they always find reconciliation and 
  • Come back to Him! 
  • They come back because they know what,
  • They have experienced in His voice, they know what they,
  • Have encountered in His pastures. And that is love, 
  • Self giving, unconditional love, that calls His sheep not as a,
  • Herd or a flock but individually by name and love them, 
  • As if they were the only ones to love. Such sheep are not, 
  • Dumb, they know good pastures and they will stick with it. 
  • But what about those sheep that have not tasted the pastures,
  •  Of Christ? Are they eternally lost? Will they ever find the,
  • The pastures of the Good shepherd? When it comes to such,
  • Questions, this is something I am not sure of? 
  • But as a pastor of the shepherd, through prayer and,
  • Perseverance in ministry I can only pray and hope for the,
  • Best. A good shepherd never forces sheep to enter into the,
  • Sheep gate. He can only call and direct the lost sheep on,
  • Where to go. But there are sheep that choose to be lost. 
  • They choose to graze the pastures of the world because it is, 
  • Comfortable. 
  • It is easier to follow a shepherd that lets me do,
  • As a please, rather than follow one that will challenge me. 
  • It is easier to follow a shepherd that will give me short cuts, 
  • Rather than one who will push me to climb higher, 
  • Terrain. It is easier to follow a shepherd who gives what we,
  • Want to graze on rather than the food that is not easy to,
  • Sallow. Many shepherd are present in today’s world. 
  • Unfortunately, many pastors are like that 
  • and it is something I myself  need to be weary of. 
  • When you have a shepherd that takes beatings from His sheep, 
  • Because they do not want to go in certain direction. 
  • You have found yourself a valuable shepherd. You have,
  • Found in that shepherd the Good Shepherd, because in such,
  • A shepherd who feeds His sheep even though some refuse,
  • To eat from his pasture. You have found yourself a shepherd, 
  • Who will lay down His life for His sheep. Even when they 
  • Reject Him.
  • Friends if we are in pastures where the shepherd, 
  • Does not care and does not love us as if we are the only, 
  • Sheep to love, then we ought to find different pastures. 
  • But if we find ourselves in the pasture, where the shepherd, 
  • Is watching where we go, calling us to come after him, 
  • And throws himself in front of us when danger strikes, 
  • We have not only found the Good Shepherd, we have found, 
  • The pastures that never runs dry. The plains that lead to the,
  • Meadows of Heaven. And a shepherd that feeds us with,
  • More than just green pasture, but with His Body and Blood. 
  • And there is only one shepherd with such a voice, such,
  • A pasture. Have you heard His voice? Have entered His,
  • Gates, have fed On His everlasting food? 
  • Have you become His sheep? 

 Amen!

 


 

 

 

For comments and suggestions: Sacred Heart Catholic Church Web Team
Updated: April 26, 2026

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