Vigils Reading – 4th Sunday of Easter

From a commentary by

ST THOMAS AQUINAS

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Jesus says: I am the good shepherd. The title of shepherd is obviously

fitting for Christ because just as a flock is tended and fed by a shepherd, so the

faithful are nourished by Christ with spiritual food and even with his body and

blood. But to make a distinction between himself and a bad shepherd or thief, he

adds the word “good” — good, because he carries out the duty of a shepherd, just

as a good soldier is one who fulfills the duty of a soldier.

But immediately before this Christ said that the shepherd entered by the

gate and that he himself was the gate; now that he calls himself the shepherd, it

follows that he must enter through himself. And indeed he does enter through

himself, because he manifests himself and through himself has knowledge of

the Father. We, on the other hand, enter through him because it is through him

that we attain beatitude.

Note that no one else but himself is the gate because no one else is the true

light except by participation, as it says of John the Baptist: He was not the light

but was to bear witness to the light. Whereas of Christ it says: He was the true

light which enlightens every human being. In the same way no one calls himself

the gate: Christ reserves this for himself alone. To be a shepherd he granted to

others, bestowing this on his members; for Peter was a shepherd, and the other

apostles were too, as well as all good bishops. I will give you shepherds after my

own heart, says Jeremiah.

Although prelates of the Church who are sons are all shepherds, he

expressly says that no one can be a good pastor unless he is united to Christ by

charity and becomes a member of the true shepherd.

Charity is the duty of a good shepherd, and so it says the good shepherd

lays down his life for his sheep. For this is the distinguishing mark between a

good shepherd and a bad one: a good shepherd has the good of his flock at heart;

a bad one is out for his own advantage. Ezekiel refers to this distinction when he

says: Woe to those shepherds that feed themselves. Is it not flocks that are fed

by shepherds? So whoever uses a flock to feed himself alone is not a good

shepherd.

A good shepherd, even in a material sense, endures much for the flock he

is bent on tending; as Jacob said in Genesis, Night and day I was consumed by

frost and heat. But because the welfare of a spiritual flock is more important

than the physical life of a pastor, when danger threatens the salvation of his

flock, every spiritual pastor should be prepared to lay down his life for the good

of his flock. And so our Lord says, The good shepherd lays down his life — that

is his physical life — for his sheep. He does so because he is responsible for them

and loves them. Christ set us the example for teaching this: If Christ laid down

his life for us, we should lay down our lives for the brethren.