Reading I: Acts 4:8-12
Reading II: 1 John 3:1-2
GOSPEL: John 10:11-18
Shepherds and Mothers
We’ll be celebrating Mothers’ Day soon – a day when we take the time to thank and honor those beautiful people who brought us into this world. It is something that we should do much more often, but that fact should not take away from this special day. As we look ahead in preparation for Mothers’ Day, this week’s Gospel may help get us in the right frame of mind. This week we hear about Jesus being the Good Shepherd, and in many ways, our mothers have helped to shepherd us along through life as well!
They Love Us More
We can send our kids to daycare. We can hire a nanny to watch them at home. Babysitters are called upon to take care of our kids when we go out at night. But all of these people, though they may be very caring individuals, do not love the children the way a mother does. And at the end of the day, they are still simply hired to help.
Because a good mother, in many ways, is like Jesus – the Good Shepherd. A good mother would lay down her life for her children without giving it a second thought. She would never leave her child and flee in the face of danger.
They Teach and Guide
As a baby grows, the good mother helps teach and guide the child through good times and bad. She loves the child with all her heart and makes many sacrifices to ensure the child’s well-being. Through it all, she never asks for anything in return – never thinks about what’s in it for her – but focuses on ensuring her child learns and grows.
A good mother knows her children, just as her children know her. A baby recognizes the mother’s voice immediately after birth, and even knows the beat of her heart as they gently rock. Similarly, the Good Shepherd speaks to his flock and they know the sound of his voice and will follow him where he leads.
Saying Thanks
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, loves us so much that he truly laid down his life to save us. Just as a good mother would do for her child, Jesus did for all of us! We shouldn’t just love, honor, and thank our mothers on a single day each year; nor should we only love, honor, and thank Jesus on special occasions.
The Good Shepherd had a choice and he chose to save us. Let’s make sure we do more to thank our mothers for reflecting that type of love, and then more consistently praise Jesus during this Easter season and beyond!
Life Applications:
What is your fondest childhood memory of your mother?
How important is it for a child to have a mother in his/her life?
How does your mother live out our Christian values?
Check out the REAL Word Podcast for the 4th Sunday of Easter (Cycle B):
Original article by Brandon Jubar, 2003-2021.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.