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Office Of Readings | Week 24, Thursday, Ordinary Time | From The Sermon Of Saint Augustine On The Shepherds | Be A Model For The Faithful
‘Be an example for the faithful.’
Saint Augustine turns to the destructive power of bad example. Having already examined how negligent shepherds fail to feed or protect their flock, he now shows that their own behaviour can actively corrupt those they lead. Pastors are not only teachers by their words but also models by their lives. When their conduct contradicts the Gospel, they undermine the faith of the strong and damage the weak.
Augustine highlights the scarcity of ‘sound sheep’—those firmly nourished by truth. These, by God’s mercy, can endure even under poor leadership. Yet a pastor’s visible sin endangers them, for believers often look to their leaders as living embodiments of God’s law. When a pastor lives contrary to the Gospel, a strong Christian may reason: ‘If my shepherd lives like this, why should I not do the same?’ In this way the shepherd’s sin becomes a stumbling block, a form of spiritual murder.
Augustine underscores the seriousness of this by comparing it with Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Just as lust in the heart is counted as adultery, so a pastor who leads astray by example is guilty of killing the sheep, even if the sheep remain alive in Christ. Sin resides not only in outward action but in the intention and influence of the heart.
The challenge is twofold: for pastors, to recognise that their authority requires integrity of life as well as teaching; for the faithful, to discern between the truth of Christ—always valid—and the failings of those who bear responsibility in the Church. Augustine advises the faithful to follow Christ’s words even when leaders fall short: ‘Do what they say but not what they do.’ Yet this does not absolve shepherds, who remain accountable before God for the harm their conduct inflicts.
From The Sermon Of Saint Augustine On The Shepherds | Be A Model For The Faithful
After the Lord had shown what wicked shepherds esteem, he also spoke about what they neglect. The defects of the sheep are widespread. There are very few healthy and sound sheep, few that are solidly sustained by the food of truth, and few that enjoy the good pasture God gives them. But the wicked shepherds do not spare such sheep. It is not enough that they neglect those that are ill and weak, those that go stray and are lost. They even try, so far as it is in their power, to kill the strong and healthy. Yet such sheep live; yes, by God’s mercy they live. As for the wicked shepherds themselves, they kill the sheep. ‘How do they kill them?’ you ask. By their wicked lives and by giving bad example. Or was God’s servant, who was high among the members of the chief shepherd, told this in vain: Show yourself as an example of good works toward all men, and, Be an example to the faithful?
Even the strong sheep, if he turns his eyes from the Lord’s laws and looks at the man set over him, notices when his shepherd is living wickedly and begins to say in his heart: ‘If my pastor lives like that, why should I not live like him?’ The wicked shepherd kills the strong sheep. But if he kills the strong one what does he do to the rest? After all, by his wicked life he kills even the sheep he had not strengthened but had found strong and hardy.
I appeal to your love, and again I say, even if the sheep have life and if they are strong in the word of the Lord, and if they hold fast to what they have heard from their Lord, Do what they say but not what they do. Still, as far as he himself is concerned, the shepherd who lives a wicked life before the people kills the sheep under his care. Let such a shepherd not deceive himself because the sheep is not dead, for though it still lives, he is a murderer – just as when the lustful man looks on a woman with desire, even though she is chaste, he has committed adultery. For the Lord said in plain truth: Whoever has looked upon a woman with desire has already committed adultery with her in his heart. He has not entered her bedroom, yet he has ravished her within the bedroom of his heart.
Christian Prayer With Jesus Christ
O Lord,
you call your people to holiness of life
and entrust shepherds with the care of your flock.
Preserve your Church from harm caused by bad example.
Grant that pastors may live lives of integrity and truth,
and that the faithful may look always to you,
the chief Shepherd, for guidance and strength.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
Shepherds – Pastors and leaders of the Church, entrusted with teaching and guiding the faithful.
Sheep – Symbol of the faithful, the people of God, who depend on Christ the Shepherd and on the care of their pastors.
Sound sheep – Believers firmly rooted in the truth of the Gospel, less easily shaken by bad leadership.
