The Sunday Mass readings after Easter challenge us prove that we know that new life is given to us through Jesus’ resurrection. This newness should be seen not only in our personal lives and within the confines of our Church but in the world around us. The recent nationwide discussion on abortion has shown how little effect the resurrection has had, although not perhaps for the reason we might think. 

Jesus has given us the commandment to love one another. This sounds warm and comforting until we read the next sentence;” As I have loved you, you should love one another”. This makes this a new commandment. He is telling his disciples this in the upper room at the last supper. He has just washed his disciples’ feet, a sign of unimaginable humility. As we read last week with the good shepherd, he has told us that putting the needs of others ahead of our own is so important that it may require giving up our lives. This he, God himself, will do after he leaves the room and goes to his death. The new commandment is to love like Jesus, to assume sacrifice and suffering for the good of others. 

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This year Mother’s Day occurs on the 4^th Sunday of Easter. It is often called Good Shepherd Sunday. Every year we read about the Good Shepherd from the 10th Chapter of St John’s Gospel. This is fitting as the closest example of Good Shepherding is Mother love. To see this, let us examine the text itself and although we will begin in the ancient holy land we will end in contemporary South Asia.

This section of John’s Gospel follows a dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees. He has cured the man born blind on a sabbath. Covering their jealousy with piety they condemned Jesus for breaking the sabbath. Indeed, they not only threaten Jesus but also the cured man and his family. Jesus tells these enlightened leaders that they were blind. He then talks about shepherds.

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