April 26, 2026: The Good Pet Dragon Owner

The Good Pet Dragon Owner

The 4th Sunday of Easter is always called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” That’s a nice image. Jesus is called our Good Shepherd, but the problem is I have never met a shepherd. I’ve seen some from a distance—like when I was in Israel—but I’ve never actually talked to one. So Jesus as a shepherd is really someone else’s image of Jesus. It’s a good one, but not one I naturally connect with.

Instead, I find myself thinking of Jesus in other ways—maybe as a good dairy farmer, or a good horse rider (because I’ve actually talked to dairy farmers and horse riders). But here’s another one . . . the good “pet dragon” owner.

You see, I have met a pet dragon owner. Here he is. [Paxton enters with a Bearded Dragon] And I think there’s a lot we can learn about life from a good owner of a bearded dragon. [Invite children to come up and gently pet the dragon]

For example:

• Don’t judge from outward appearances—we all can have a tough or “scaly” exterior. 
• Bonding takes time. Don’t get discouraged if someone doesn’t warm up to you right away. 

And we can also learn a few things from the bearded dragon itself:

• Patience is a virtue (as we heard in the second reading). When things aren’t going well, we can “chill out” like a bearded dragon—no overreacting, no running away. 
• We all need sunshine. Sometimes it’s good just to lie still, soak up what is life-giving, and be renewed. That’s not laziness—it’s recharging. 
• And it’s OK to shed your skin. To let go, start again, and grow into something new. 

[Bearded dragon exits; children return to seats]

Those are good lessons from a good “pet dragon” owner.

But in today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us another image: He is the Gate for the sheep. Not just someone we admire from a distance—but the One we go through. The One who guards what enters our lives and protects us from what would harm us.

A gate is never passive. It decides what comes in and what stays out. In the same way, Jesus invites us to be intentional about what we allow into our hearts—our thoughts, our influences, our habits. Because not everything that enters our lives leads to life. Some things quietly lead us away from it.

-So if your social media feeds you revenge instead of forgiveness, maybe it’s time for a new source.
-If your friends push you toward getting even instead of forgiving “seventy times seven,” maybe it’s time to 

choose different voices.
-And if anything in your life is teaching who your enemies are instead of loving your enemy, then maybe it’s 

time to find a new gate.

So this week, with whatever you have going . . . things that try your patience, things needing to be reset, things that are coming at you with negative message . . . just ask yourself, “Where would Jesus, (the sheep gate, the good pet owner, the good shepherd) lead me?