The Shepherd’s Flock

By: Rick Hernandez

Our Church is in mourning over the loss of our Pope, Francis. Both global news and social media are filled with reflections about his contributions, and the divided opinions surrounding his policies and pastoral approach. It is fair to say that we will continue to hear much more commentary on what kind of Pope the Church needs next, whether similar to Francis or not. But more than that discussion, I am interested in how we have been changed, individually and as a community, by Francis’ missionary call to unity, inclusion, and compassionate accompaniment for those lost in loneliness and in need of love and care.
 
Some of us may feel a strange relief, now that Pope Francis' challenge to leave our comfort zones and accompany others where they are, is no longer so immediate. His voice, urging us to see where we fall short, is now silent. Yet Christ has always called us to that very same mission. Why are we still hesitating? It is time for each of us to spend some time in honest and humble self-reflection.
 
Others may feel the loss more acutely, especially those who drew strength and encouragement from Pope Francis’ support of a Church that walks with the poor and the abandoned, those who feel they have no place, neither in society nor in the Church. That sense of discouragement is understandable. Still, the mission remains unchanged. We pray for courage, for renewed commitment, and for our charity to increase.
 
How is it that we claim to be the people of a God of Goodness, Love, and Mercy, and still abandon our brothers and sisters at the margins? Pope Francis urged us to confront that contradiction. He invited us to become again a living, missionary Church, by reminding us that we are all sinners in need of grace, called to help one another. For this pastoral approach, he was criticized and even disliked. Criticized and disliked for being like Christ. I believe we are all called, in this respect, to be a little more like Pope Francis, in that love of the poor and the marginalized that was also espoused by Saint Francis of Assisi before him.
 
A dear friend once said to me, “The Pope cares deeply about people on the edges of society, but does he care about us?” That is a fair and very honest question, and perhaps at the heart of the resistance to Pope Francis' pastoral ministry.

“What man among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy… ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’… In the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” (Luke 15:4–7)

​How did the ninety-nine sheep feel when the shepherd left to find the one who was lost? In an ideal and selfless world, we would rejoice that the shepherd cares so deeply for each of us. I imagine that when our lost brother is found, we would celebrate together in unity and full of joy. But we do not live in an ideal or selfless world.
 
It’s understandable if some of the ninety-nine feel overlooked. Yet let us remember: the sheep were not abandoned; they remained in the shepherd’s field, together, in a place of safety, and knowing that the shepherd would return. It is up to us, the community of believers, to stand together while He searches for the lost. In fact, it is the responsibility of the ninety-nine to keep the place for the one who is missing.

“An idle mind is the devil’s playground.” (Often attributed to Saint Jerome of Stridon)

When we are united in service, helping our brothers and sisters on the journey to Heaven, we leave little room for thoughts of exclusion or resentment. We help the Shepherd fulfill the mission of Love and Mercy by loving one another, by moving beyond our comfort zones, and by trusting more deeply in His love. We become as shepherds to one another, protecting, supporting, and growing in grace together.
 
But perhaps we are among the discontented sheep. If so, let us remember why Christ came into the world, and why He left us His Church. If the Church is, as Pope Francis famously said, a field hospital, then we are all patients in its care in some way. May we, by God’s grace, heal well-enough, that while being patients, we can also help as caregivers. Let us keep the faith, for we know who the Divine Physician is.
 
Are we contributing to Christ's mission of Love and Mercy, and are we the Church Christ intended us to be?  Let us have a renewed commitment to be the Church Christ intended us to be.
 
If our brothers cannot love, then let us be like Mother Mary and gently point them to Jesus. That is good and right, but let us also love them.
 
If our brothers cannot believe, then let us be like Saint Thomas, invite them to bring their doubts to Jesus and see His wounds, that they might believe. That too is good and right, but let us also walk with them on the road to faith.
 
Pope Francis called us to care, in both thought and action, just as Jesus did. Let us pray for Pope Francis' soul and his eternal rest. And let us also pray for our new Pope, whoever he may be, that Christ’s Church may continue to call us to conversion, to the stretching of our hearts, and to the reaching out of our hands to those in need. This is what Christ commanded. Let us fall on the side of love. Amen.

Rick Hernandez

Rick Hernandez is a commonsense Catholic, Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, and a Director for Elisheba House. He lives in Trinity, Florida, with his wife Ivonne and their children. He also writes for the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament's Daily Eucharistic Reflections and for Catholicmom.com.