April 25, 2021: 4th Sunday Easter B

April 25, 2021: 4th Sunday Easter B

Audio: http://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/paulyi777/4-25-21_4th_Sunday_B_Good_Shepherd.mp3

In 1979, elderly Mr. Charles Lustiger was sitting in the front pew of the Cathedral of Orleans, France when he noticed the phrase, “Everything is possible for God,” on the coat of arms of then-bishop-elect Aaron Jean-Marie Lustiger, his son! The phrase is borrowed from Jesus when he told his disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God; for man this is impossible, but for God, all things are possible. Perhaps Mr. Charles recalled memories 40 years prior of the seemingly impossibility of his son, Aaron, born of a Jewish father and mother from Poland now living in France, converting to Catholicism in 1939, at age 14, despite his parents’ protest. The years of World War II were a turbulent time for his whole family. Paris at the time was under Nazi occupation, and Mr. Charles, his wife, and children stayed with a host French family in the city of Orleans to flee Nazi persecution in Paris. Young Aaron walked into the Cathedral of Orleans one day and was mesmerized by the inexplicable beauty of the sacred Church. To the shock and dismay of his parents, Aaron declared that he wanted to be baptized Catholic. Aaron returned the next day, on Good Friday, to the Cathedral and asked to be baptized Catholic. Two years later, Mr. Charles’ wife was arrested by Nazis and deported to Auschwitz concentration camp where she was put to death. So in 1954, when people heard that his son Aaron was being ordained a Catholic priest, criticisms came from both Jews and Catholics in his community. Later when Aaron was elevated as Bishop of Orleans, Aaron replied to his critics, “I was born Jewish and so I remain, even if that is unacceptable to many… Christianity is the fruit of Judaism. To be more clear, I believe in Christ, the messiah of Israel… For me, the vocation of Israel is bringing light to the non-Jews. That is my hope, and I believe that Christianity is the means for achieving it.” Mr. Charles died in 1981, two years prior to his son Aaron being named as the Cardinal-Archbishop of Paris by Pope John Paul II. 

 Our Christian faith should always be understood through the lens of our Jewish roots. We need to remember that Christianity was born from a Jewish Messiah who ordained Jewish apostles to the priesthood of the New Covenant. Our Catholic scriptures, prayers, and the liturgy take its content and shape from the Jewish sacred texts and religious observances. The Holy Mass which is the re-presentation of the Lord’s Last Supper, was initiated in the context of a Jewish Passover meal. So Christianity and Judaism are indissolubly linked. The New Testament is hidden within the Old and the Old Testament came to light in the New since Christ is the Messiah of Israel.

 Catholic priesthood also needs to be understood in the richness of the Old Testament lens. In the Old Testament, the priests were ordained by God to offer sacrifices at the Temple for the sins of the people so that the people would be able to stand before God, face to face, without blemish. When the Jerusalem temple was destroyed and priests were in exile, God gave a prophecy through Prophet Jeremiah: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding… I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed” (Jer. 3:15, 23:4) Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by becoming the new high priest who offered himself as one eternal sacrifice to atone for the sins of the entire world. He transformed the priesthood of the Old Covenant; in the New Covenant, new generations of priests will share in the one priesthood of Christ. What do the priests of the New Covenant look like?

  Our Lord said, “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus was a priest at the core of His being; His entire life was a sacrifice given to the Father, thus uniting within Himself the roles of Victim and Priest. Pope Francis elaborated that priests must be joyful, stubborn shepherds who take risks and seek out even those who are most distant from God, in imitation of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. He said, “A shepherd after the heart of God has a heart sufficiently free to set aside his own concerns. He does not live by calculating his gains or how long he has worked: he is not an accountant of the Spirit, but a Good Samaritan who seeks out those in need.”

In 1980, when Pope John Paul II was planning his first apostolic visit to France, Bishop Aaron Lustiger reserved the largest stadium in Paris exclusively for the young people to encounter John Paul II. Other members of French bishops were skeptical of such an effort thinking only one or two thousand would show up. They were shocked when 20,000 young people filled the stadium. This event became the inspiration for World Youth Day which started in 1984. In 1997 Cardinal Lustiger welcomed hosting World Youth Day in Paris. Again the French bishops were skeptical of, if not hostile to, such an event. The gathering was a smashing success with 1.5 million people attending the final mass with Pope John Paul II. On that occasion, the people heard stirring words from John Paul II. He said, “Remember that you are never alone, Christ is with you on your journey every day of your lives! He has called you and chosen you to live in the freedom of the children of God. Turn to him in prayer and in love. Ask him to grant you the courage and strength to live in this freedom always. Walk with him who is ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life’!” 

Jesus the Good Shepherd continues to send shepherds after his own heart. Deacon Taylor Sanford, a native vocation from St. George, and two other deacons--Deacon David Dawson and Deacon Danny Roussel--will be ordained to priesthood right here at St. George on May 22. It’s an enormous privilege for our parish to be chosen to host this priesthood ordination. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, let us pray for the shepherds of the Church, for all Bishops, including the Bishop of Rome, for all priests and deacons and their families. Let us pray that God will send us more good shepherds to guide us. May the shepherds’ joy be born of forgiveness, of life risen and renewed, of prodigal men and women who breathe once more the sweet air of home. May the joy of our shepherds be joy that comes from serving for and with others.