SHEEP. - Symbol of the soul, it is known from the parable of the Good Shepherd (v.). Gregory of Nyssa, addressing the Good Shepherd with the sheep on his shoulders, exclaims: “A single little sheep is all human nature that you have taken upon your shoulders” (Hom. 2: PG 44, 801).
This explains why in early Christian art the representation of the Good Shepherd with the sheep on his shoulders or tending the flock of the elect is so frequent; or scenes of orants among sheep, i.e. of the blessed dead (Wilpert, Pitture, tavv. 75; 116, 2; 168), and also on sepulchral slabs (G. B. De Rossi, Roma sotterr., II, Roma 1867, tavv. 49-50, n. 14; A. Silvagni, Inscrip. Christ. Urbis Romae, nuova serie, II, Roma 1935, n. 4456); or sheep going to drink (O. Marucchi, Monum. del Museo crist. lateran., Milano 1910, tav. 57, 50). Christ is the door of the heavenly sheepfold (Jn 10:7); St Peter Chrysologus calls his faithful “filioli dominici gregis porti” (Serm., 173; PL 52, 651). The Church constitutes the flock of Christ, entrusted to its shepherds; of Sixtus II Damasus affirms that “pastoris meritum numerum gregis ipse tuetur” (A. Ferrua, Epigrammata Damasiana, Città del Vaticano 1942, n. 19); of Bishop Andrew of Formia it is said that “utque bonus pastor texit ab hoste gregem” (CIL, X, 6218); of Bishop Celso of Vercelli that he was “cultor gregis ovium Christi”; of Pope Boniface II that “adunavit divisum pastor ovile” (G. B. De Rossi, Inscrip. christ., I, Roma 1857-61, n. 1029); of John II that “commissum tibi pascem bonitate magistra, servasti cunctum sub pietate gregem” (ibid., II, p. 126, 5); of Gregory I: “hoc pastor agebas ut domino offerres plurima lucra gregis” (id., loc. cit., p. 52, 1; 78, 3); of John II that “sibi commissas pascerer novit oves” (id., loc. cit., p. 65, 19); Sergius on the tomb of Leo I wrote that “le lupus vastat ovile Dei, sed dudum ut pastor magnus Leo septa gregemque christicolam servans, inanitor arcis erat” (id., loc. cit., p. 98, 1). On the cloth donated by Queen Hildegard to the altar of St Peter in the Vatican was read “Pastor ovile Dei servans,” and in the carme placed in the consignatorium near St Michael was written: “Pastoris summi dextera signat oves” (id., loc. cit., II, 139, 26). In the carme now in the Lateran Museum is recalled the “grex sacrae Deo” (A. Silvagni, op. cit., I, n. 1485).