by Fr Joachim Robert
Acts 2:14,36-41
Psalm 22
1 Peter 2:20-25
John 10:1-10
Theme: I Am the Gate of the Sheepfold
So dear friends,
We welcome all our policemen and policewomen once again. And we thank you for the blessings that you have been towards the nation in protecting each and every one of us in our safety, in ensuring harmony and peace exists in Malaysia.
And today as well, dear friends, we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. And I was a bit caught how and what to preach today because it is quite difficult to preach about police and also about vocations. But as I thought and reflected and prayed, one of the things that came to mind is as many of you watched all the policemen and women come into the church just now, many of you were filled perhaps with curiosity, fear of thinking of what happened to the parish priest, what did he do wrong. And I think this whole expect of fear, this whole expect of curiosity stirs in our heart of what is there wanting to know something more because things are a little different, things are a little uncomfortable, things perhaps are not as familiar as we think it is.
But as we look at the call of the Good Shepherd, as we celebrate World Day of Prayer for Vocations, if we look at the broader picture of vocations, dear friends, each and every one of us are called to a mission in life. Each and every one of us are called to celebrate this gift of life that God has given to us in a particular way, in a particular vocation, in a particular career, and each and every one of us are reminded in this World Day of Prayer for Vocation where Pope Francis wrote, for this day, that vocation is a grace and a gift.
Even you, as men and women, as husband and wife, as children, as priest, as religious, as policemen, policewomen, in whatever circumstances and situation of life, dear friends, each and every one of us are called towards a particular vocation in life. And the first thing we must remember is that that vocation is a gift of God, a gift that God has blessed you, a gift that God calls you to embrace. And I am sure as you enter, for the policemen and women, as you enter into your formation, trying to be formed to become policemen and women, you have to go through rigorous training, rigorous exercises in order for you to become better, for you to equip yourself so that you can serve the people better.
In the same way as well, you and I as Christian disciples, are called to live this life with a certain sense of purpose and a sense of mission in our lives. Because as disciples of the Lord, dear friends, we too need to form ourselves, equip ourselves with scripture, equip ourselves with the sacraments, equip ourselves with everything that the Lord gives to us in the church so that we are able to be strengthened and after that we can serve the people better.
And as I have mentioned just now, a vocation is a gift. And because a vocation is a gift, it is freely given to you. Given to you because that desire of love has been placed in your heart so that it can glow and mature and flourish. And as I mentioned, vocation is a gift and a grace.
The second thing the Pope highlights is that because it is freely given to you, you have a commitment to share that gift, to share that love towards one another. In the same way of how you and I are called to open our hearts to embrace the gift that God has given to us, we have the responsibility and the commitment and the sense of mission to share in the Good News, to share peace, to share love, to share whatever God has blessed us with towards one another. So you and I are called and are given this opportunity to receive and give.
And as we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday once again, dear friends, and as we celebrate this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we need to ask ourselves, we need to take time to reflect and see where is the Lord calling us. And we must pray for a sense of courage, a sense of understanding, a sense of discernment of where the Lord is inviting us into. Because when you listen to the voice of your heart, when you listen to the voice of the spirit speaking in you, you will be guided by the Holy Spirit, ensuring the steps that you take leads you to a greater vision of yourself.
And I am not sure how many of you wished when you were younger to become policemen and policewomen. How many of you wished perhaps you can be a priest? Anyone? How many of you wished that you can become parents? Also very quiet. And as you see, dear friends, each and every one of us are given this sense of responsibility, this gift that God blesses us with, and we need to discern, we need to allow the Lord to speak to us in our hearts, to allow the Good Shepherd to lead us and to listen to that voice that He is inviting us to.
And let us pray that we as individuals, as Christian Disciples, will be able to give ourselves in love and to radiate the new life that we find in Christ. Because only when you allow the light of Christ to shine in your lives are you able to share that light towards one another.
And each and every one of us, dear friends, are called to respond. You and I respond differently. You and I have responded differently. And let us continue to be faithful but to be open as well to where the Lord is calling us, asking us to show our commitment of love in a greater way of perfection of our love. Some of us are called to enter into the religious life. Some of us are called to share the gospel as lay people. Let us ask, dear friends, where are we called to respond and give.
And today as we come together to allow the Good Shepherd to speak to us in our hearts, let us pray that our hearts may be filled with the grace of God to do the right thing. Our hearts may be filled with grace to do what is good so that justice and peace may prevail in everything in our land. Because justice and peace must prevail, dear friends. As we allow justice and peace to prevail in our land by being just, by living a life of integrity we are indeed listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd in every situations of our lives. Perhaps in our work place, perhaps in our families, in our community. each one of us must once again listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd because He is the only one who will lead us. Because there is only one Shepherd and there is only one flock.
Click below to listen to homily and watch video:-
Click to live-stream Mass on 29 April 2023