May 11.  Sunday Easter 4C. Good Shepherd Sunday.   Mothers Day. Fr Jeff decided to link all the themes for the day in his homily. He asked, “how many of you have ever met a shepherd?  How many of you have been one?  In an urban setting it isn’t likely that many have, but in a rural setting many men will have been herdboys and many young boys are still caring for sheep and cattle.  In some countries women and girls have that task too. Sheep stealing is still a problem and who would be willing to die for their sheep? But many of us would be more devoted to a cat or a dog.  Devotion is the kind of love Jesus expressed and showed for those he loved. More than anyone else in a family, caring for another person to such an extent is truly a mother’s natural maternal vocation. How many mothers wouldn’t die for their children? But mothers need protection too.  Are they being cared for and protected by others in their families?  I offer a special blessing to all of you as birth mothers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law, mothers-in-waiting, adoptive mothers and all those who mother other people’s children too.   

Reflect, share and act. Scripture. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me, and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand, John 10: 27-30.  Pope Francis: Mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of self-centred individualism.  It is they who testify to the beauty of life.  A society without mothers would be dehumanised for even in the worst of times they are witness to tenderness, dedication and moral strength.  AL 174. JUBILEE. In exploring the signs of hope one notes the loss of the desire to transmit life. A number of countries are experiencing an alarming decline in the birthrate as a result of today’s frenetic pace, fears about the future, the lack of job security and adequate social policies, and social models whose agenda is dictated by the quest for profit rather than concern for relationships. Openness to life and responsible parenthood is the design that the Creator has implanted in the hearts and bodies of men and women, a mission that the Lord has entrusted to spouses and their love. SNC9.   Pray: Mary, model of commitment and love for mothers and children, pray for us.