21 April 2024 -- 4th Sunday of Easter "B
Acts 4:8-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18
Homily
This Gospel tells us about the Good Shepherd. "Good shepherd" is the usual translation. And yet the original Greek text should be translated, literally, as: "I am the beautiful shepherd" ('o poimèn 'o kalós), as Cardinal Martini of Milan reminded us some twenty years ago in an admirable pastoral letter on the beauty that will save the world. In reality, there is not much difference between the two translations, because what is truly beautiful is what is good and true. That's the difference between a real rose and a plastic flower, between a genuine person and someone trying to deceive by playing a role. When we meet someone whose generosity, love and faithfulness are admirable, don't we say: "What a beautiful person!", and when someone tells us a particularly touching story, don't we say: "What a beautiful story! Well, it is in this sense that Jesus is a "beautiful shepherd". He uses this image to describe the nature of his relationship with us.