{"id":3492,"date":"2016-04-14T16:53:38","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T16:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/?p=3492"},"modified":"2016-04-14T16:53:38","modified_gmt":"2016-04-14T16:53:38","slug":"commentary-on-4th-sunday-of-easter-c-17-04-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/commentary-on-4th-sunday-of-easter-c-17-04-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on 4th Sunday of Easter C 17.04.2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEXT \u2014 John 10: 27\u201330 \u2014 <\/em>Shepherd\u2019s relationship with sheep<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Jesus knows his Sheep and they Follow him<\/strong><\/p>\n

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand<\/em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I and the Father are one<\/strong><\/p>\n

29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father\u2019s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

EXPLANATION<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Gospel reading is chosen from John\u2019s Gospel, chapter 10. It treats of shepherd and sheep in two sections. In the first Jesus compares himself to a door or gate through which the sheep enter into his life. In the second section, today\u2019s reading, the emphasis is on the sheep and their importance to Jesus.<\/p>\n

This Gospel passage forms part of a section where the Jews are in their fifth dispute with Jesus. \u201cThe Jews gathered round him and said to him, \u2018How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ<\/em> [Messiah], tell us plainly<\/em>\u2019\u201d (Jn. 10: 24). Their purpose in challenging him in this manner is to hear him say something which will lead to his arrest. He does not fall into their trap. He tells them that they do not believe because they are not his sheep. Today\u2019s Gospel passage continues from this point.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy sheep hear my voice<\/em>\u201d \u2014 To \u201chear\u201d [audire<\/em>] and to \u201cobey\u201d [ob\u2013audire<\/em>] are two Latin words from the same root. To obey means to hear and put into practice what is heard. Jesus is saying that his sheep hear and obey him when he speaks. This is because of their faith in what he tells them about himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cand I know them<\/em>\u201d \u2014 He repeats what he already said: \u201cI am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 10: 14\u201315).<\/p>\n

To \u201cknow<\/em>\u201d is a technical term in John\u2019s Gospel meaning that one person has a special relationship with someone else, usually because of some mutual experience. Jesus has a special relationship with his sheep: they hear his voice and they follow him who loves them so much that he will die for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cand they follow me<\/em>\u201d \u2014 They imitate Jesus, doing what he does or has done.<\/p>\n

\u201cand I give them eternal life<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The sheep follow him to the pasture which is eternal life. He feeds them with his divine life. They follow him when they believe in him, that is, when they accept him and commit themselves to following him. \u201cWhoever believes in him will have eternal life<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 3: 15).<\/p>\n

John 17: 2\u20133 explains: Jesus \u201clooked up to heaven and said, \u2018Father, \u2026 you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent<\/em>\u2019\u201d. As stated above to \u201cknow<\/em>\u201d means to have a special relationship with another person. We, the sheep, have a special relationship with God our Father when we accept that there is no other God in our lives but him and when we acknowledge that the Father sent Jesus for our salvation.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cand they shall never perish<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The sheep are secure because they have eternal life which cannot be taken from them by the devil or others. Of course they can discard it by themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cand no one shall snatch them out of my hand<\/em>\u201d \u2014 He has already stated that \u201cthis is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day<\/em>\u201d (Jn 6: 39). He will elaborate in the following verse that no one will snatch his sheep out of his hand because \u201cno one is able to snatch them out of the Father\u2019s hand<\/em>\u201d. Three times he speaks of this security of his sheep.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father\u2019s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The Father is more powerful than all other forces even should they join together.<\/p>\n

\u201cand no one is able to snatch them out of the Father\u2019s hand.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Because the Father is the almighty, all\u2013powerful God.<\/p>\n

\u201cI and the Father are one.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Jesus repeats a theme from John\u2019s Gospel (Jn. 1: 1, 14; 5: 19\u201338; 8: 16; 10: 17). There is absolutely no doubt that Jesus is claiming divinity; he is God.<\/p>\n

He does not say \u2018I am the Father\u2019 nor \u2018I and the Father are one Person\u2019. He makes it clear that they are distinct,<\/em> that is two Persons, Father and Son\u2013in\u2013the\u2013flesh (Jn. 1: 1, 14). As they are \u201cone<\/em>\u201d they cannot be diverse<\/em>. This means that they are one in substance as far as their essence and nature is concerned.<\/p>\n

One in substance is called \u201cconsubstantial\u201d, which is the word used in the Nicene Creed at Mass each week, \u201cconsubstantial with the Father\u201d. The creed explains this by saying that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, is God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God \u2014 which means that there is absolutely no diversity between the Father and the Son. They are the same substance, essence a\u201dd nature.<\/p>\n

