The world needs priest heroes more than ever.
We cry out for the Maximillian Kolbes, Jean Vianneys, and Padre Pios whom the Church needs now to remind us of our call as disciples of Jesus Christ. We need priests who truly become fathers to us: men who love us in times of fear and sorrow; men who steer us back to truth when we go astray; men who celebrate life's threshold moments with great joy.
Or as Jesus declares in today's Gospel, we need priests who are willing to lay down their lives for their sheep.
One image that will forever remain with me came from an old book about the Fatima children that I read decades ago, a title that unfortunately now escapes me. At the time of Our Lady's appearance in the early 1900s in Portugal, Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco themselves were young shepherds tending their families' flocks. In many ways, the author points out, they were typical kids: playing games, rushing through their prayers, daydreaming while eating their packed lunches. And yet, at the same time, they were fiercely loyal to the flock of sheep entrusted to them, guarding them and leading them to pasture. "Those sheep knew the three children shepherds would never abandon them."
That's the line that stuck. The sheep knew they'd never be abandoned.
Shepherds in every generation where such work is still practiced have been known to lay down their own bodies across an open gate during the night so that wolves and other predators would have to get through the shepherd before attacking the innocent ewes and lambs. And it is true, a shepherd who loves each of his sheep would, in fact, go in search of the stray one.
Jesus knows what he's talking about here. He knew the hard life of a Holy Land shepherd, so much so that he compared himself to one of them.
And he continues to make that same call today: where are my brave shepherds now? Where are the ones who will lay down their lives to protect my flock, my Bride: the Church?
It does give us pause to ask ourselves as a parish community and as Christian families: what are you and I doing to promote priestly vocations? Are you encouraging young men to discern such a call to be a brave shepherd? Are you and I praying daily for laborers to come from the harvest towns of Elkton and North East again? Are you willing to allow one of your own to enter ministry that is now often misunderstood and mocked? Are you willing to sacrifice grandchildren for others to receive Christ in the Church's Sacraments?
Make no mistake, shepherding in every form is hard work.
This weekend, the Diocese of Wilmington is asking us as a parish and as a united local Church to take some time to discern how we can work together as a family in faith to shape our diocese to become one that truly shepherds her flock.
How will we raise up future men to become holy priests and shepherds of parishes?
How do we promote vocations to the religious life, knowing especially that women religious have been the backbone of our success and vitality?
How do we reach the thousands of Catholic college kids who flood the University of Delaware and Salisbury University each year who are at a real risk of walking away from the Church?
In what ways will we continue to feed, house, counsel and protect all who come to the one place where they know they are more than their social security number? Even if we don't do it perfectly every time, we certainly strive as the Catholic Church to see those who come to us as Christ in disguise. "For I was hungry and ..."
The goal of the Annual Diocesan Appeal, at least as I see it, is not just about giving "them" money. Obviously, I'm not sugarcoating the fact that this is a key component of the appeal. We just can't help others -- or keep things operational -- if we don't have the financial support.
What I hope from this time of reflection is this: how will we shepherd in the generations to come? How will we support our local Church of the Wilmington diocese in all her many charitable efforts? How will we be shepherds to others?
When all is said and done, that's the goal: to call our Church back to shepherding again, as Christ would have us do.
We haven't always, especially these past decades.
But that's not the end of our story. It need not be, any way -- not if we commit ourselves to shepherding again.
Pray about the ways in which each of us can assist our Church in becoming a healing, loving shepherd once again.
Ask in prayer if our Lord wants you to contribute financially to the many charitable works of Bishop Koenig and our diocese.
And perhaps most importantly, continue to work toward calling forth and forming the future shepherds our Church needs to make Christ present: at the altar, in the confessional and in the lives and hearts of all who need to be protected from the power of Satan and the empty lies of the world.
How can we lay down our lives as the Good Shepherd shows us?
How can we raise up future Kolbes, Vianneys and Pios?
How can we strengthen and protect all the sheep who come to us, knowing that they will always be loved and cared for?
The Church, modeling her Cross-carrying Shepherd, never abandons a flock in danger. May we always hold fast to this most sacred mission.