Reading of the holy gospel according to Saint John (10,1-10):
At that time, Jesus said: «Truly, truly I say to you: he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but jumps in another way, that is a thief and bandit; but he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. The guard opens the door for him and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own he walks before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice; they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Jesus put this comparison to them, but they did not understand what he was talking about. That is why Jesus added: «Truly, truly, I say to you: I am the gate of the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the door: whoever enters through me will be saved and will be able to go in and out, and will find pasture.
The thief enters only to steal and kill and wreak havoc; I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.” Lord’s word.
Under the double image of the gate of the sheepfold and the shepherd of the flock, Jesus alludes to the personal relationship he maintains with the community of disciples. His familiarity with his sheep allows him to access them easily, guide them safely, and defend them effectively. Jesus insists, above all, on the mutual personalized knowledge that reigns between the shepherd and his flock, the consequence of continuous coexistence. As the door gives access to the flock and to life, Jesus allows entry into the community and grants life in abundance; all the rest are not worthy of obedience and, rather than give life, they steal it. The option for Jesus leads to a life in common for those who maintain a life of obedience and following: there is no other door that leads to life.
But it is not enough that Jesus wants to be our shepherd, for him to actually achieve it; Without a flock to guide, no one can delude themselves of being a shepherd. If we do not allow it, ignoring his efforts or ignoring his voice, belittling his care or transgressing his orders, he will never act as shepherd and guardian of our souls. For it to be true, we must live with it and entrust our lives to it; without ever agreeing totally, cordially to his decisions, we will not be able to feel him close or know him intimate. It is not enough for him to insist on walking with us through life, if we continue to haggle to follow him for life; It is useless for him to continue calling us by name, if we continue to listen to all the voices that speak around us except his; Without taking his commitment seriously or attending to his care, we could hardly feel him committed to us or appreciate his attention and care…
We spend practically ignoring God and his will; and, nevertheless, we do not stop complaining that he is becoming a stranger to us; we follow the stranger and are surprised that God is no longer as familiar and close to us as before; we alienate ourselves from his love and we are surprised that his love is foreign to us: not allowing him to shepherd us, to guide us preceding us and defend us by walking by our side, we miss him; if he were our shepherd, we would lack nothing; his goodness and his mercy would accompany us all the days of our lives. Let us be guided by his voice and accept his commands again, security and rest, happiness and peace will return to our lives. Only if we listen to his voice and follow his call, only if we follow his footprints and walk after him, will we perceive his presence and his closeness: Jesus will be the shepherd of our lives and its best guardian… because He has come for us to have life, and He wants us to have it in abundance.
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#Sunday #April #III #Easter #Sunday #cycle