Statuette of the Good Shepherd, 18th Century reworking of a figure from a late 3rd or 4th Century sarcophagus, Vatican Museums.
To our Christian eyes, this figure of the Good Shepherd carrying the sheep on his shoulders surely derives from the parable of the lost sheep which is found in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 15:4-5) and, perhaps, also from the imagery used by Jesus in John’s gospel as in today’s reading. However, the symbolism of the Good Shepherd has a longer and broader history. Within the Old Testament it draws on the prophecy that God would send a leader who would shepherd his people. In addition there are passages which speak of God as the shepherd of his people. From the Third Century onwards, images and carvings of the Good Shepherd carrying a sheep on his shoulders were placed in Christian burial sites. They were either painted on the walls, or carved in relief on grave slabs. For example, such depictions are very common in the catacombs of Rome. But Christians were not the only ones to use this image. In the classical world the shepherd with his sheep symbolised the peace and tranquility of the afterlife and was common in Roman pagan burials. The athletic young man bearing a sheep on his shoulders was used as a votive offering to the god Hermes. Also it was a symbol of faithful service and philanthropy. In Christian burial sites it is a symbol of Christ. In the context of a Christian burial it speaks of Christ’s rescue of the sinner, the forgiveness of sins, the promise of eternal life and the joy of his company in heaven. After the Reformation, the image of the Good Shepherd became popular again but was used polemically by both Catholic and Protestant to distinguish between good and bad shepherds. However, the appeal of this image goes deeper than inter -denominational polemics. Think for example of the widespread use by all Christians of the 23rd Psalm at funerals. In fact, what these ancient burial sites, both Christian and non-Christian, tells us is that this image of the Good Shepherd speaks to something very deep within us.
The Catholic Chaplaincy serves the students and staff of the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University.
The Catholic Chaplaincy is also a parish of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh (the Parish of St Albert the Great) and all Catholic students and staff are automatically members of this parish.
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St Albert's Catholic Chaplaincy is part of the English Province of the Order of Preachers, a charity registered in England and Wales (231192) and in Scotland (SC039062).