From the desk of Sr. Gabriela Martinez, SSNM
Reflection for
Sunday, May 3
4th
Sunday of Easter, Year A
In these times of Covid 19 and sheltering in place,
most of us are probably finding new ways of entering more deeply into our
prayer life and community life. Our
prayer is for our world, for those on the “front lines,” the sick, the dying,
and all who service the needs of others.
Our community life is bearing new fruit because of the time of sharing
and of being together in new ways.
The Good Shepherd theme in our liturgy comes as a
great comfort this Sunday! The readings
give us hope. Peter’s sermon from Acts 2
bolsters our courage. Psalm 23 reminds us of the peace, comfort and protection
our Shepherd provides. John 10 is rich
in imagery of the ways that Jesus is our good Shepherd.
To help us understand God as our shepherd, I believe
that we are sent, throughout our lives, human beings who reflect God’s
shepherding care. When the Pandemic
began in our country, I purposefully started recording all the happy memories
of my life that I could think of. I
thought of people who had guided me, who were like shepherds! One vivid
memory was of a neighbor across the street from where I spent my childhood,
Mrs. Curtis. My sister and I used to
play with her daughter, Judy, who was about our age. I have 3 vivid memories of how Mrs. Curtis shepherded
me.
One day, when I was about five years old, I was at
Judy’s house playing dolls. I was warming my doll’s blanket (very thin) at the
gas stove when it suddenly ignited!! I just as suddenly remembered how you blew
out candles on a birthday cake so I shook the blanket really hard to give it
more air!!! It just gave it more fire!
Then, out of nowhere, appeared Mrs. Curtis, who calmly took it away from
me and proceeded to stomp out the fire on the floor with her black granny
shoes! I expected a very great reprimand from her. I knew I had done a bad,
stupid thing. But since she was a gentle person, there was no reprimand at all
to my great surprise and relief!
Fast forward to eighth grade. I walked a block from the bus stop after
school one rainy day and found I had forgotten my key to get in my house. (No one was home!) A major tornado came barreling down my street
and I ran with Judy into her house. Just a few moments after we arrived in the
hall, the tornado hit her house, taking the roof up. All the while Mrs. Curtis had her arms around
me and held on tight! As the storm moved
on, the roof fell back down on the front porch.
But we were all safe.
Then after high school, I was getting ready to enter
the convent. Since Mrs. Curtis was a
seamstress, my mother got her to sew white pajamas and a black bathrobe (both
required!) to take with me. (She kept
saying, “Are you sure this robe has to be black???)
This time of sheltering in place is difficult. Many say that when it is over we will never
be the same. Yes, this is a time of
transformation. We are closer in
community, closer in prayer. We are deep into soul-searching and, if you will,
soul-finding. Most of all, we are
closer to our Shepherd Jesus: listening
for his voice, sheltering in his peace.
He is where he has always been, right here with us.
In today’s gospel, John 10:7, Jesus says that he is
the GATE. In those days if the sheep
were in a sheepfold on a hillside,
there was no gate and so the shepherd had to lie across the opening to BE THE
GATE to keep the sheep safe.
Furthermore, in John 10:9, Jesus says, “Anyone who enters through me
will be safe: such a one will go in and out and will find pasture.” In other words,
where ever we go: when we go out; when
we come in, Jesus is there to keep us safe.
As we listen to and follow our Good Shepherd these
days, let us give thanks for the many shepherds who
have blessed our lives. Let us also be grateful for all
those shepherds who, like Mrs. Curtis, have held us tight
through the many storms of life.
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