Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 22, 2024
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 he 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,
they 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.”
Reflection
Whenever I read about sheep in the gospels, I flashback to a sermon I heard as a preteen. I vividly remember Fr. Smith describing sheep as dumb animals that run off a cliff en masse if led there. There was more to it than that, of course, but I was stuck on that image for years.
As a Catholic, was I just a dumb sheep, blindly following the wool in front of me? Fortunately, I have encountered many great shepherds along my journey. I have found comfort in being part of a trusting flock of parishioners wherever I’ve lived. The image of the Good Shepherd has outshone the shadows of the cliff.
As a professional educator in Catholic schools for most of my life, including nearly 15 years at Notre Dame, I have been acutely aware of shepherds and who my flocks have been following. At ND Energy, I work with students concerned about energy choices and climate change. There is a mix of despair, helplessness, and hope among them. All are determined to make a difference.
I am grateful I can point them toward Pope Francis’ encyclical and exhortation, Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, which encourage us to recognize our God-given call as good stewards and shepherds of the Earth. Additionally, there are many Earth Month activities on campus to help them learn to make a difference and “care for our common home.”
Seeing Christ as the Good Shepherd is easy for me. Being perceived as a leader or imperfect shepherd myself is terrifying. As we move through our lives today, let us be aware of who might be following us and do our best to show them the way to the true gate, “that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Prayer
Lord, we know that you are our true hope. Help us to know the sound of your voice and to recognize it in others. In tuning our ear to your sound, may we work to share your life with those whom we meet. Amen.