Photo was taken in Kinsale, Co.Cork (Irl)
A white cherry tree has some lovely colour taken earlier today.
Thought on Sunday – April – 29/04/2012
The following reflection is by Jane Mellett called ‘The Good Shepherd’
Social media is here to stay, and a survey done in England recently has shown that more and more young people are lonely despite their hundreds of friends on social networking sites. Like this page, follow another, join this group, support this cause. The Gospel today refers to another kind of ‘following’ and emphasises the importance of relationship. The shepherd knows his flock and cares for them. They follow him and this is not a reference to Facebook or Twitter. it is a genuine relationship, not one reduced to numbers or ‘likes’. Everyone matters to the Good Shepherd, regardless of their situation.
Today’s Gospel is asking us to follow in a more personal way. In Jesus’ time, shepherds would round up their sheep in the evening and guide them into their pen. But it had no gate and the shepherd would have to lie across the space in case the sheep were attacked in the night. The shepherds literally lay down their lives for their flock. John compares this sacrifice to the ‘hired hand’ who is not really committed to the flock. He does what he has to but flees at the first sign of trouble (unfriend this person). So this Good Shepherd Sunday we use the image of the shepherd to describe Jesus, not just any shepherd but the ‘genuine’ Shepherd who wants a personal relationship with each one of us and who would lay down his life for us: ‘No, I don’t mean Twitter, I mean literally “follow me”.’
