THE GOOD SHEPHERD - A REFLECTION

 

The Gospel of St John Chapter 15: 12 - 17 exhorts us to to show love in great abundance - “..that you love one another as I have loved you. No-one has greater love than this, to lay down one's  life for one's  friends....”

                                  

Recently, I was guest speaker at an Australian Church Women's Service at Ulverstone. The theme of the day was that expressed above in the passage from St John – the amazing love that God has for us all, and I felt moved to share with those present the core teaching of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – that wonderful, all-embracing love of God for His children, and how this is expressed in the parables, especially the Parable of the Good Shepherd as in St John 10:1 – 18.

 

As many readers would know from past articles, This Good Shepherd program nurtures the Christian faith in children in a special way.

 

In the English language the word "love" has many, many variations of meaning, whereas in other languages there are specific words to denote the type of love being articulated or written about.

So, what is the love that the above excerpt from the Gospel of St John exhorts us to show in greater abundance?

“..that you love one another as I have loved you. No-one has greater love than this, to lay down one's  life for one's  friends....”

 

At the present time I am involved in a program called "The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd". This programe nutures the Christian faith in children in a special way, and is an initiation into the love that God has for us all, God's covenant with young children and a way of being with children that helps them to live their relationship with God. The program helps children to receive and respond to God's unconditional, personal, love for each of them - as in Isaiah: "I have called you by name, you are mine...Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I LOVE YOU." (Is. 43: 1,4)

 

·                    God's covenant relationship with each of us is the central theme of the Bible.

·                    In the covenant relationship with God, it is GOD loves us FIRST (St John 4:19), even from the time before our birth. ( Psalm 139:13)

·                    Throughout our life God supports us and carries us tenderly (Is. 46: 3 - 4) with a LOVE that will never change nor end.

·                    The covernant relationship is the CORE of the CHRISTIAN message. Jesus takes the first step and comes to each of us so that we may have life to the full (St John 10: 10) and to give us JOY in our LOVE TOGETHER.

 

The love and joy in living the covenant is meant for everyone, including children. At Christmass time, the scriptures exhort us to be heralds of the Gospel. And so we are invited to tell the whole message to all and in our Good Shepherd programe to the child.

 

The Good Shepherd program was the inspiration of several women in particular:-

- Sofia Cavaletti (theological scholar) and

- Gianna Gobi (educator and scholar - Maria  Montessori was her mentor)

in conjunction with the principles and encouragement of Maria Montessori, pioneer of educational methods that encouraged the holistic development of the child.

·                    These Christian educators saw the presence of God in children with whom they worked and  realised the spiritual dimension inherent in every child - the religious potential of each child. Children experience great JOY in being with God - they are fully alive to the power/ love of God.

·                    Over many years, these women and many other religious educators have worked with program, documented case studies and refined their methodology (theological/pedagogical bases).

·                    this religious education is based on the Parable of the Good Shepherd as it is this aspect of God's love that children need.

·                    young children have tremendous spiritual hunger.

·                    they have a natural ability to enjoy their relationship with God.

·                    they have a tremendous capacity for prayer.

·                    LOVE is the basis of out religious life - young children really do fall in love with God.

 

Jesus the Good Shepherd

 St John's Gospel Chapter 10 is the reference for

1. The Parable of the Good Shepherd, in which

·                    the shepherd calls his sheep who are LISTENING to his voice

·                    introduces the child to the reality of the Covenant relationship

·                    the sheep are called by name - the Good Shepherd has a personal relationship with each one of us.

 

2. The Found Sheep ( and in St Luke's Gospel Chapter 15)

·                    the image of the Shepherd who searches for his sheep that was lost

·                    another example of the Good Shepherd's infinite love.

·                    children who are suffering especially identify with this parable.

(i)Children need the protective quality of love. (ii)Their pesonalities are being formed through a series of relationships - both parables fulfil these needs.

 

The Impact of these parables is that:-

·                    love reassures

·                    doctrinal content - ie. the essential core of the Christian message:- in the Good Shepherd's self-giving  LOVE  we find the heart of Christ's paschal mystery, His dying and rising.

 

In growing with the Good Shepherd the older child realises that

·                    love forgives,

·                    the Good Shepherd looks for his lost sheep

·                    Jesus's love is unchanging

and as the child grows into adolescence, he/she sees the Good Shepherd as guide and leader.

 

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

And so, in the Atrium the Catechesis is so very significant for all.  For children, it feeds the inner well-spring, helps children to BE before they DO, helps children become aware of the God of the Covenant who is searching for us because he loves us - and so develop a relationship with God, affirms the Christian message.

For adults, it makes us slow down and contemplate God's love, makes us slow down and prepare resources, revisit the Scriptures, gives spiritual refreshment.

For all, it proclaims the great LOVE God has for us all and the WONDER of God in our lives.

 

What Catechists experience today as part of an Atrium has messages for Christian folk everywhere (and reflect on the nature of LOVE referred to at the beginning of this article):-

·                    the Catechesis is grounded in SCRIPTURE and tradition

·                    it is at the service of personal lives lived with God in a faith community

·                    the goal is to live a life with God in Christ - exemplifying ministry as an encounter with the MYSTERY of God.

·                    Christianity is the mystery of God NOW

·                    Ministry for us all should be not only bringing instruction, grace and comfort to needy people, but being beside them to hear what God is saying - LISTENING is so important.

·                    a minister should be self-effacing, not needing to be in control, but FAITHFUL in one's pilgrimage. The minister must ask "What is the face of God that this person needs?" about all who come for succour.

·                    we are challenged, as ministers of God's word, to have a deep active faith life.

 

And to be still and know that God speaks with us all in His great love for each one of us............whom He knows by name............and with whom he desires a deep and loving relationship.

 

Margaret Gibbs