GOSPEL READING:
John 10:1-101"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; 2 but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." 6 This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. 9 I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Meditation: Do you know the peace and security of the Good
Shepherd who watches over his own? The Old Testament often speaks
of God as shepherd of his people, Israel. The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1). Give ear, O
Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! (Psalm
80:1) We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture
(Psalm 100:3). The Messiah is also pictured as the shepherd of
God's people: He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will
gather the lambs in his arms (Isaiah 40:11). Jesus says he
is the Good Shepherd who will risk his life to seek out
and save the stray sheep (Matthew 18:12, Luke 15:4). He is the Shepherd
and Guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).
The Good Shepherd and Guardian of our souls
What can shepherding teach us about God and our relationship with
him? At the end of each day the shepherd brought his sheep into
shelter. They knew the voice of their shepherd and came at his
beckoning. So familiar was the shepherd and his sheep, that each
was called by a distinct name. In the winter the sheep were
usually brought to a communal village shelter which was locked and
kept secure by a guardian. In the summer months the sheep were
usually kept out in the fields and then gathered into a fold at
night which was guarded by a shepherd throughout the night. He was
literally the door through which the sheep had to pass.
The Scriptures describe God as a shepherd who brings security and
peace to his people. The Lord will keep your going out and
your coming in from this time forth and for evermore (Psalm
120:8). Even the leaders of God's people are called shepherds: they
shall lead them out and bring them in; that the congregation of
the Lord may not be as sheep which have no shepherd (Numbers
27:17). Just as a shepherd kept watch over his sheep and protected
them from danger, so Jesus stands watch over his people as the Shepherd
and Guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). Do you know the
peace and security of a life fully submitted to God?
Jesus willingly laid down his life for us - the sheep he
ransomed with his own blood
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) writes: "He has accomplished
what he taught us: He has shown us what He commanded us to do. He
laid down his own life for his sheep, that within our mystery he
might change his body and blood into food, and nourish the sheep
he had redeemed with the food of his own flesh. He has shown us
the way we must follow, despite fear of death. He has laid down
the pattern to which we must conform ourselves. The first duty
laid on us is to use our material goods in mercy for the needs of
his sheep, and then, if necessary, give even our lives for them.
He that will not give of his substance for his sheep, how shall he
lay down his life for them?" (Tr. 46 in John).
Do you look to Jesus the Good Shepherd, to receive the strength
and courage you need to live and serve as his disciple?
Lord Jesus, you always lead me in the way of true peace and safety. May I never doubt your care nor stray from your ways. Keep me safe in the shelter of your presence.
Psalm 23:1-6
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;
2 he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Green pastures and still waters, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The pastures that this good shepherd has prepared for you, in
which he has settled you for you to take your fill, are not
various kinds of grasses and green things, among which some are
sweet to the taste, some extremely bitter, which as the seasons
succeed one another are sometimes there and sometimes not. Your
pastures are the words of God and his commandments, and they have
all been sown as sweet grasses. These pastures had been tasted by
that man who said to God, 'How sweet are your words to my palate,
more so than honey and the honeycomb in my mouth!'" (excerpt from Sermon 366,3,1)
