Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Pope Francis leads the recitation of the "Regina Coeli" from the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican May 3, 2020. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Priests and doctors who gave their lives caring for the spiritual and physical well-being of others during the coronavirus pandemic are like Jesus, the good shepherd, who laid down his life for his flock, Pope Francis said.

Celebrating Mass on Good Shepherd Sunday, May 3, the pope said the feast reminded him of the more than 100 priests and 154 doctors who have died in Italy "in an act of service" to victims of COVID-19.

"May the example of these 'shepherd-priests and shepherd-doctors' help us to take care of God's faithful holy people," he said.

The pope began his homily by reflecting on the Sunday Gospel reading from St. John, in which Christ not only presents himself as the shepherd but also as "the gate for the sheep" because "whoever enters through me will be saved."

"All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate," Jesus said.

The pope noted that even the church has not been immune to "fake shepherds" who throughout history "exploited the flock" and were interested only "in making a career, in politics or in money."

Nevertheless, "the flock knows how to distinguish between shepherds, they are not mistaken," he said. "The flock trusts the good shepherd, they trust Jesus. The flock only trusts a shepherd who looks like Jesus."

A shepherd who isn't meek, he added, "has something hidden because meekness shows itself as it is, without defending itself." A meek shepherd is guided by "that tenderness of closeness" that spurs him on to go out of his way in search of the lost sheep.

"This is the good shepherd, this is Jesus, this is the one who accompanies us all on the journey of life. And this idea of the shepherd, this idea of the flock and the sheep, is a Paschal idea," Pope Francis said.

Later in the day, before reciting the "Regina Coeli" prayer, the pope said that just as a flock of sheep can recognize the voice of their shepherd, Christians must learn to distinguish between "the voice of the Good Shepherd and that of the thief."

"The voice of God never forces," he said in the address, which was livestreamed from the library of the Apostolic Palace. "God proposes, he does not impose. On the other hand, the evil voice seduces, assails, forces; it arouses dazzling illusions, tempting emotions, but it is fleeting."

While the voice of evil uses flattery, he added, it "leaves us empty inside and accuses us." Instead, the voice of God corrects with patience and "always nourishes hope."

"In this time, so many thoughts and worries lead us to fall into ourselves," the pope said. "Let us pay attention to the voices that reach our hearts. Let us ask ourselves where they come from. Let us ask for the grace to recognize and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd, who brings us out of the confines of selfishness and leads us to the pastures of true freedom."

Recalling the church's celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the pope called on Christians "to pray to the father to send laborers to work in his field."

"Priesthood and the consecrated life require courage and perseverance," he said. "Without prayer, we cannot go forward on this path. I invite everyone to invoke from the Lord the gift of good workers for his kingdom, with hearts and hands open to his love."

We don’t have comments turned on everywhere anymore. We have recently relaunched the commenting experience at America and are aiming for a more focused commenting experience with better moderation by opening comments on a select number of articles each day.

But we still want your feedback. You can join the conversation about this article with us in social media on Twitter or Facebook, or in one of our Facebook discussion groups for various topics.

Or send us feedback on this article with one of the options below:

We welcome and read all letters to the editor but, due to the volume received, cannot guarantee a response.

In order to be considered for publication, letters should be brief (around 200 words or less) and include the author’s name and geographic location. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

We open comments only on select articles so that we can provide a focused and well-moderated discussion on interesting topics. If you think this article provides the opportunity for such a discussion, please let us know what you'd like to talk about, or what interesting question you think readers might want to respond to.

If we decide to open comments on this article, we will email you to let you know.

If you have a message for the author, we will do our best to pass it along. Note that if the article is from a wire service such as Catholic News Service, Religion News Service, or the Associated Press, we will not have direct contact information for the author. We cannot guarantee a response from any author.

We welcome any information that will help us improve the factual accuracy of this piece. Thank you.

Please consult our Contact Us page for other options to reach us.

City and state/province, or if outside Canada or the U.S., city and country. 
When you click submit, this article page will reload. You should see a message at the top of the reloaded page confirming that your feedback has been received.

The latest from america

The 12 women whose feet were washed by Pope Francis included women from Italy, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Ukraine, Russia, Peru, Venezuela and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"We, the members of the Society of Jesus, continue to be lifted up in prayer, in lament, in protest at the death and destruction that continue to reign in Gaza and other territories in Israel/Palestine, spilling over into the surrounding countries of the Middle East."
The Society of JesusMarch 28, 2024
A child wounded in an I.D.F. bombardment is brought to Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on March 25. (AP Photo/Ismael abu dayyah)
While some children have been evacuated from conflict, more than 1.1 million children in Gaza and 3.7 million in Haiti have been left behind to face the rampaging adult world around them.
Kevin ClarkeMarch 28, 2024
Easter will not be postponed this year. It will not wait until the war is over. It is precisely now, in our darkest hour, that resurrection finds us.
Stephanie SaldañaMarch 28, 2024