4th Easter Sunday -Year B -John 10:11-18

A Filipino nurse Jonathan Aquino was sentenced to 18 months in jail for mauling his patient Maria Worroll almost a year ago in Kentish Town, North London. Jonathan Aquino’s violent acts were caught in a video when Jane Carroll, Maria’s daughter, hid a camera in the bedroom after suspecting a maltreatment of her mother. The video showed Aquino hitting the 80-year-old Alzheimer’s patient in the face and then slapping her arms several times. He then hit her abdomen four times. Sentencing Aquino to 18 months in jail, Judge Henry Blacksell QC told the nurse he was guilty of a ‘dreadful breach of trust’. ‘It is distressing for anybody to have to watch what’s contained on the footage,’ he said at Blackfriars Crown Court, central London. ‘This poor woman had been transferred to this institution in the hope that she should receive proper care and attention. ‘Quite rightly, society in general is extremely concerned about the treatment of the elderly and vulnerable in institutions such as this. 'They should be able to expect better, and I am afraid those who are caught misusing their responsibility should be held to account.’ This is a sad story of a caregiver. Today's gospel, on the other hand, gives us a very different picture of caregiving. The gospel talks of Jesus as the good shepherd, a caregiver. The life of the shepherd in biblical times was one of personal self-giving and sacrifice –a great caregiver. His work was that of watchful care and closeness to the flock. There were two kinds of shepherds, caregivers. There was the hired hand for whom keeping the sheep was just the available job. He moved from flock to flock depending on the conditions of service and he would not risk his life for them. Jesus said that he is not that kind of shepherd. Then there is the shepherd-owner of the flock who grows up with the flock and stays with the same flock all his life. He calls each one by name and could tell you the personal story of each one of the sheep, when and where it was born, the problems it has had in life, its personal characteristics, etc. He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd, a caregiver. He laid down his life for the flock, that is, we the church. In a general way he invites all of us to share in the work of care-giving for the flock in our own little ways. Parents are shepherds or caregivers of their children. A good spouse is a shepherd of his/her prodigal spouse. Doctors are shepherds of the sick. Lawyers are shepherds of the victims of unjust system. Teachers are shepherds of their students. Do we give our all for our sheep even if it is beyond our duty? Do we give care to others just like Jesus has taken care of us? Can we give more than what our job description requires?