Because they are one nature they are co\u2013equal and one in power (and honour, love, life, operation, etc.). The previous verse stated that no one can snatch his sheep from the hand of the Father. Because Jesus has the power of the Father no one can snatch his sheep out of his hand either. They are also one in purpose, to give eternal life to everyone.<\/p>\n

Jesus has now given the Jews the answer to their question, \u2018Are you the Messiah?\u2019 he says, \u2018Yes, I am because of my relationship with my Father\u2019.<\/p>\n

The Jews understood what he meant and they showed their animosity in the following verses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI and the Father are one\u201d<\/em> \u2014and just as no one can snatch the sheep out of the Father\u2019s hand, the sheep are absolutely secure with Jesus. Jesus the shepherd and his sheep are also one, sharing the same life.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

APPLICATION<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cI and the Father are one\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 This is a crystal clear clarification by Jesus of his divinity: \u201cI am God, divine\u201d, he declares.<\/p>\n

The great scripture scholar, Fr. Raymond Brown, sums up the relationship in John\u2019s Gospel between Father and Son. His list is as follows:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The Son comes from the Father (Jn. 8: 42);<\/li>\n
  • Yet the Father who sent him is with him (Jn. 8: 29);<\/li>\n
  • The Father loves the Son (Jn 3: 35);<\/li>\n
  • The Son knows the Father intimately (Jn 8: 55; 10: 15);<\/li>\n
  • In his mission on earth the Son can do only what he has seen the Father do (Jn ) 5: 19;<\/li>\n
  • The Son can judge and speak only what he hears from the Father (Jn 5: 30);<\/li>\n
  • The Son was taught by the Father (Jn 8: 28);<\/li>\n
  • The Son has received from the Father powers such as that of judgement (Jn 5: 22);<\/li>\n
  • Also the powers of giving and possessing life (Jn 5: 21; 6: 57);<\/li>\n
  • The Son does the will of the Father (Jn 4: 34; 6: 38);<\/li>\n
  • The Son has received a command from the Father that concerns his death and resurrection (Jn. 10: 18).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    It is the will of the Son who prays to the Father \u201cthat they <\/em>[people] may be one, even as we are one<\/em>\u201d (Jn 17: 11). This is God\u2019s desire, that we be one with God and with one another.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    Shepherd and Sheep<\/strong> \u2014 Four terms are used to describe the special relationship between Shepherd and Sheep, that is between Jesus and his followers. They (i) \u201chear<\/em>\u201d his voice and (ii) \u201cfollow<\/em>\u201d him. He (iii) \u201cknows<\/em>\u201d them and (iv) \u201cgives them eternal life<\/em>\u201d. It follows from this that they shall \u201cnever perish<\/em>\u201d nor will any power on earth or above the earth be capable of snatching them out of his hand.<\/p>\n

    To \u201chear<\/em>\u201d in this context means more than being aware that his voice is in the background. It means attentive hearing which is based on the trust the sheep have in the shepherd. He is their leader, their authority who loves them, cares for them, protects them and provides for them.<\/p>\n

    It is because they recognise his voice that the sheep \u201cfollow<\/em>\u201d him (Jn. 10: 4). Simon Peter put this very well when at the end of the discourse on the Blessed Eucharist Jesus asked his disciples if they wished to leave him because of what he had taught. Peter replied, \u201cLord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 6: 68\u201369).<\/p>\n

    Peter declares the disciples\u2019 special relationship with Jesus whom he knows to be \u201cthe Holy One of God<\/em>\u201d. Whatever Jesus says or teaches must be true because of whom he is.<\/p>\n

    Because of this also they will never perish nor be separated from Jesus. Even though they did not stand by Jesus in his passion and death, nothing bad happened to the disciples; Jesus protected them. He remained the shepherd of the scattered sheep. When they were in danger of being arrested he told his captors, \u201c\u2018Let these men go\u2019.<\/em> This was to fulfil the word that he had spoken, \u2018I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me\u2019\u201d<\/em> (Jn. 18: 8\u20139). We may on occasions be tempted to be condemnatory of them but not Jesus who understood them and their weaknesses. It was Jesus who made them his. They were important in his eyes, a lesson that also applies to us, thank God.<\/p>\n

