Recently, my son needed to find some baby pictures for a school project. In this age of digital images, rather than dig out photo albums, we went straight to the computer and quickly got lost on the winding road of Memory Lane. Warmth filled my heart, as I looked at pictures from the past 14 years. This photo of my oldest, dating back to 2007, reminded me of the comfort that my sons had found just in the familiarity of my voice.



At the sound of my voice, Liam’s eyes immediately found mine and, like magic, tears subsided and all became right with the world. The familiarity of my voice had the power to comfort and soothe, to calm and assuage, to protect and guide.

Our Gospel reading today teaches us much about the power inherent in a familiar voice. Jesus tells us, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me.” The connection between a shepherd and his sheep may be less familiar to us today, but Jesus gives us extra insight earlier in this chapter of John’s Gospel: “The sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Similar to parenting, a shepherd has great responsibility in caring for, nourishing, and protecting his flock; the sheep learn his voice and respond with complete trust, fidelity, and devotion. The best of shepherds will go so far as to risk their lives for their sheep. Jesus is the epitome of a Good Shepherd and we are called to be the sheep of His flock. He calls each of us by name, He nourishes us fully, and He leads us to safety. He loves so much that He willingly laid down his life for our salvation.

There is great power in the voice of Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Earlier this Easter Season, we heard one of my favorite Resurrection stories, in which Mary Magdalene meets the Risen Jesus but does not recognize Him until she hears His familiar voice call her by name. While her eyes could not identify the man in front of her as Jesus, her ears recognized His voice when He said “Mary.” I thinktoo of other Gospel stories in which Jesus’ voice brought l life and healing. He called Lazarus from the tomb and, at the sound of His voice, His friend was raised to life. His familiar voice drove out demons, cured illnesses, forgave sins, and changed lives. When we recognize Jesus’ voice and respond, miracles happen.

How well do we respond to our Good Shepherd’s voice in our daily lives today? When I think about the power my voice held with baby Liam, I know the same is not always true for teenager Liam. If my voice is calling him to the table for spaghetti and meatballs or cheering him on during a winning ballgame, the power remains strong! But when my voice is asking him to clean his room, do his homework, or put down his phone, it often falls on deaf ears. How similar though, do I act when Jesus calls me? On good days, I easily respond to Jesus’ voice and follow wherever He leads. On other days, though, I stubbornly close my ears. When He is calling me to change my ways, to make difficult decisions, to take risks for my faith, how often do I pretend not to hear? In our First Reading, St. Peter addresses the leaders of Jerusalem who have closed their ears to Jesus: “He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.” How many times have I too rejected Jesus, even though He is the cornerstone of my life? Thankfully, just as I will never stop loving and calling my son, Jesus will do the same for me. He always will leave the ninety-nine to save the one who failed to follow His voice – even when I am that one.

This Easter Season, let’s listen carefully for Jesus’ familiar voice. We live in a cacophonous world with so many strangers’ voices vying for our attention. Let us tune in to the one voice who will lead us to green pastures. Jesus is our Good Shepherd who will never fail us, never let us down, and never stop calling us by name. The Risen Christ walks ahead of us and invites us to follow. Let us not stray, but rather be one flock and respond with our lives.