By Sharon Piuse csc –
Readings: Acts 11: 1-18; Jn 10:1-10
Today, the gospel reading speaks about who a good shepherd is. When we hear ‘good shepherd,’ we remember the image of Jesus carrying a sheep on his shoulder. Often we also may experience the same during the time of difficulties. Two aspects of our dayto-day life is in this imagery: the first one is the importance of a shepherd to lead the sheep, and the second one is that the Gate
is a symbolic presentation of God. Jesus is the shepherd who leads the sheep and allows the sheep to enter the gate of heaven.
Shepherd is one who knows the weakness and the ability of the sheep, like Jesus who knows our weaknesses and shortcomings. But Jesus calls each one of us from our weaknesses and shortcomings, Jesus does not divide depending upon our weaknesses and shortcomings. For the shepherd, all the sheep are equal, sheep come to know their shepherd by not only charity or care, but sheep also know their shepherd by his love, the same way we will come to know God’s love. He says, ‘no one comes to the Father except through me’ (Jn 14:6).
The shepherd guides his sheep to go through the gate of heaven, because sheep hear the voice of the shepherd. ‘I know my sheep and my sheep know me’ (Jn 10:14). Often, we hear the voice, but we do not listen and sometimes we take it for granted. Jesus indeed knows everyone, but we are not sure to say ‘I know Jesus.