DAILY GOSPEL COMMENTARY:
“I am the good shepherd.” (Jn 10:11-18).
Gospel of Monday, 4th week of Easter.
Jn 10:11-18
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
GOSPEL COMMENTARY
Christ is our Shepherd and we, who form part of his Church, are his sheepfold, his flock called to participate in his admirable victory over sin and death. He is also the gateway to salvation and eternal pasture such that Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
- Christ’s plan of salvation is being carried out and perpetuated throughout time through His Church and His instruments: the pope, bishops, and priests.
- That is why we should always pray for the holiness, fidelity and apostolic zeal of all priests, and also for more vocations to priesthood, so that all be holy, faithful, apostolic instruments of Christ the Good Shepherd.
However, not only the priests are the Good Shepherd. Each one of us has the task and responsibility to lead Christ’s sheep to the green pastures: parents to their children, siblings, friends, teachers to their students, leaders to their subordinates, those who hold public office to their constituents…everyone is called to be a good shepherd for others.
Are we good shepherds to the sheep entrusted to us by God?
- If we have to be good shepherds, we should lead them to Christ, to salvation and eternal life and we could do this only when we enter by the door who is Christ:
- What does entering by the door which is Christ mean? It means knowing and loving him more and more so that our will may be united with his will, our action become one with his action, and his life our life.
- Do we have this intimate relationship with Christ by dealing frequently with him in prayer, in the sacraments, Gospel meditation?
- Do we know Christ’s doctrine as taught by His One True Church? For we cannot give what we do not have. We could not teach others ideas which are incompatible with the teachings of Christ through the teaching body of his Only Church: the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Need to have a Catholic sense of smell to avoid being deceived and separated…
- If we need to be good shepherds according to Christ’s example, we need to know his life and strive to imitate him. Thus we could nourish others not with our criteria but Christ’s criteria, virtues, and good example. And Christ as Good shepherd has these characteristics:
- he lays down his life for his sheep (total self-giving); he calls them by their name (intimate knowledge and union with his flock); he is concerned not only with his sheep but also those which do not belong to his fold) sincere concern and at the service of unity among all men.
- TOTAL SELF-GIVING: has to be carried out not just once, at the moment of death. We must give it day by day. as Christ does in the Holy Eucharist.
- KNOWLEDGE: I KNOW MY SHEEP. But then there is no true knowledge without love, without an inner relationship and deep acceptance of the other. Not just by knowing names. One must know the heart so that one can help the other.
- SINCERE CONCERN AND SERVICE TO ALL MEN, knowing that Jesus has come in order to save us all: not only the just, but above all, the sinners; not only the Jews, but the Gentiles as well. This can be translated by asking God to grant us a huge and merciful (forgiving) heart where all can fit in, not only our family and loved ones, but those whom we don’t know and EVEN those who are against us or who have caused us harm, or those who do not belong to the Catholic faith.
- he lays down his life for his sheep (total self-giving); he calls them by their name (intimate knowledge and union with his flock); he is concerned not only with his sheep but also those which do not belong to his fold) sincere concern and at the service of unity among all men.
May we always remember of this great task and responsibility which Our Lord placed on our shoulders to bring the people around us to heaven by being good shepherds to others and good sheep at the same time through our prayers, sacrifices, good counsel and example and coherent Christian life and apostolate of friendship. For in the end, our life will be a failure if we do not reach our heavenly goal which Our Lord gained for us and to which He wants to lead us through His Church and His instruments.
And may we always support and pray for all the holiness, fidelity, and apostolic zeal of all the priests and vocations to the Church.
Mother Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd and our mother, pray for us!
VIDEO COMMENTARY
TOPIC: IS THERE UNITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY?
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