Be a good shepherd

"I am the good shepherd," Jesus said. "A good shepherd will give up his life to save his sheep. A paid worker will let a wolf eat the sheep, because he doesn't own them. But I know my sheep and they know me, and I'll die for them. All people will hear my voice and become like one flock of sheep with one shepherd."

Have you ever begged for a pet? Some kids are lucky enough to own pets already; sometimes, you spend years begging for a dog, cat, hamster or bird, hoping your parents will say yes.

If you really want a pet, you know you have to convince your family of one thing: that you'll take such good care of it, it will be the happiest pet ever!

Jesus probably knew about taking care of pets, because He took good care of more important things: people. In this week's Gospel (John 10:11-18), He described how He did that.

What makes a happy pet? Animals need a safe place to live, food to eat and attention. They need to go to the vet when they're sick and play when they're healthy.

People need some of the same things. That's why Jesus used the example of a shepherd when He talked about how He took care of people. He said that He was like a shepherd caring for sheep.

Jesus kept bad people -- He called them "wolves" -- away from His followers, and He paid attention to them wherever they were so they'd stay close to Him. He still does that with us!

Even if you really, really want a pet, you may not get one. But learning about treating animals well is good practice for treating people well, too.

Jesus wanted people to remember that being a "good shepherd" isn't just God's job; we have to be good shepherds for each other (and our pets, too)!

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