{"id":5676,"date":"2025-05-10T10:12:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T09:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/?p=5676"},"modified":"2025-05-06T14:03:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:03:07","slug":"commentary-on-4th-sunday-of-easter-c-12-05-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/commentary-on-4th-sunday-of-easter-c-12-05-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on 4th Sunday of Easter C 11.05.2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today\u2019s Gospel reading is chosen from \nJohn\u2019s Gospel, chapter 10. It treats of shepherd and sheep in two \nsections. In the first Jesus compares himself to a door or gate through \nwhich the sheep enter into his life. In the second section, today\u2019s \nreading, the emphasis is on the sheep and their importance to Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\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\n (Jn. 10: 24). Their purpose in challenging him in this manner is to \nhear him say something which will lead to his arrest. He does not fall \ninto their trap. He tells them that they do not believe because they are\n not his sheep. Today\u2019s Gospel passage continues from this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

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

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

\u201cand I give them eternal life<\/em>\u201d \u2014\n The sheep follow him to the pasture which is eternal life. He feeds \nthem with his divine life. They follow him when they believe in him, \nthat 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\n\n\n

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Shepherd and Sheep<\/strong> \u2014 \nFour terms are used to describe the special relationship between \nShepherd 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\n\n\n

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

    It is because they recognise his voice that the sheep \u201cfollow<\/em>\u201d\n him (Jn. 10: 4). Simon Peter put this very well when at the end of the \ndiscourse on the Blessed Eucharist Jesus asked his disciples if they \nwished 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\n\n\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\n\n\n

    Because of this also they will never \nperish nor be separated from Jesus. Even though they did not stand by \nJesus in his passion and death, nothing bad happened to the disciples; \nJesus protected them. He remained the shepherd of the scattered sheep. \nWhen 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>\n (Jn. 18: 8\u20139). We may on occasions be tempted to be condemnatory of \nthem but not Jesus who understood them and their weaknesses. It was \nJesus who made them his. They were important in his eyes, a lesson that \nalso applies to us, thank God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

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

    INTRODUCTION TO EASTER C04<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

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

    • This is a most dense passage, only four verses, probably the shortest in the three year Gospel cycle.<\/li>
    • This passage is from John 10 which treats of the Good shepherd and \nhis sheep. The first section stresses the shepherd who described himself\n as a gate through which the sheep would enter eternal life. This \npassage stresses the sheep, their relation to the shepherd, their \nenjoyment of eternal life, and the thrice\u2013repeated assurance that they \nshall not perish nor be snatched out of the shepherd\u2019s hand (at the \nfinal judgment).<\/li>
    • This whole chapter follows immediately the chapter wherein Jesus \ntells the Pharisees that they are blind and the man born blind now sees.\n They continue in their blindness and now Jesus moves to their not \nhearing very well either. This whole chapter and these few verses \ncontinue the theme of who belongs in the group.<\/li>
    • The sheep listen attentively and obediently in trust to the voice of\n Jesus. This is the first point in the relationship with shepherd and \nsheep: they listen to the voice of God who calls his sheep. We must \nappreciate that we are important to God.<\/li>
    • We come into contact with the risen Jesus in prayer, the sacraments \nand our experience of daily life. That relationship has been initiated \nand generated by the risen Lord. He calls, and we hear his voice. The \nGood Shepherd knows us, and we follow him.<\/li>
    • All Scripture is an invitation to engage, not with ideas about God, \nbut with the Lord who speaks to us in the liturgy. If we are not wiser \nabout our faith after attending Mass regularly during the year, then it \nis clear that we have not been interacting with the Word of God, not \nallowing it to touch our hearts. This is why TEA is such an important \naid to our \u201clistening\u201d and \u201cknowing\u201d.<\/li>
    • The sheep listen to and recognise the voice of their shepherd and \nthat is why they continue to follow him rather than another. It is \nimportant for us also to recognise the voice of Jesus as it comes to us \nin our daily life. And, in our Christian life, the voice of Christ can \ntake many forms. Most of the time, it is in the voices of those people \nwho come into our daily lives. If we do not recognise Christ in the \nvoices we hear, we are likely to get lost and perhaps many, including \nChristians, do lose their way. They do not know where their Shepherd is \u2014\n or perhaps they do not have shepherds.<\/li>
    • \u201cThe mark of Christ\u2019s sheep is their willingness to hear and obey, \njust as the sign of those who are not his is their disobedience. We take\n the word \u2018hear\u2019 to imply obedience to what has been said. People who \nhear God are known by him. No one is entirely unknown by God, but to be \nknown 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><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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

