Fourth Sunday of Easter – The Good Shepherd and the Call to Vocations

This Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, offers us a powerful image of Jesus: the Risen Lord who calls, leads, protects, and lays down His life for His sheep. It is a beautiful and intimate metaphor—one that speaks to the closeness God desires with each one of us. As sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd, so too are we invited to recognize, trust, and follow the voice of Christ, our Shepherd and Savior.

In Jesus, we find one who guides and protects, who walks ahead of us into every valley and up every mountaintop. We are not abandoned or left to wander aimlessly. Instead, we are known—deeply, lovingly, and personally.

When Scripture tells us that Jesus "knows His sheep," it speaks of more than awareness; it reveals a profound commitment. To know in the biblical sense is to enter into a relationship, to form a lasting bond of friendship, of brotherhood and sisterhood, of divine intimacy with the Son of God, and through Him, with the Father.

We are given many reasons to follow and to trust our Good Shepherd:

• He calls each of us by name.
• He lays down His life so that we might live.
• He never abandons us whether in danger or disappointment.
• He seeks us out when lost and binds us up when wounded.
• He restores our souls and leads us to verdant pastures of peace.

In Him, we find healing in His touch, confidence in His words, strength in His love, and peace in His presence. When we listen first to the voice of Christ, we are better able to trust, welcome, and follow Him faithfully in every season of our lives.

Today we also observe the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a day when the Church invites us to pray fervently for those whom God is calling to serve as priests, deacons, and members of the consecrated life. These vocations are not simply roles to fill—they are profound responses to the Shepherd’s call. And they begin with listening hearts, nurtured right here in parishes like ours.

One inspiring example comes from a college student named Daniel who, while attending a campus ministry retreat, felt a quiet but persistent tug at his heart during Eucharistic Adoration. “I realized Jesus wasn’t asking me to be perfect,” Daniel shared. “He was just asking me to trust Him enough to say ‘yes.’ That night changed my life.” Daniel is now in his third year of seminary formation, joyfully preparing to be a priest who will shepherd others just as he was once guided. This same story could be yours for our teens and young adults.

Might the Lord be calling someone here, in our own parish family, to such a life of servant-ministry and love? May we continue to pray for and encourage vocations from Blessed Trinity Catholic Parish, and may our homes, classrooms, and hearts be places where the voice of the Good Shepherd can be heard clearly and followed courageously.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd—help us to follow where You lead, and raise up from our community those who will lead others to You.

Fr. Skip – Pastor

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Loving God,
 You call us each by name and invite us to follow You.
 Bless your Church with generous hearts willing to serve.
 Raise up from our parish and our families and homes
 faith-filled men and women to serve
 as priests, deacons, and consecrated religious.
Inspire them to listen to Your voice,
 to respond with courage and love,
 and to become true shepherds after Your own heart.
May their lives proclaim the joy of the Gospel,
 and may their witness lead others to know and love You.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 Amen.