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.”
Shepherding
1. Through the gate. A shepherd is gentle and respectful, he doesn’t invade or attack, he mustn’t impose himself on others. The shepherd needs to create a close, friendly and trusting relationship with others. It’s your task as the shepherd of your family, just as much as it’s my task as a priest, or the task of religious or consecrated men and women. We can’t be thieves; we can’t steal anyone’s life and hope. We must illuminate and accompany others.
2. Calls them by name. This is the second characteristic of the shepherd. It’s the great relationship that you must have with God and God has with you. Never stop striving for that close relationship with God. A good shepherd must know his own and give them the time and attention they need; they should feel accompanied and guided, not ignored. Give them your time. Turn off the cell phone and the television and if necessary and give the person a hug if necessary.
3. He goes ahead. This is the third characteristic. We must pray to God that we might have a shepherd’s heart and leadership capacity, to be able to face life and everything that comes our way. We mustn’t be afraid to lead, knowing that the strength comes from the Great Shepherd. Beware of the wolf, because he can steal many souls. Let’s take care of them and shepherd them so that we may all be together in heaven. We must pray to God to ask for the wisdom to know how to guide and to lead others in life.
Never forget 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.
