Welcoming the Holy
Here we invite you to take time for yourself in personal prayer. The following spiritual reflection offers words and images which we hope will evoke for you an experience of God.
By: Sister Donna Del Santo
Opening Prayer
Psalm 23 (From Psalms for Praying © 2007 Nan C. Merrill)
O my Beloved, you are my shepherd, I shall not want; You bring me to green pastures for rest
and lead me beside still waters renewing my spirit, You restore my soul, You lead me in the path of goodness to follow Love’s way.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow and of death, I am not afraid; for You are ever with me; Your rod and your staff they guide me, they give me strength and comfort.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of all my fears; You bless me with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the heart of the Beloved Forever.
Reading
John 10:1-10
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 the shepherd 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, the Pharisees 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
After college I became a VISTA volunteer and served in a rural community in Texas. I lived on a farm that had cows and every day the owner, Mr. Gage, would go out and make a sound and all the cows would come running to him to get fed. One day I was out in the field alone near all the cows and I thought, I’m going to make that same call and have the cows run to me. Well, try as I might not a single cow came, although one raised her head in curiosity to see what all the noise was about. They simply did not recognize my voice, and they would not come to me.
In today’s gospel we hear how Jesus compares himself to the Good Shepherd. He says, the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him; the sheep have come to know and to trust in the shepherd because they do not recognize the voice of strangers. Like the sheep, these cows knew who they belonged to and only listened to Mr. Gage’s voice.
Now pay attention to this next passage. Jesus is trying to get our attention by starting with Amen, amen. This kind of repetition is to have us really listen! He says: “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.”
Think about what an ordinary gate does. It keeps safe whatever is in the yard (like small children, animals, a garden) and keeps out what might be harmful. How is Jesus a gate for your life? How does he keep you safe? He tells us, look, I have your back if you let me. Listen to me; I won’t sell you down the river!
Yet, one of God's gifts to us is our free will. We can run out of the yard and leave the gate open behind us if we like. We can think, “I can do whatever I want and have it all under control!” That’s when you and I fall into old habits that lead us to a place that may not be so good for us. Jesus says, “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy!” What are the thieves in your life that destroy your life?
There is the Thief of Comparison who steals your joy by making your reality feel "less than" someone else's highlight reel. It keeps you from being grateful for what you actually have.
Then there is the Thief of Unforgiveness. Whether it’s toward others or yourself, holding onto a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. It keeps you anchored to a past you can't change.
And then this one is a sneaky one, the Thief of Distraction. In the digital age, this is one of the most pervasive. It steals your focus and deep connection with others, replacing meaningful moments with mindless scrolling.
Whatever kind of thief you encounter, it is not life giving and can only “destroy” your life.
How can you say yes to Jesus, the gate? To Jesus the Good Shepherd? He offers us himself saying, “I came so that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” Who do you choose to listen to today?
Closing Prayer
Prayer to Follow Jesus the Good Shepherd
Gentle Jesus, compassionate and caring Good Shepherd, help me to follow You faithfully. Strengthen me daily with Your love and guide me along life’s paths.
Bless me each day with peace of mind and heart. May I experience Your saving power in
my daily life, as I await the fullness of life and joy with You forever. Amen.