    Jesus \u201cknows<\/em>\u201d us. What a relationship he has with us \u2014 he created the world for us; when our first parents sinned he redeemed us by coming into the world for our salvation. He has made us one with him and has prayed that we continue to be one with him (Jn. 17: 22). He has ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us. He has given us \u201ceternal life<\/em>\u201d both now and in its fullness in heaven in the future. He searches for us when we need him and when we stray and he does not give up until he finds us. He allows us be in constant contact with him through prayer, the sacraments, the liturgy, the sacred scriptures, the poor and marginalised, our families and many and much more. We may not be aware of his voice speaking but he does speak to us through the people and events we encounter in daily life. We have to improve our listening. What all of this teaches is that Jesus has a special and personal relationship with us. What a pity if we think that our relationship is merely a matter of obeying rules and regulations.<\/p>\n

    We are accustomed to seeing sheep with the marks of their owners clearly manifest. This Gospel passage tells us that Jesus\u2019 mark of ownership on us his sheep is our \u201chearing\u201d and \u201cobeying\u201d.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    SOME EXTRA POINTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

    I read quite a few commentaries by Pope Benedict XVI on John 10 and as the above notes are quite short because of the brief four verses of today\u2019s passage, I decided to share some notes on the reading from the Holy Father. They may repeat what has been written already but they may further clarify and expand.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    INTRODUCTION TO EASTER C04<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    TEXT \u2014 John. 10: 27\u201330 \u2014 The united relationship of Father, Shepherd\u2013Son and #sheep.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father\u2019s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • This is a most dense passage, only four verses, probably the shortest in the three year Gospel cycle.<\/li>\n
    • This passage is from John 10 which treats of the Good shepherd and his sheep. The first section stresses the shepherd who described himself as a gate through which the sheep would enter eternal life. This passage stresses the sheep, their relation to the shepherd, their enjoyment of eternal life, and the thrice\u2013repeated assurance that they shall not perish nor be snatched out of the shepherd\u2019s hand (at the final judgment).<\/li>\n
    • This whole chapter follows immediately the chapter wherein Jesus tells the Pharisees that they are blind and the man born blind now sees. They continue in their blindness and now Jesus moves to their not hearing very well either. This whole chapter and these few verses continue the theme of who belongs in the group.<\/li>\n
    • The sheep listen attentively and obediently in trust to the voice of Jesus. This is the first point in the relationship with shepherd and sheep: they listen to the voice of God who calls his sheep. We must appreciate that we are important to God.<\/li>\n
    • We come into contact with the risen Jesus in prayer, the sacraments and our experience of daily life. That relationship has been initiated and generated by the risen Lord. He calls, and we hear his voice. The Good Shepherd knows us, and we follow him.<\/li>\n
    • All Scripture is an invitation to engage, not with ideas about God, but with the Lord who speaks to us in the liturgy. If we are not wiser about our faith after attending Mass regularly during the year, then it is clear that we have not been interacting with the Word of God, not allowing it to touch our hearts. This is why TEA is such an important aid to our \u201clistening\u201d and \u201cknowing\u201d.<\/li>\n
    • The sheep listen to and recognise the voice of their shepherd and that is why they continue to follow him rather than another. It is important for us also to recognise the voice of Jesus as it comes to us in our daily life. And, in our Christian life, the voice of Christ can take many forms. Most of the time, it is in the voices of those people who come into our daily lives. If we do not recognise Christ in the voices we hear, we are likely to get lost and perhaps many, including Christians, do lose their way. They do not know where their Shepherd is \u2014 or perhaps they do not have shepherds.<\/li>\n
    • \u201cThe mark of Christ\u2019s sheep is their willingness to hear and obey, just as the sign of those who are not his is their disobedience. We take the word \u2018hear\u2019 to imply obedience to what has been said. People who hear God are known by him. No one is entirely unknown by God, but to be known in this way is to become his kin. Thus, when Christ says, I know mine<\/em>, he means, \u2018I will receive them, and give them permanent mystical kinship with myself.\u2019\u201d (St. Cyril of Alexandria).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \u00a0<\/p>\n

