Left to the Wolves”
By Alexis Fuentes, Fiat Ventures
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Do you remember those old Warner Brothers cartoons from the 1950’s? You know, the one where the wolf is sitting at a restaurant going berserk over the beautiful woman serenading the crowd? Or perhaps you recall Disney’s technicolored Big Bad Wolf who went knocking on the house of the Three Little Pigs. More recently, you may have seen wolves in mega-productions like The Twilight Saga and Game of Thrones. Yes, with their interesting folklore, intoxicating beauty, and menacing strength and speed, wolves have created an indelible mark on popular culture.
With all this exposure to wolf-dom, we hearers of the Word may be quick to dismiss the cautious tone of this Sunday’s Gospel from John, chapter 10:
I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me.
As I pondered this reading today, I began to think about wolves in a different way. What are the wolves in our lives that the Lord is protecting us from? And more to it, who is the “hired man?” If we take Jesus at his word, then we must pay special attention to this Gospel reading; it ought to make us quiver inside. For there are indeed wolves out there that are looking to hunt, scatter and devour the people of God. These wolves come in many forms: addiction, pornography, ego, pride, resentment, greed, depression…the list goes on and on. These are real demons that “catch” us off-guard, harming our bodies and spirits and creating a divide in (or “scattering”) our relationships. While those concepts are scary enough, what I find particularly insidious are the “hired men.” These are the false shepherds who lure us into believing they know the way. These “hired men” can be found everywhere: commercials, billboards, beauty magazines, talk radio, even among your closest friends. They make promises of happiness and security, yet they have “no concern” for you. In the end, they are quick to open the path for the wolves to follow.
What are the hired men saying in your life? Are you buying into what they’re selling? Do you sometimes feel like you are surrounded by wolves? If so, seek the presence of the Good Shepherd and hide in the shadow of His wings. Find him in the Eucharist, or in prayer. Find Him in a loving friend. His voice is familiar, calm and sure. It is the voice of Truth, and it always brings peace. Remember your identity as His beloved child. He longs to look at you and assure you that you are not lost to these wolves. Seek him, and He will say to you, “Be not afraid, for I am yours and you are mine.”
