Gospel: 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.”
Homily
These past weeks in T&T, the population has been shocked b the vicious attacks of killer dogs on innocent passersby. In one of these incidents a woman on her way to work was killed. Two other persons were seriously injured. In these three incidents gates did not do what gates are meant to do. The result was injury and death. I remembered these incidents as I read the Gospel passage and began to reflect on the significance of gates and on Jesus saying of himself; “I am the gate.”
I cannot help but remember the words of Bl. John Paul II, to the youth in Denver, U.S.A. “We believe that in the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus the Father reveals all his love for humanity. That is why Christ calls himself ‘the sheep gate’. As the gate, he stands guard over the creatures entrusted to him. He leads them to the good pastures: ‘I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be safe. He will go in and out, and find pasture’ […] As the Third Millennium approaches, the Church knows that the Good Shepherd continues, as always, to be the sure hope of humanity. Jesus Christ never ceases to be the ‘sheep gate.’ And despite the history of humanity’s sins against life, he never ceases to repeat with the same vigor and love: ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”
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Jesus then is the guarantor of salvation and life in abundance. “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.” Scripture scholars are unanimous in their opinion that Jesus is contrasting himself with the religious leaders of his time who preached and taught a doctrine about God which enslaved rather than brought freedom and life to those who heard it. Jesus on the other hand preached and taught a doctrine about God which liberated and which invited those who heard it to share in the very life of God.
Through and in the measure of our adherence to Jesus and the message which Jesus brings, we become truly human, we become the best that we can be. A look at the lives of the saints will show us persons who had become truly loving and generous, persons of great wisdom, persons of deep joy and happiness. This is in total contrast to those who have rejected Jesus and his message. In those we find just the opposite. We find greed and selfishness, cunning and unhappiness. Those who have accepted Jesus and the message become imitators of him and themselves become gates through which others come to life, those who reject Jesus and the message become bearers of unhappiness for so many. The words of St. Paul in his letter to the Romans, Chap 14, verse 7 “The life and death of each of us has its influence on others.” used so often at funerals makes complete sense. Because of our baptism and confirmation we the disciples of Jesus are called to be gates leading to Christ, salvation and happiness. We can remain locked gates however keeping others out, blocking their entry to Christ and life in abundance. This Gospel passage invites us to remember and thank God for those who have been gates to Christ for us but it also reminds us and invites us to be faithful to our responsibility of being gates to Christ for others after the example of Christ, the Good Shepherd and “the gate for the sheep.”
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, your Son Jesus is the gate to life and life in abundance. He leads us to green pastures, to happiness and to rest. You call us his disciples of the 21st century to be imitators of him and to be gates also which lead to the peace and harmony which is your gift and desire for this world and which we so need at this moment in history.. Fill us with your Spirit Lord, that Spirit which enlightened all the saints, so that in our own moments of weakness and doubt, we may search for your Son, the one and only gate which leads to true freedom, justice and peace. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and Jesus, the Gate. Amen