      \u201cI KNOW THEM\u201d,<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • This is not a matter of mere intellectual knowledge but of a profound, personal relationship: a knowledge of the heart, of one who loves and one who is loved; of one who is faithful and one who knows how to be trustworthy. It is a knowledge of love, by virtue of which the Pastor invites his sheep to follow him and which is fully manifest in the gift of eternal life that he offers to them (cf. Jn 10: 27\u201328).<\/li>\n
      • The knowledge which the sheep have of Jesus opens an itinerary which leads to love: \u201cI give them eternal life\u201d. For the Evangelist, life is the gift of communion with God. While in the Synoptics \u2018life\u2019 or \u2018eternal life\u2019 is related to the future; in John\u2019s Gospel it indicates an actual possession. This aspect is frequently repeated in John\u2019s narration: \u201cHe who believes in the Son possesses<\/em> [present tense] eternal life\u201d (3, 36); \u201cI am telling you the truth: whoever hears my words and believes in him who sent me has<\/em> [present tense] eternal life\u201d (5,24; 6,47).<\/li>\n
      • The dialogue or intimate and profound communication between Christ and sheep has been defined by the Gospel in today\u2019s Liturgy by a great Biblical verb, \u201cto know\u201d This involves the whole being of man: the mind, the heart, the will. Is your consciousness of Christ firm at a theoretical\u2013abstract level or do you allow yourself to be transformed and guided by his voice on the journey of your life?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • What makes us important is not who we are or what we do or what we possess, but rather whose<\/em> we are.<\/strong> Through Jesus the Good Shepherd we now belong to his heavenly Father.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          \u00a0<\/p>\n

          ETERNAL LIFE<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          • “I give them (that is, my sheep) eternal life and they shall never perish” (Jn 10: 28). These are the words of Jesus, who had said a little earlier, “the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep” (cf. Jn 10: 11).<\/li>\n
          • Life in its fullness (eternal life) is one of the major themes of John and is to be celebrated during this paschal season. Life is the prime characteristic of Jesus (1:4), and he comes to bring people eternal life (3:15\u201316). Such life does not begin after death, for the one who believes already has eternal life (3:36; 4:14) and has already passed from death into life (5:24). Eternal life cannot be taken away by death but only by sin and unbelief, and Jesus is himself resurrection and life. While most contemporary Christians have a strong hope in life beyond death, few would realize that they already possess \u201ceternal life.\u201d In John eternal life describes less duration or unending life than a quality or fullness of life. It is life with and for God that Jesus reveals and that begins when people through faith and love commit themselves to the kind and quality of life that Jesus embodies.<\/li>\n
          • I give you eternal life.<\/em> The greatest gift that God has given us is life. But this life lasts only a few years, after which\u2026 Will death overcome us? Will we go back to the nothingness from which God took us when he created us? This is a question that finds its answer in the risen Christ. He is the Lord of Life, the Living One. And since he is the Lord of Life, he may dispose of it and give it to those who love and trust him. Christ lets us share in his very life, the life that is not subject to the dominion of death: eternal life. In the Book of Revelation we read, \u201cThe Lamb (the dead and risen Christ) who is at the heart of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of living water!\u201d Eternal life is the same life as that of Christ, which is already present in us through baptism and grace, and will acquire its fullness in the hereafter of our earthly existence. Since our earthly life is a precious gift of the Father, eternal life is a wonderful gift of the risen Christ.<\/li>\n
          • \u201cChrist promises his followers as a recompense and reward eternal life, exemption from death and corruption, and from the torments the judge inflicts upon transgressors. By giving life Christ shows that by nature he is life. He does not receive it from another, but supplies it from his own resources\u201d (St. Cyril of Alexandria)<\/li>\n
          • \u201cWe may also see in the word \u201clife\u201d a reference to the Eucharist, by means of which Christ implants in believers his own life through their sharing in his flesh, according to the text: He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life\u201d<\/em>. (St. Cyril of Alexandria)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            \u00a0<\/p>\n

