Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 10, 1-10
Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
They hear my voice
1) Through the gate. Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus is the gate and the Good Shepherd. It’s a day when we especially pray for priesthood and religious vocations. We ask the Lord to touch the hearts of those who consecrate their lives to God so that they may have the heart of shepherds and be attentive to the sheep. We also pray to God for so many wounded and tired shepherds; shepherds who have got lost in life, perhaps because they’ve gone out to save sheep who’ve got tangled up in their life. Let’s also pray for them.
2) He goes ahead. Today we must all work on having a shepherd’s heart, especially those who lead others, and those who are parents, because they must guide their children along the right path. How difficult it is to educate children! It’s your task as pastors of your family, just as much as it is my task as a priest. And there is a reason why priests are also called fathers, because they must have a paternal heart and be close to their flock. They must be warm and friendly, creating a familiarity that allows a close relationship. Let’s ask for the wisdom to know how to guide others and to lead others in life.
3) Save. We are called to save and to give hope. Those who come to steal are those who steal hope and use any situation in life to scare the sheep. We must be shepherds who embrace so many sheep who are afraid, lost or shivering from the cold. Let’s be shepherds who walk next to the sheep and guide them along. Today, Good Shepherd Sunday, let’s pray to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, for those have consecrated their lives to Him, because “God does not call those who are capable, but he makes those who are called capable”.
Remember that something good is on the way.
May God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
