Several
years ago I had the great privilege of visiting the Holy Land. It was
an extraordinary experience to be able to visit all the places where
Jesus lived and preached. I remember being struck at seeing shepherds
leading their sheep, something which I had never seen in any
other country, because they are a different kind of animal. In
Palestine the shepherd walks in front and the sheep follow in a line
behind. You can still see them doing this in the fields. It makes
more sense of what we read in the Scriptures where Jesus says ‘I
know my sheep and mine know me’ and ‘He leads me to green
pastures.’
I
also remember hearing a story of a tourist who was visiting one of
these places and was looking at the sheep. To his horror he watched
as the shepherd took one of the lambs and deliberately broke its leg.
When he saw this he went over and began to give out to the shepherd,
saying ‘I saw what you just did.’ The shepherd got angry and said
‘You know nothing about what is going on here’. He then
explained to the tourist what he was doing. He said that the lamb was
constantly running away, because he was afraid of the shepherd. When
this happens the shepherd breaks the leg of the animal and
immediately puts it into a splint to heal. During the time when it is
healing he carries the animal on his shoulders. By the time it has
healed the lamb is no longer afraid of the shepherd and stays close
to him, and is therefore no longer in danger of getting lost. They
actually do this.
Today
is vocations Sunday also known as ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’; a day
when we remember and pray for priests. St. Therese of Lisieux
said she could never understand why people were always saying that we
should pray for priests until she went on a pilgrimage to Rome with
several priests. Then she understood! The priest is meant
to be a shepherd, one who leads people to God, or points people in
the direction of God. If I am to do that, my life as a priest must be
completely centred on God to begin with, because I cannot give you
what I do not have. Nothing I have of myself will be of any use to
you. The only thing that I have which is of any use to you is what I
receive from God. I am only a vessel or instrument of God; at least
that is the idea.
We
also know that we priests are not always as good as we should be.
Sadly we have often let people down in different ways and even led
people away from God, which is something that we will be answerable
to God for. In the book of Ezekiel God says to the prophet,
‘Woe to the shepherds who do not feed my sheep.’
So
why does God keep on calling people who are weak? Why doesn’t He
pick stronger people, or more reliable people? I have no doubt it is
to make it all the more obvious that we are only instruments that He
uses. Of ourselves we are nothing, but the message that we pass on to
you from God is everything. It is like a glass of really good wine.
Whether the glass itself is good or bad, beautiful or ugly, is
irrelevant. What matters is the content. I think that that is worth
remembering when you find yourself disappointed with a priest.
Remember that while of course it is a great help if he is a very holy
man, the only thing that is really important is the message that he
is bringing. We are only messengers, or as St. Paul says, ‘But we
have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that
this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us’
(2 Cor 4:7). We are only cracked jars that carry this extraordinary
treasure. What matters is the treasure that we bring to you and not
the one who carries that treasure. That treasure is the teaching of
Jesus Christ, that He has won eternal life for us through his death
and resurrection; that He is Lord of all things and all things are
subject to him. Also that He has given us the Scriptures, the
Eucharist, the forgiveness of sins. That is the only thing that
matters. Jesus is the one who offers us the fullness of life, and He
is the only one who can offer it. We continue to turn to him for life
and hopefully we priests will continue to be vessels, or instruments
helping people to rediscover these extraordinary treasures which God
has given us, in spite of our weakness.
‘I
have come that you may have life and have it to the full.’
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