            NO ONE WILL SNATCH THEM<\/strong><\/p>\n

              \n
            • In the Bible the hand, in some contexts, is a metaphor which indicates the force of God who protects (Deut 33,3: Ps 31,6). In others, the verb \u201cto snatch\u201d (harp\u00e1z\u00f6) <\/em>suggests the idea that the community of disciples will not be exempt from the attacks of evil and of temptations. But the expression \u201cno one will snatch them\u201d indicates that the presence of Christ assures the community of the certainty of an unflinching stability which allows them to overcome every temptation of fear.<\/li>\n
            • Those who stay with the shepherd, Jesus says, will never be lost. How could they be? Our Shepherd is the Way, he is Truth and Life. And when one does happen to go astray, he leaves the ninety\u2013nine and goes in search of the one who has wandered off to bring it back.<\/li>\n
            • And so the Gospel today says that we have been given to Jesus by the Father. For it is in and through Jesus, the Way, that we find our way to the Father. Jesus is Truth and Life and can only lead us to the source of all Truth and Life, God himself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n
              • Jesus\u2019 words indicate that the sheep are his. What\u2019s more, under his protection they are secure; he maintains that \u201cno one can take them out of my hand.\u201d This is very reassuring, particularly in a world that cannot ensure security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                  \n
                • In the case of us Christians, this is a spiritual bond that can be stronger than death. As Jesus tells us, nothing and no one can \u201ctake them out of my hand<\/em>.\u201d The only precondition on our part is that we continue to trust the \u201cway of Jesus<\/em>,\u201d which means that we use our freedom and strength to be a loving, caring presence in our world. We can do this most effectively in the context of a supportive community and with the nourishment of the Eucharist.<\/li>\n
                • In the gospel quote that sounds so magisterial and serene we can hear a note of reality. Jesus says about his sheep, \u201cNo one can take them out of my hand.\u201d He also says, in a similar manner, \u201cNo one can take them out of the Father\u2019s hand.\u201d There are forces at work that threaten to snatch us out of the hands of the Shepherd. Some of them are subtle and everyday promptings to renege on our faith, while other forces carry immediate dire threats to what we believe as Christians. Jesus\u2019 words assure us that at the moment of death, or facing death in its other manifestations, when death seems to be winning the final victory, our lives are secure in God\u2019s hands. Jesus\u2019 words of security had meaning for the early church; they needed to hear and embrace in faith what he said, for being a Christian when this gospel was written, was a matter of life and death.<\/li>\n
                • No one can take them away from me.<\/em><\/strong> No human, angelic or diabolical power is above the power of the risen Christ, a power he has received from the almighty Father. To want to take Jesus Christ\u2019s sheep from him would be tantamount to taking them away from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It would be absurd! People may make a clean break with this life, but they cannot snatch eternal life from God\u2019s hands. As the Catechism teaches us, angels are at the service of God: \u201cWith their whole beings, the angels are servants and messengers of God\u201d (CCC 329), and at the service of man, \u201cFrom infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession\u201d(CCC 336). Finally, although the devil is a powerful figure, for he is a pure spirit, he cannot prevent the building up of the Kingdom of God, he cannot take God\u2019s sheep away, because \u201cthe power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite\u201d (CCC 395). We alone, with our freedom, can escape from Christ\u2019s flock and flee from the Father\u2019s good hands. The text of the Acts of the Apostles bears witness to this: \u201cWhen they saw the crowds, the Jews, filled with jealousy, used blasphemies to contradict everything Paul said.\u201d What tremendous power is the power of freedom, that can render useless the mirabilia of the Good Shepherd!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  \u00a0<\/p>\n

                  SHEEP<\/strong><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • Sheep are crowd\u2013followers. When one panics \u2014 often for no real reason \u2014 they all panic. They are timid, fearful, curious and without initiative. Maybe, after all, they are not so different from us!<\/li>\n
                  • The emphasis, of course, in the Scripture images is on the shepherd. There are beautiful images given in the Hebrew (Old) Testament (e.g. in Ezekiel) and in the Christian Testament, especially the Gospel. The image implies someone who gives caring, compassionate leadership. It is a situation where there is mutual recognition between shepherd and sheep, where there is voluntary following and total trust.<\/li>\n
                  • The etymology of the Greek word for sheep, pr\u00f3bation, is traced back to the same root as the Greek verb proba\u00eeno, which means \u201cto accompany, to go forth or with.\u201d We\u2019re a unique kind of sheep. Christ gives us the example of humbling himself to share in our humanity. We have to swallow our pride, fight to overcome sin, and become sheep by attuning ourselves to the direction of our shepherd. Humility takes work, but it brings peace.<\/li>\n
                  • A shepherd defends his sheep.<\/em> In becoming man Jesus became a perfect mediator between God and man and the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. The meditation of shepherds is something we find in the Church from the beginning. The Blessed Virgin\u2019s fiat brought our mediator to earth. Christ, interceding now in Heaven for his sheep, entrusted to the apostles and their successors this responsibility of mediator and shepherd.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    \u00a0<\/p>\n

                    \u201cI AND THE FATHER ARE ONE\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • If we want to see God made visible, Jesus is saying, we need to look to Jesus. In fact, if we listen to Jesus\u2019 words, we are listening to God. We have, therefore, a new holy place in Christ, and now that he is resurrected, we can enter the holy presence of God whenever we turn to Christ in prayer, community and to those he calls us to serve.<\/li>\n
                    • In Christ we have an intimate union with God. This union is strengthened today as we listen to Christ\u2019s words with ears of faith. The Eucharist we will receive is also food from God\u2019s hands to nourish us on our journey and help us fulfil the vocation we have already heard from the risen Christ this Easter time\u2013\u2013\u2013\u201dfeed my lambs.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      TEXT \u2014 John 10: 27\u201330 \u2014 Shepherd\u2019s relationship with sheep Jesus knows his Sheep and they Follow him 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. I<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3492"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3493,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3492\/revisions\/3493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}