GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY
Bishop Paul S. Coakley
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Through the words of the prophet Jeremiah God promises his people that he will never leave them without shepherds to gather them together and to guide them: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart” (Jer.3:15). Jesus himself is the living and ultimate fulfillment of this promise. He declares in the Gospel this Sunday, “I am the good shepherd” (Jn.10:11).
Jesus entrusted to his Apostles and their successors the ministry of shepherding God’s flock. Through the bishops and the priests who collaborate with them, Christ the Good Shepherd continues to form, to guide and to nourish the flock he has redeemed by the shedding of his blood for the life of the world.
“A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn.10:11). The center of every priest’s life and ministry is the celebration of the Eucharist, in which the saving mystery of our redemption is renewed. As an intimate companion with Christ who gives his life for his sheep, the priest too, is called to lay down his life for those entrusted to his care. “This is my body which will be given up for you”. These words of Jesus which the priest says at Mass not only make present the self-offering of Christ on the Cross, but become the pledge of the priest’s own self-offering in giving himself in service to God’s people.
“I will give you shepherds after my own heart” (Jer.3:15). The Lord continues to fulfill his promise by providing priests to serve the Church in the Diocese of Salina. This issue of the Register contains the official publication of new pastoral assignments for some of our priests. I am grateful for the spirit of selflessness with which these priests have accepted their new pastoral missions. I am grateful also for the welcome with which they will be received as they assume their new responsibilities. We are all grateful for the service they have rendered in the assignments that they will be completing.
The priests who serve in the Diocese of Salina are an increasingly diverse group. International priests from Burma and India have come as missionaries to serve Catholics in Kansas until we can provide sufficient native vocations to provide this necessary pastoral care. Priests from Mexico have committed themselves for lifelong service to the Diocese and provide much needed leadership for our growing Hispanic population. We are exceedingly grateful for their ministry.
Even with the presence of these dedicated international and missionary priests we face the challenge of an aging presbyterate. Who will be there to replace those priests who have dedicated their entire lives to serving us? Who will be available to staff our parishes in five, ten, fifteen years? With total trust in God’s promise to provide priests we each have to accept our responsibility to create the kinds of conditions in every home, parish and throughout the Diocese in which the seeds of these vocations can flourish and bring forth abundant fruit.
As we pray for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest (Mt.9:38) we have to propose that invitation clearly and courageously to each new generation. We are currently blessed with a growing number of fine seminarians who are responding and discerning the authenticity of that call. Pray for them, pray for our priests and pray for an abundant harvest of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.