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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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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From a Christian perspective, one of the most sacred places on earth is the Holy Land, the place where Jesus once lived. That part of the world is a fascinating blend of ancient and modern forcibly woven into one.
One person might speed past you in a Mercedes while another rides on a donkey pulling a cart. I’ve been fortunate to travel there on pilgrimage several times.
On one trip, while walking along the edge of the town of Bethlehem, I noticed a young boy shepherding his flock of sheep across a busy street.
Leading the charge – and literally bringing traffic to a halt – were the young ones moving so energetically it seemed like they were dancing. Behind them were the older sheep, covered in a thick coat of wool.
At the very back was an old ewe with dusty brown fleece.
She was lagging behind, moving with a terrible limp. Perhaps it was the result of arthritis or a broken leg that never fully healed. With every step, she jerked her neck back and forth, throwing her body forward, visibly terrified of being left behind.
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Sheep are not the smartest animals, but they do have a natural herding mentality. They understand instinctively that they cannot survive on their own.
If that old ewe became separated from the flock, then she would’ve become frozen with fear, waiting either for her shepherd or for death, because she had no way of defending herself. Sheep have no claws, no paws, no venom, no fangs.
Not even a mighty roar. Just a bland “baa.”
If attacked by a wolf, they literally run around – or in her case, limp around – in a large circle, hoping not to be caught and devoured. Cowardice at its best!
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Thankfully, the young shepherd noticed what was happening. Moving to the very back of the flock, he patiently guided that old ewe across the road.
Routine, perhaps.
But what struck me was the fact that all of those sheep were equal. If the young ones leading the charge didn’t pay attention to their shepherd, then they would have become the ones who were lost – and in danger of death.
Whether young or old, athletic or arthritic, a sheep’s strength never lies within itself. It is always derived from its closeness to the shepherd.
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Given their lack of defenses, sheep might seem to be the most pitiable creatures in the animal kingdom. But they do have one redeeming quality, which we also need today – the ability to listen.
Sheep can distinguish the voice of their shepherd from any other voice or sound they hear.
To this day, some shepherds will corral their flocks in a large, shared pen overnight. When morning breaks, that cloud of fleece begins to break when each sheep hears the voice of its shepherd. Those who are called exit. The others don’t even budge.
This is why Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd, and we are his sheep. “I know my sheep,” he says, “they hear my voice and follow me.”
This has always been what sets Christians apart – our ability to discern our shepherd’s voice, isolating it from the cacophony of other noises that we hear. In that sense, our truest defense is not something external, but internal.
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This begs the question: how do we hear Christ’s voice?
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It’s the gentle whisper that breaks the silence of prayer. It’s the nudge in our conscience, urging us to act. It’s the Word plainly spoken in the scriptures – and our willingness to respond.
God’s voice may come through the sage advice of a friend, through a word spoken in a sermon, or through the voice of religious leaders like Pope Leo, the successor of Saint Peter and Christ’s primary representative on earth.
On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we pray that all Christians would be given this grace to listen to their Shepherd’s voice – and to act on it. It’s a voice that speaks of peace, of unity, and of reconciliation.
It’s a voice that calls out to young people, leading them to a particular path in life – whether to the priesthood, to religious life, to consecrated life, to the single life, or to married life.
“My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus says. “I know them and they follow me.”
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That old ewe from Bethlehem, the one with the jerky neck, arthritic leg, and dusty brown fleece represents what every Christian is called to be – relentlessly attached to the voice of their shepherd.
Without him, we’d be lost. But with him, we are forever found.
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Image credits: (1) Neighborhood Bible Church (2) Austockphoto (3) Psephizo