(Editor’s note: The following is Bishop Lucia’s April 26 homily from Blue Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.)
For a moment, I would like us to imagine a quiet hillside at dawn. The air is cool, the grass still wet with dew. A shepherd stands watch, his eyes scanning the horizon. Around him, the sheep graze peacefully, unaware of the dangers that could lurk beyond the ridge. The shepherd knows each one by name. He knows which ones limp, which ones wander, and which ones are most easily frightened. And he never stops watching.
That is one image presented to us in this afternoon’s gospel reading concerning a good shepherd. A second one involves Jesus’ own designation of Himself as “the gate” (or in some translations, “the door”). In Jesus’ time, there were two types of gathering spaces for a shepherd’s flock. One was a common village pen. In this setting, the sheep had to recognize the shepherd’s voice in order to follow him to greener pastures. The second type was used in the countryside, where sheep could be sheltered outside village walls at night. It was called a field pen — either a cave or a circular stone wall about four feet high. But here’s the catch: the shepherd in this instance was the gate, the door, through which the sheep were kept safe while guarding against predators. As one scripture commentator notes: “When Jesus calls Himself the gate, He’s not talking about a cold, mechanical barrier. He’s talking about a living, loving point of access — the way into safety, nourishment, and life.”
Today is not only Good Shepherd Sunday in the Christian world but also Blue Sunday. A day when houses of worship across our nation pray for the protection of the young and vulnerable in our society, for the victims and survivors of abuse, for an end to abuse, and for all seeking to protect the vulnerable in our society as well as nurse its woundedness. As Christians, we know also that we are called to pray for those who trespass against us; and so, as difficult as it may be, our prayer includes those who have hurt us, our families, and our Church so grievously.
Yet, the image of the Good Shepherd, which has such popularity among Christians, can also provide us with some food for thought this Blue Sunday:
- The Good Shepherd knows our wounds. When Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, He is not speaking about a distant caretaker. He is speaking about a protector who knows the pain of his flock — He knows the sheep who have been hurt; He knows the ones who hide their wounds; and He knows the ones who feel forgotten. He knows that for those who have suffered abuse, the world can feel unsafe, unpredictable, and cold. Most importantly, the Good Shepherd is always willing to go the extra distance to seek out the lost and the hurting, and gently and lovingly invite them to come to Him so that they might find refreshment.
- The Good Shepherd protects the vulnerable. In biblical times, the responsibility of the shepherd was to risk their lives against wolves, thieves, and storms. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, which is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Church and her members are invited to consider, “How do I resemble the Good Shepherd?”
- In all sincerity and frankness, the tragic pain of abuse we confront this day stems from the failure of persons entrusted with the care of the flock to resemble the Good Shepherd. In some instances, they were wolves in sheep’s clothing; others used their position of authority to steal and rob innocence; and finally, and most sadly, even some who were shepherds and supposed to be the gatekeepers didn’t pay attention to the voices of the lambs when endangered and failed to provide protection and safety. As one ordained to be a shepherd, I cannot apologize enough for these failures.
- Nonetheless, the Russian author, Dostoyevsky, once stated, “It is no good talking, one has to set the example.” Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the Gate are not just spiritual metaphors; they are a call to action! If Jesus is the gate, then we, as his followers, are called to be part of that protective boundary for others. We are called to stand in the gap — to be the ones who guard, guide, and give shelter to those who cannot protect themselves through our own commitment to protecting God’s children and the diligence all give to observing our Diocesan Code of Conduct and the creation of a safe environment for them.
On this Blue Sunday, brothers and sisters, you and I are reminded that our Christian discipleship calls us to be shepherds who stand between the young and vulnerable and danger, who speak up when something is wrong, who create safe spaces where trust can grow. For parents, it means listening and believing. For teachers, coaches, youth leaders, pastors, etc., it means noticing the quiet signs of distress. For communities, it means refusing to look away.
As the First Letter of Peter reminds us: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His footsteps” (5:21). This Sunday in this gathering, we acknowledge that evil is real, but we also proclaim even more loudly and boldly that it does not have the final word! God’s final word is Jesus who announces to all this Lord’s Day: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the gate for each and all of us — the way to safety, the way to life, the way to love. And so, as we continue our prayer together, we ask: “Lord Jesus, you are the gate that leads to life. On this Blue Sunday, we ask you to guard every child and vulnerable person, to mend every wound, and to strengthen all of us to be protectors and advocates. May we stand with you in the gap, so that all may know the safety of your love. Amen.
