"Gate to the sheepfold."

"Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.

His desire was that the sheep be healthy, fed, and protected.

That's how Jesus cares for you and me.

 

St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, martyrs

St. Pancras, martyr

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Acts 11:1-18*

News came to the apostles and

The brothers and sisters in Judea that even foreigners had received the Word of God.

So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, these Jewish believers began to argue with him,

"You went to the home of uncircumcised people and ate with them!"

 

So Peter began to give them the facts as they had happened, "I was at prayer in the city of Joppa when,

in a trance, I saw a vision. Something like a large sheet came down from the sky and drew near to me,

landing on the ground by its four corners. As I stared at it, I saw four-legged creatures of the earth,

wild beasts and reptiles, and birds of the sky. Then I heard a voice saying to me:

'Get up Peter, kill and eat!' I replied, 'Certainly not, Lord! No common or unclean creature has ever entered my mouth.

 

A second time the voice from the heavens spoke, 'What God has made clean, you must not call unclean.

This happened three times, and then it was all drawn up into the sky. At that moment three men,

who had been sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were staying.

The Spirit instructed me to go with them without hesitation; (...)

When they heard this they set their minds at rest and praised God saying,

"Then God has granted life giving repentance to the pagan nations as well."

 

Ps 42:2-3; 43:3-4 Athirst is my soul for the living God.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

John 10:1-10

Truly, I say to you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way,

is a thief and a robber. But the shepherd of the sheep enters by the gate.

The keeper opens the gate to him and the sheep hear his voice; he calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him for they know his voice.

A stranger they will not follow, but rather they will run away from him, because they don't recognize a stranger's voice."

 

Jesus used this comparison, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep. All who came were thieves and robbers,

and the sheep did not hear them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved; he will go in and out freely and find food.

The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Gate to the sheepfold."

There were different forms of sheepfolds at the time of Jesus, as one could imagine,

some more elaborate than others. Some, as the Gospel relates, had a gatekeeper,

but others had a wall but no gate. The shepherd acted as the gate, as he lay across the opening.

In that way, the sheep had to pass through him to get in or out.

And thus Jesus describes himself as the Gate to the sheepfold, saying "whoever enters through me will be saved."

 

However, if we try to get into heaven by our own efforts, it would be like trying to climb over

the wall of the sheepfold without the shepherd noticing. The plan would be an attempt to steal a place in heaven,

but this is something that is given, not taken, and so this is a fruitless effort.

Lifegiving repentance and new life is offered to all peoples through Jesus Christ.

And so, if we seek salvation and heaven, we are to follow the Christ. If we seek life,

we are to follow the Good Shepherd, and not seek to go our own way.