Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

I’m not much of a camping person. As a kid, I remember falling asleep by the campfire and waking in the night to strange noises in the bushes. Something else was out there. That’s why these days I prefer my “camping” a bit more five-star. In ancient times, shepherds often slept across the entrance of the sheepfold at night. In this way, the shepherd himself became the gate. Nothing could enter the flock without going through him first. If wolves or thieves approached, the shepherd would be the one who faced the danger.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the one who stands between his flock and the forces that would harm them. This image helps us understand the mission of a priest. A priest is called to share in Christ’s shepherding role: to care for the flock, to guide them toward truth, and to guard them from the “wolves” that threaten their faith. This means teaching the Gospel clearly, celebrating the sacraments faithfully, and loving the people entrusted to him with a courageous and sacrificial heart.

But the sheep are not passive in this relationship. As Jesus explains, the sheep recognise the voice of their shepherd and follow him. In the same way, the faithful are called to learn the voice of Christ heard in Scripture, in the teachings of the Church, and through a life of grace.

In the noise and distractions around me, have I trained my heart to recognise the voice of the Good Shepherd and am I willing to follow it?