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When I was in elementary school, I was always very puzzled by this image of the Good Shepherd that we find in Scripture because it was not my experience. Sometimes, during vacation time, I would go and stay with my uncle on a small mountainy farm in Donegal in Ireland and I would see him walk out to the hillside with his sheepdog, and then, with a word, the dog would race off up the mountainside and, guided by my uncle’s whistles and hand signals, would gather all the sheep around and guide them down wherever my uncle wanted them to go. There was no talking to the sheep. There was no leading of the sheep. And so this puzzled me.

Then, I went to India, and this gospel image just came absolutely alive before my eyes. There I saw men leading out, literally leading, walking ahead of a flock of sheep and goats. They’d have a long bamboo pole with a sickle tied to the top of it, and they would go along, cutting down leaves from the trees to feed their flocks. It was the gospel picture brought to life. And this is the picture of the Good Shepherd that we have in the scriptures, one who leads the sheep, one who talks to his sheep, one who cares for the sheep and finds nourishment for the sheep. It’s the role of the true shepherd, as given in Scripture.

I would suggest that Pope John Paul II exemplified all of these traits in a remarkable way. He invited people of every race and creed to come to the truth. The truth as he understood it was not always the truth that people want to see or hear. We did not always appreciate the shelter that he was offering us. We did not always appreciate the nourishment that was being set before us. We did not always share his vision of life, because his was that if you wanted life in abundance, it was to be found ultimately only in Jesus Christ.

The spectacle of the millions who came to Rome, beginning with the first news of his last illness, and staying there all through the funeral, really defies any logical explanation. And the fact that so many were young people astounded commentators. What drew them all? What connected them to this man? I believe that, though many would disagree with him on some topics, for example the Iraq War or Capital Punishment or abortion or sexual morality, to name just a few, they recognized that he had been offering them an alternative to the dissatisfaction of our life as they perceived it. He had given them hope by showing them the intrinsic worth of every single human being. He told us that we all deserved a safe place, free of fear, free of war, free of oppression, where our spirits could be nourished and we would receive life and receive it abundantly. He had been telling us what Augustine had said long before in talking to God. He said, “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” He constantly stressed that it is the presence of God in our lives that truly enriches us, not wealth or power, not possessions or the satisfactions of our own egos. This was bringing to life the image of the Good Shepherd that we find in Scripture, the one who leads and guides and protects and nourishes. And, as you know well, the word “pastor” is the Latin for shepherd.

What does the presence of God in our lives mean for us as Christians? How do we judge it? How do we see the presence of God in our lives? Surely, it must mean, first of all, hearing the Word of Jesus, the voice of Jesus in Scripture and in Church tradition. Now, this of course, does require study, but, above all, it requires a humble heart and a real committment to gospel values and the authentic teaching of our Church in matters of doctrine and morality.

Tomorrow, the process of choosing a new universal pastor for our Church begins. And, as you know, there’s a lot of speculation about it. Just yesterday evening, I checked with the Irish bookie, Patty Power, out of the internet. And he is making book on who the new pope will be. And now, suddenly gone up the list and in first place with the shortest odds in Cardinal Ratzinger. (You’re not putting your money on him. Are you?) Now, this might test your faith, but let us be very clear. As Christians, our faith is in the working of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus did promise that he would be with the Church until the end of time. So we must believe that whoever is chosen, it will be God’s choice and the one whom God sees as best suited for the challenges of the Church today. Like John Paul II he may lead us on paths that we find difficult to accept. We may not relish the nourishment that he offers. Not everyone will be totally happy. But let us remember this is about the Church Universal as a Body. It is not about our individual agendas, no matter how good they may seem to us. We must believe in the promise of Christ to give us life and to give it more abundantly. We know that we need guidance. We know that we need protection. We know that we need nourishment.

A well-known theologian, Enda McDonough, just wrote in the last few days, “No particular human being is equal to the challenges that face the Church today. Whoever is chosen will need the critical love, fidelity, and energy of all Catholics if the Holy Spirit is to be free to follow through on the conclave’s choice. They need the pledge of our support. Right now, that person needs the pledge of our prayers. And in the next few days, I urge every single one of us to pray very, very, very fervently to the Holy Spirit that we may get a pastor who will be truly for us a Good Shepherd. Amen.