The Church observes this Sunday as “Good Shepherd Sunday”. This day is specifically dedicated to praying for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. During the time of persecution, the Christians in Rome gathered in the catacombs for prayer and worship. Some of the earliest paintings of Christ carrying an injured sheep on his shoulders are also found in the catacomb. Those Christians were injured in various ways and still, they felt that Jesus was carrying them on his shoulders. The Christian community can also find comfort and safety by allowing Jesus to carry us. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me…” (Jn. 10:14). In the same way, all those who are in leadership positions in the Church should imitate Christ the Good Shepherd.
King David prays in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack”. Every time we read and reflect on the image of the Good Shepherd, we are greatly challenged. Every day, we should meditate on the theme of Jesus carrying us in his shoulders. There are many inpspiring stories of great Shepherds in the Church who tried to follow the example of Jesus.
Cardinal François Van Thuan of Vietnam was born in 1928 in a town called Hue. His uncle was the president of South Vietnam, and another uncle was an Archbishop. After his high school education, he joined the Seminary and was ordained a priest on 11 June 1953. He completed his doctoral studies in Rome, returned home, and was teaching in the Seminary. He was appointed a Bishop and then the Archbishop of Saigon in 1975. During this time, the Communists took control of the country and then sent him to prison for thirteen years. It was mainly to educate him in the Communist philosophy.
Van Thuan wrote down his prayers and reflections in scrap papers while he was in prison. Somehow, people smuggled them out and were distributed to his faithful. Now his reflections, The Road of Hope, and his prayers, Prayers of Hope are published as books. He also created a small Bible out of scraps of paper. Sympathetic guards smuggled in, a piece of wood and some wire from which he crafted a small crucifix. After pressure from various corners, the Communist Government allowed him to leave the country in 1991 with the condition of never coming back to Vietnam.
Pope John Paul II made Van Thuan the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and later in 2001 a Cardinal. He died of cancer in Rome in 2002. The following is a prayer he wrote down on the Feast of the Holy Rosary on 7 October 1976: “I am happy here, in this cell, where white mushrooms are growing on my sleeping mat because You are here with me because You want me to live here with You. I have spoken much in my lifetime: now I speak no more. It is Your turn to speak to me, Jesus; I am listening to You.”
Good Shepherds like Cardinal Thuan always inspires and challenges us. He showed great strength and fidelity when he was persecuted and spiritually nourished his people even from the prison cell. We have the freedom, the facilities, and everything needed for a good life. How much more should we be ready to witness our faith? There is so much comfort and joy for all those who have found a resting place in Jesus. Let us try to see our own face in the face of the sheep Jesus carries on his shoulders.
Rev. Dr. Mathew Charthakuzhiyil