Example – Augustine emphasises that pastors teach not only by doctrine but by their way of life.
Murderer – A metaphor Augustine uses for pastors who corrupt others by their behaviour, causing spiritual harm.
Sermon on the Mount – Teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5–7, where he deepens the moral law, including the teaching that lust in the heart is already adultery (Matthew 5:28).
‘Do what they say but not what they do’ – Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:3, distinguishing the authority of God’s law from the failings of its interpreters.
Jesus’ Ministry has entered into a time of conflict, during which people begin to react against Jesus’ teachings, despite the many and beautiful miracles he has performed. In today’s Bible verses, the Pharisees accuse Jesus and his disciples of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus defends himself, justifying his actions, and in doing so suggests both his own divinity and a greater dignity for all people than that which the Pharisees can admit [ … ]
Saint Augustine’s sermon explores the relationship between divine grace and human works. He begins by stressing the importance of living according to what is heard and sung in worship: the word of God should not only be received but should bear fruit in deeds. Hearing is like planting a seed, but only action demonstrates that the seed has grown [ … ]
King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version King Herod There were several individuals named Herod who played significant roles in ancient history, particularly in the history of the Roman Empire and the region of Palestine. Here is a brief overview of the most notable Herods: Herod the Great: Also known as Herod I, he was a Roman client king of Judea, ruling from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. Herod Antipas: Also known as Herod II, he was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. Herod Agrippa I: Also known as Herod III, he was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned the apostle Paul. Herod Agrippa II: Also known as Herod IV, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over parts of Palestine and Syria from 50 to 100 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who heard Paul’s defence before the Roman governor Festus. These rulers, who were known as the Herodian dynasty, were not Jewish but rather descended from a Greek family that had converted to Judaism. Despite this, they were appointed as rulers by the Roman Empire and were generally unpopular among the Jewish population due to their collaboration with the Roman occupation and their often brutal methods of rule. Herod The Great Herod the Great, also known as Herod I, was a Roman client king of Judea who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was born in 73 BC in Idumea, a region in southern Palestine, and was the son of Antipater the Idumean, an Edomite who had been appointed as a governor of Judea by the Roman general Pompey. Herod rose to power after the Roman general Julius Caesar appointed him as king of Judea in 40 BC. He consolidated his power over the next few years by defeating his rivals and establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of the region. As king, Herod embarked on a massive building program that included the expansion and renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of the port city of Caesarea Maritima, and the fortification of several cities in Judea. He also commissioned the construction of a number of palaces and other buildings, including the famous Herodium, a palace-fortress located south of Jerusalem. Despite his many accomplishments, Herod was a controversial figure who was known for his harsh rule and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. He was married several times and had a large number of children, several of whom he had executed when they posed a threat to his rule. One of the most famous stories associated with Herod is the biblical account of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was saved by his parents, who fled to Egypt, and later returned to Palestine after Herod’s death. Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 70, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Palestine. Herod Antipas Herod Antipas, also known as Herod II, was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was born in 20 BC and was named after his father’s patron, the Roman emperor Augustus. Like his father, Herod Antipas was known for his ambitious building projects, including the construction of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known for his political cunning and his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist, a prominent religious figure who criticized Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias. According to the New Testament, John was eventually beheaded at the request of Herodias’ daughter, Salome, who danced for Herod and his guests at a banquet. Herod Antipas is also mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. Although he initially wanted to release Jesus, he ultimately handed him over to the Roman authorities at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders. Herod Antipas’ rule came to an end in 39 AD when the Roman emperor Caligula exiled him to Gaul, modern-day France. He died in exile a few years later. Herod Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I, also known as Herod III, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was born in 10 BC and was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, two of Herod the Great’s children. Herod Agrippa I was well-educated and fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and he was highly regarded by the Roman authorities for his loyalty and his ability to maintain order in Judea. He was appointed as king of Judea in 41 AD by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was impressed by his abilities and saw him as a reliable ally in the region. As king, Herod Agrippa I continued the building projects of his grandfather and expanded the Temple in Jerusalem. He also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the lives of the […]
