"The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." St. John, 10:11.
A Boy Scout toid me this story. He was an American boy who was chosen to go to a big Boy Scout jamboree at Toronto, Canada. A jamboree is a gathering of Scouts from different countries. The Scouts show what they can do: tie knots; cook a meal outside; tell one tree from another; help the sick and injured until the doctor comes. Boy Scouts learn many interesting things in a way that is a lot of fun.
They also play games. My story is about a game they played at Toronto. There were hundreds and hundreds of Scouts in a big field. They were blindfolded; just as in blind-man's buff. The Scoutmaster was up on a little hill. He blew his whistle and the blind-folded boys started to find him. It was great fun. Some boys followed the sound of the whistle and walked right up to the Scoutmaster; others started in the right direction, but went crooked and bumped into trees and fences and into other Scouts. Some started toward the man with the whistle but they stopped before they got there.
Finally all had gathered around the Scoutmaster except one little fellow who was having an awfully hard time. He walked around and round and bumped into almost everything. The Scoutmaster was a kind man, so he blew his whistle again ahd again for the little Scout, who finally found his way to the top of the hill.
The Gospel of St John we read a earlier reminds me of that story. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. A shepherd is one who takes care of the sheep. Jesus takes care of His sheep - the men and women, boys and girls who follow Christ. They are His sheep. Jesus knows everyone of them by name. And they know Jesus Christ loves His sheep, loves them so much that He died for them and would die again for them.
When Jesus calls, His true sheep come flocking to Him, the way those Scouts came to the Scoutmaster when he whistled. Some come straight to Jesus; others stumble and bump around before they arrive; some, like the little Scout of our story, almost get lost, but Jesus keeps on calling until the little sheep comes to Him.
Before our Lord returned to heaven He told His apostles and the bishops and priests of the Catholic Church to be good shepherds, to take care of Christ's sheep. Your priest is a good shepherd, at least he surely wants to be.
What does a shepherd do for his sheep? He knows his sheep; he feeds them; he protects them; he leads them. That is what I try to do for you. I am a lucky shepherd because I have such fine sheep - you boys and girls.
1. My first job is to know everyone of you, your name and your family and what games you like to play and even how you play them. I try to know your good points; and also - much as I don't like it - your bad points. Especially I like to know how much you love Jesus, who is the Big Shepherd of us all.
On the other hand, you children should try to know your shepherd, your priest. Once in a while we find a boy or girl who shies away from the priest. Oh, they are not afraid, but they think perhaps the priest doesn't care for little him or little her. Yes, I do. I love the poorest and the smallest and the weakest of you, because Jesus wants me to love each one of you. Why, I can't help loving each one of you. You are such good sheep. And when you grow up do the same thing - stay close to the priest.
2. As your shepherd I try to feed you. No, no, I don't cook oatmeal and fry hamburgers for you, but I do try to feed you the wonderful truths which Jesus told me to tell you. I try to teach you all about Jesus.
Best of all, I feed you boys and girls with Holy Communion, Jesus Himself. Oh, how I love to do that. How I love to carry Jesus from the altar here down to you at the Communion rail and put Jesus on your tongue so that He can go into your loving heart. The more often you come to Communion, the more often I can feed you, and the stronger and better a sheep you will be.
A shepherd protects the sheep; a priest protects the children. I don't fight off any bears or wolves, although I would be willing to do that for everyone of you. But I protect you from bad books and bad movies and bad companions; these are worse than wolves and bears.
I also try to lead you. I try to lead you to Holy Communion. I try to lead you to places where there is a lot of fun but no sin. I try to lead you closer and closer to Jesus here in the tabernacle.
Remember the story about the Scouts and how they came when the Scoutmaster whistled. A Scoutmaster is something like a good shepherd. A priest is like that, too.
When you hear my voice, when you hear the voice of any priest, try to follow it. Follow the voice of the priest, who is your shepherd, and you will never go wrong, you will never go hungry, you will never be harmed, you will never get lost. Follow your shepherd and you will be safe with Jesus. Amen.
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Adapted from Talks for Children
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, OFM (© 1948)
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