Whose Sheep Are You?

“Jesus says: I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

John 10:9

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is commonly known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because we here about the Good Shepherd in John’s Gospel. Jesus seems to be giving a lesson on the nature of the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep and those who try to steal them. Later on, Jesus tells them that He in fact is the “gate” through which the sheep enter and that He is the Good Shepherd (we will hear this in tomorrow’s Gospel reading). Only those who go through the gate belong to the Lord, we are told, and whoever climbs over it are thieves. It is only by going through Jesus are we able to find true and lasting peace, joy, and more importantly, salvation.

There are many voices and “shepherds” out there promising “happiness” or “security” if people follow them. But, we know that whatever happiness or security the worldly shepherds claim to promise are false and are temporary at best. What the shepherds of the world offer are quick fixes and bandaids, treating only the surface without rooting out whatever it is that is causing the pain. We see this in the usage of drugs, alcohol, and other substances, numbing the pain and allowing us to forget the problems we might be facing for a while; but with repeated usage, we see the devastating effects of substance abuse and addiction. What are the things we turn to when problems arise or anxiety sets it? Do we turn to things that offer us only a temporary escape or do we turn to the One who offers to treat the wound? Do we desire simply to hop the fence or do we wish to walk through the gate? When we settle for hopping over the fence we rob ourselves of an encounter with Christ.

When we treat the wound, there is often pain, such as when the antiseptic solution or alcohol wipe burns or stings, so too is there pain when we seek to treat our spiritual wounds. But this pain is the first and most important step of recovery. Jesus never promised His followers an easy life without pain or problems. I mean look at the Lord Himself and the pain He endured for our sake. To follow Christ is to follow the Good Shepherd and to walk through the gate. It might be more demanding, more difficult, and might even be a source of persecution, but do not be discouraged because what we seek is eternal, much more than our bodies and our earthly existence. Yes, we want to be happy in this life and the next, but the shepherds of the world only cares about happiness in this life, leaving our souls at risk. Whose voice do we listen to today? To whose fold do we belong? Let us listen carefully to the voice of the Good Shepherd who calls out to us today, and may we ask for the grace and courage to follow Him today.

An Open Heart

“And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.”

Lk. 24:30-31

First published April 2021.

Is your heart open? What are some things that keep your heart closed off? The Apostles Peter and John encountered a man crippled from birth at the gate of the temple area. When he begged and asked for help, Peter told him that he had neither silver nor gold but that what he did have, he would give to him — his great friendship with Jesus Christ, and at that the man was able to walk. Knowing Christ and friendship with Jesus is worth much more than any amount of money. Do you agree with that?

When two disciples of Jesus were on the way to Emmaus they encountered a man who seemingly did not know what had happened in Jerusalem these past couple of days. They explained to him what had taken place, and that man, who really was Jesus (but they did not know), began to teach them about Scriptures and pointed out all that points to Jesus and what had happened to Him. They invited the man to stay with them. Jesus agreed. They sat at table and broke bread together. This man “took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them,” and at that the disciples’ eyes were opened and they recognized that man to be their teacher, Jesus. What kept these two disciples from seeing Jesus?

Maybe it was doubt that Jesus would rise? Skepticism? Lack of faith? We do not know. But what we do know is what prevents our own eyes and hearts from recognizing Jesus. Do I see Jesus in the Eucharist? Do I see Jesus in my neighbors, friends, colleagues, family members, enemies, and strangers? If I do not, that problem is not them, it’s me. What prevents my eyes from seeing and recognizing Christ? What are the obstacles that keep my heart from faith? What is keeping my heart closed to Jesus, who unceasingly knocks at the door of my heart?

See “Seeing With Burning Hearts” for another reflection I offered on the encounter between Jesus and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Barriers No More

“On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’”

John 20:19

This is a homily I wrote and delivered on last year’s Divine Mercy Sunday. First published April 24, 2022 as “Through the Locked Doors.”

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday, brothers and sisters! And Happy Easter!  We are still in the Easter Season. The Church gives us a special Sunday for the Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday, a day to reflect and give thanks for the great love and mercy that God has towards us, so much so that He suffered and died for us. Last Sunday we celebrated the fruit of that suffering and death: the Resurrection, and today we give thanks for that.

Do we have any magicians here? Anyone know how to walk through walls or doors? In today’s Gospel we hear that the disciples were gathered in a room behind locked doors out of fear. What happened? Jesus appeared to them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus “came and stood in their midst,” we are told.  Jesus’s glorified body is different than our bodies. It is no longer bound by time and space. Jesus can even walk through locked doors! In other words, there is nothing that can stand in Jesus’ way, not sin, death, and not even locked doors. Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead so that the disciples no longer needed to stay in a locked room and be afraid. “Peace be with you,” He says to them. Peace, not fear. “There’s no need to fear, I am here.”

The disciples were afraid of the Jews perhaps because of what they might do to them now that their leader was dead (as far as they know). When Jesus was arrested the disciples fled and Peter even denied Him, and yet the first words Jesus spoke to the disciples were “Peace be with you.” Not “why did you leave me?” or “Why did you deny me? What happened?” But, “Peace be with you.” Jesus did not call out the disciples on their cowardice or weaknesses or abandoning of Him. Instead, he comforted them and calmed their fears, “Peace be with you.”

My brothers and sisters, Jesus says to us to today, “Peace be with you.” Is there something on our minds that causes us anxiety? Are we worried about something? Is there something that is causing us unrest? “Peace be with you.” Jesus went through the locked door and consoled the disciples. What are the barriers that are keeping us from living the life Jesus won for us with his Resurrection? Jesus can walk through those barriers too. He wants to give us peace so that we might live life fully and freely. Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. God is very merciful. There is no sin that can keep us away from the love of God. Jesus did not hold their cowardice and denial against the disciples. Rather He went to them, comforted them, and gave them His peace, His very self. When we approach God with a humble and contrite heart, and when we are truly sorry for our sins and for the times when we have fallen short, God does not shun us, rather He embraces us, saying “Peace be with you. I love you.”

Jesus’ divine mercy is a mercy that can knock down locked doors and fortified walls. His mercy is free, unconditional, and unlimited. He suffered, died, and rose again so that we can have this gift, a gift that leads us to eternal life. Although we may not know how to walk through locked doors, Jesus does and that is what matters. He can and He wants to. He wants to knock down all those things in our lives that keep us from Him and His love, but we must invite Him in. Are our hearts open? Jesus comes to us and says to us today, “Peace be with you.” What is our response?

Not only does Jesus give us His peace and mercy, He also gives us His body. In just a few moments, right there on that altar, the very same Jesus who died for us and who went through those locked doors, will once again comes to us and be made present to us. He joins together heaven and earth so that we might hear Him say to us, “Peace be with you.” When we receive Him today may we thank Him for loving us so much and may we also ask Him to break down the locked doors in our hearts that may keep us from Him, because He can and wants to. Happy Divine Mercy Sunday.

For an audio/video reflection I offered last year on Divine Mercy Sunday, click here.