Psalm Reflection: The Fourth Sunday of Easter - Cycle C

“We are his people, the sheep of his flock.” - Psalms 100

I heard it my whole life growing up: “You look just like your mom.”

My mom had all the dominant features: olive skin, dark hair and dark eyes. My father’s light hair, paler skin, and blue eyes never stood a chance. However, if you were to listen to my father and I laugh, joke around, or get into a spirited debate, you would notice how similar our mannerisms and quirks are. Which is why my mother would always reply to my sass and wit with the comment, “you are just like your father.”

Just as children often reflect the values, habits, and love of their parents, we too are called to reflect Jesus, our Good Shepherd. We are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), so in some capacity, we look like Him. When we were baptized, we were initiated into the family of God, and the more time we spend in that family, the more like Jesus we will become.

“My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” - John 10:27

To reflect Christ, we must first listen to Him. Listening requires us to spend time in prayer, to read Scripture, and to be attentive to His voice in the quiet moments of our lives. The Catechism emphasizes that prayer is a vital way to enter into this relationship: 

“Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment.” - CCC 2709

You may have heard the phrase, “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” And it is true, the people we spend the most time with tend to shape who we become. If we spend time with Jesus—through prayer, the Sacraments, and encountering Him in the poor—we will naturally begin to reflect His compassion and humility. 

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” - St. Augustine, Confessions

When we allow Jesus to shepherd us, His love transforms us and we become His reflection in the world. We become His hands and His feet, which the world so desperately needs.

"Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes with which Christ looks out his compassion to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now." - St. Teresa of Avila

This week’s Responsorial Psalm is an invitation to reflect on whether or not we are living up to this privileged responsibility to bring Christ into the world, and, if we are not, to consider how we might draw nearer to the voice of our Good Shepherd to better demonstrate His love through the ways we love and serve.

Are we spending enough time with Jesus to reflect His love? 

Are we allowing Him to shepherd us, or are we wandering off on our own paths? 

This Sunday is also Mother’s Day. As I reflect on all I have received from my mom, I am reminded that she gave me so much more than her features. Both of my parents were the first people to demonstrate sacrificial love to me. Similarly, Mother’s Day is an opportunity for us to recognize the similarities between the nurturing care of our mothers and the tender guidance of Christ. Just as mothers sacrifice for their children, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). Mothers teach, guide, and protect their children, much like how Jesus leads us to “springs of life-giving water” (Revelation 7:17).

What do we do in response to the great love that Has been poured into our lives? 

How can we express gratitude to our mothers and to God for all they have done for us?

By staying close to Jesus, we can become a reflection of His goodness, just as children reflect the love of their parents. Let us not neglect the opportunity to express our love, admiration and gratitude to Him. Let us strive to live as His people, the sheep of His flock, and bring His light to the world.

I am praying for you, please pray for me and my family, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, May 11th, 2025, The Fourth Sunday of Easter - Cycle C: Psalms 100:1-2, 3, 5.