Readings: Acts 2: 36-41; Ps 33: 4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22; John 20: 11-18
Our Gospel passage shows us how the Risen Lord has touched the lives of Mary Magdalene and Peter. They are transformed individuals as they encounter their Lord and Teacher Who is risen. They can never go back to the way they were before they came to know Jesus. Hopefully, the same can be said of us. We are now different than we were before our relationship with Jesus has deepened to this point. Because the Risen Lord has touched our lives, we must be willing to go out and proclaim the Good News that Jesus is alive and among us.
Jesus thus defines himself, a good shepherd, whose purpose is to gather the flock, overcoming any scattering of the sheep, continually attacked by wolves. Jesus did not come to divide, but he came to gather, give direction, make them feel safe, and protect them at the cost of his own life. In this way, Jesus is a model of the Church and of those who in the Church have the task of leading.
Jesus-shepherd who knows the sheep, who gathers, who guides towards God, who protects the weak sheep, who takes those wounds on his shoulders, who dreams of one flock among the many in which the sheep of the world are divided, is model of every single Christian and of the community of believers, which in the world has this difficult but absolutely necessary mission. As a Church, we are called to dream of a united world where differences are not obstacles but become the richness of a possible harmony among all. As a Church, we are called to do everything, even at the cost of losing ourselves, so that the logic of money and power, of earning, of exploiting do not prevail. As a Church, we are called to take on responsibility for those who are weaker, poorer, for the doubtful, angry, sad, but with the desire to unite, make people feel loved, and announce that God is Father, that God is love.
Jesus the Good Shepherd is a daydreamer because he sees the resurrection beyond the death threats he continually receives, beyond the weakness of his disciples and knows they will be valid witnesses. Jesus teaches us to dream as individuals and as a community. He makes us believe that we can be like him, good shepherds.