Fr. Bob's Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Easter - Guest Post

Laura Bell was not a typical college graduate. After finishing school, instead of pursuing a business career or following a conventional path, she took a job in Wyoming as a sheep herder. Some of her friends thought she was crazy. But Laura wanted a real challenge, and she certainly found one. She worked nearly 18 hours a day, seven days a week. Her day began before sunrise and often ended long after sunset. Most of that time she was completely alone, accompanied only by her dog, her horse and roughly 2,000 sheep. Once a week, someone rode out to deliver mail, food and essentials. Her responsibility was simple but demanding: keep the flock together, move them to food and water and protect them from predators. Laura once explained, “When you’re out there all alone, there is no one to correct your mistakes. So, you stay extra alert for dangers, like rattlesnakes. You don’t do foolish things with your horse.” She also said one of her greatest joys – and biggest challenges – was the weather. It determined everything about the sheep’s behavior. One day, a portion of the flock wandered off. She spent hours tracking them down, only to be caught in a sudden thunderstorm once she found them. Soaked and exhausted, she spent the night wrapped in wet blankets, shivering beside the flock she was protecting. Laura’s experience gives us a glimpse into how demanding shepherding still is today. In ancient times, however, it was even more difficult. Shepherds had no modern equipment, no reliable protection; often not even animals to assist them. They relied on vigilance, courage and sheer endurance. That helps us understand the confidence of David in the Book of Samuel, when he volunteers to fight the giant Philistine, Goliath. King Saul doubts him, but David explains that while tending his father’s sheep, he fought off lions and bears to protect the flock. That experience prepared him for the battle he would eventually win. Because shepherds risked so much for their flocks, biblical writers often used the image of a shepherd to describe God’s care. The familiar words, “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want,” express trust in a God who guides, protects and provides. This imagery reaches its fullest meaning in Jesus Christ, whom Christians recognize as the Good Shepherd – especially reflected upon each year on this very day, Good Shepherd Sunday, during the Easter season. So how do we respond to all this? First, with gratitude. Christ tells us He is the gate for the sheep, the one who leads us to life. Through His death and resurrection, we believe we are offered freedom from sin and the promise of eternal life. Second, we respond with openness. The Good Shepherd is not a distant figure from the past; He continues to seek the lost, strengthen the weak and call each of us by name. His voice is often heard in Scripture, in prayer, in the kindness of others and in those quiet moments when we sense guidance and peace. The message is both comforting and challenging: we are never abandoned. The Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us continues to walk with us, guide us and share His risen life – but only if we are willing to listen and follow. Yours in Christ, Fr. Robert Warren, S.A. Spiritual Director