It is 22nd April 2018. We celebrate the fourth Sunday of Easter as the Good Shepherd Sunday. The readings are from Acts 4:8-12; the second reading is from 1 John 3:1-2; and the Gospel from John 10:11-18. We are all invited to be the shepherds in a given situation. God himself calls us individually to lead others. There are leaders have sacrificed many things including their personal comforts for the sake of the people. Some of the leaders are so outstanding in their sacrifice that they are willing to sacrifice their own life for the common good. Unfortunately, there are leaders who have become the individual giants far from the people from whom they come from and distant themselves consciously. Distancing leads to blaming the others for their non-responsiveness. Most of the leaders today do not communicate enough to lead and protect those who are entrusted to their care. They have become more legalistic in nature than loving and caring men and women for the others. Many of our leaders sacrifice the innocent ones and their precious lives for holding on to the chair. Lack of transparency and communication make the others not to follow their counsel. Number of narcistic and selfish leaders are on the rise everywhere. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, let us pray for our leaders to lead with out fear and allow the truth to prevail at all times and be at the beck and call people through their humble service. May our leaders emulate the Good Shepherd of all times, Jesus, the Lord. The first reading insists the power of Jesus by which we are all saved. The leaders rejected the stone that is the corner stone of the mystical body of Christ. “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” (Acts. 4:12). The Catechism teaches us in CCC 754: “The Church is, accordingly, a sheepfold, the sole and necessary gateway to which is Christ. It is also the flock of which God himself foretold that he would be the shepherd, and whose sheep, even though governed by human shepherds, are unfailingly nourished and led by Christ himself, the Good Shepherd and Prince of Shepherds, who gave his life for his sheep.” The responsorial Psalm acclaims, “The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.” (Ps.118:22). The second reading assures that since we are led by the Good Shepherd Jesus, we have the privilege to see God face to face. In the Gospel, Jesus himself reveals that He is THE Good Shepherd. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (Jn.10:11). We are all invited by this Sunday celebrations to become a good shepherd in our families, parish and our communities we live in. May the Lord bless all our leaders with wisdom, good health and enough resources of all kinds to provide and protect by their exemplary lives. Let us all pray for vocation too. May you have a good day.