Readings:

Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps. 23; 1 Pt. 2:20b-25; Jn. 10:1-10

“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” These words from Jesus, the Good Shepherd, are a powerful reminder of the awesome blessing and abundance of life given to all who hear his voice and follow him. Jesus walks ahead of us, and we follow him because we recognize his voice. And how do we recognize his voice? Our readings show us several examples of the ways Jesus speaks to his flock.

First, in the Gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples in person. He also speaks to the Pharisees, who are often portrayed as his antagonists, but that does not stop Jesus from inviting them into the fold—they are believers, but have gotten stuck, or we might say, set in their ways. Jesus explains to them very plainly that he is the gate and that those who came before him, namely those wicked kings and false prophets who led the people astray, were thieves and robbers. But, there always remained a remnant of the people who stayed true to the teachings of YHWH. They understood that the Law was to govern them for a time, and at the time of fulfillment, the Law was to be written on their hearts. And the way the Law was written on their hearts was not so different than the way the Law was written on stone: It was by hearing the Words of God; it was by hearing the words of Jesus.

Second, the words of Jesus were heard by many, and those people carried his words deep within their hearts. This led the disciples out of the upper room and into the temple area where they began preaching Jesus’ words openly. Our first reading recounts for us Peter’s speech on Pentecost. After receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter and the apostles went out to Jerusalem and were able to be understood by everyone who heard them, that is to say, the message of Jesus, the Word of God, is for all people from all walks of life. And what is the message? Repent. Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and receive the Holy Spirit. But, notice Peter does not force this upon anyone. The people, who are stung to the heart at the accusation that they are responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion, ask Peter, “what are we to do?” They wanted to know, so Peter showed them the way; Peter showed them the gate.

But, the gate is not always easy to recognize. This brings me to the third way in which we hear the Word of God, which is actually an experience, and that experience is suffering. Once again Peter gives us an insight, this time from our second reading, where he says, “Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.” Our suffering, our struggle for good is a grace from God because it is a share in the sufferings of Christ, who died so that we might have life. How often do we suffer for doing what is good? I would venture it is more than we might realize. It is not easy to stand up for truth, dignity, and right, but we do it anyway, often in the face of ridicule.

The last few months have been difficult, especially those who have been infected with the virus and lost their lives; it has been difficult for their loved ones, who mourn their passing; it has been difficult for those who have gotten sick and recovered; it has been difficult on doctors, nurses, first responders; it has been difficult on clergy; it has been difficult on us all. But, is this not a kind of suffering for doing what is good? We are staying in place, social distancing, wearing masks in public, watching Mass from home, all so that we could collectively flatten the curve of infections so as not to overwhelm our healthcare system. And in this regard, we have done a phenomenal job. We are even getting to a point where many states are looking at ways to start opening things up. But, remember the virtue Peter spoke of: patience in suffering. This is exactly how Christ endured his Passion. Peter tells us, “When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.” In other words, he gave his suffering, he gave his life over to God. Jesus’ last words from the cross were, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” So, this third form of

So, what about us? Will we commend our suffering to the Father? Will we commend our spirits to Him? The world has given us many wicked rulers and false prophets. Today we call them politicians and news anchors. Are these the so-called shepherds we follow? Or is their voice foreign to us? Jesus came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. And that life is not without its struggles, but it is one that each of us has the freedom to choose. We know the Lord’s voice when we hear it, and so, we listen to him, we follow him, we come in and go out and find pasture through him.

Jesus speaks to us through the Gospels, the preaching of the apostles, our own suffering, and if anything I have said up to this point made any sense, Jesus speaks to us through reason. What better reason might we have, then, for living this life—the life of a Christian—than living it for him?

Given during the COVID-19 pandemic.