When Jesus uses the image of sheep to describe those in His care, He is describing a situation to which His listeners can easily relate. In the Old Testament, priests, prophets and kings failed in their responsibilities to such an extent that God the Father took back the flock into His personal care, and now they are entrusted to Jesus, the good shepherd. Sheep need a shepherd to look after them, to guide them and keep them safe. Just as parents recognize the different cries of their own children, so the good shepherd listens for the cry of His sheep. And just as children recognize the voice of their parents, so those who belong to Jesus listen for His voice and follow Him.
Perhaps we can gather from what we have already said that God’s house as described by Jesus is not some many-roomed country mansion, good to look at but impossible to live in. The church is not a museum to be visited, holding the treasures of a bygone age. The Church is a community of people who care about the world in which we live. The care about the people among whom we live, especially those who are most in need. Today we ask God to help us all to recognize the voice of the good shepherd and to follow Him; to understand, however, that we are not just sheep who follow, but sharers with Jesus in His mission to seek out and save those who are lost. Today is a day for all of us to commit ourselves in such a way that young people from our community will feel that a call to priesthood is a natural and normal way to find happiness and fulfillment for their lives; to be shepherds and not museum guides.