      • This is not a matter of mere intellectual knowledge but of a \nprofound, personal relationship: a knowledge of the heart, of one who \nloves and one who is loved; of one who is faithful and one who knows how\n to be trustworthy. It is a knowledge of love, by virtue of which the \nPastor invites his sheep to follow him and which is fully manifest in \nthe gift of eternal life that he offers to them (cf. Jn 10: 27\u201328).<\/li>
      • The knowledge which the sheep have of Jesus opens an itinerary which\n leads to love: \u201cI give them eternal life\u201d. For the Evangelist, life is \nthe gift of communion with God. While in the Synoptics \u2018life\u2019 or \n\u2018eternal life\u2019 is related to the future; in John\u2019s Gospel it indicates \nan actual possession. This aspect is frequently repeated in John\u2019s \nnarration: \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>
      • The dialogue or intimate and profound communication between Christ \nand sheep has been defined by the Gospel in today\u2019s Liturgy by a great \nBiblical verb, \u201cto know\u201d This involves the whole being of man: the mind,\n the heart, the will. Is your consciousness of Christ firm at a \ntheoretical\u2013abstract level or do you allow yourself to be transformed \nand guided by his voice on the journey of your life?<\/li>
      • 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><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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

        • \u201cI give them (that is, my sheep) eternal life and they shall never \nperish\u201d (Jn 10: 28). These are the words of Jesus, who had said a little\n earlier, \u201cthe good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep\u201d (cf. Jn \n10: 11).<\/li>
        • Life in its fullness (eternal life) is one of the major themes of \nJohn and is to be celebrated during this paschal season. Life is the \nprime characteristic of Jesus (1:4), and he comes to bring people \neternal life (3:15\u201316). Such life does not begin after death, for the \none who believes already has eternal life (3:36; 4:14) and has already \npassed from death into life (5:24). Eternal life cannot be taken away by\n death but only by sin and unbelief, and Jesus is himself resurrection \nand life. While most contemporary Christians have a strong hope in life \nbeyond death, few would realize that they already possess \u201ceternal \nlife.\u201d In John eternal life describes less duration or unending life \nthan a quality or fullness of life. It is life with and for God that \nJesus reveals and that begins when people through faith and love commit \nthemselves to the kind and quality of life that Jesus embodies.<\/li>
        • I give you eternal life.<\/em> The greatest gift that God has \ngiven us is life. But this life lasts only a few years, after which\u2026 \nWill death overcome us? Will we go back to the nothingness from which \nGod took us when he created us? This is a question that finds its answer\n in the risen Christ. He is the Lord of Life, the Living One. And since \nhe is the Lord of Life, he may dispose of it and give it to those who \nlove and trust him. Christ lets us share in his very life, the life that\n is not subject to the dominion of death: eternal life. In the Book of \nRevelation we read, \u201cThe Lamb (the dead and risen Christ) who is at the \nheart of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to \nsprings of living water!\u201d Eternal life is the same life as that of \nChrist, which is already present in us through baptism and grace, and \nwill acquire its fullness in the hereafter of our earthly existence. \nSince our earthly life is a precious gift of the Father, eternal life is\n a wonderful gift of the risen Christ.<\/li>
        • \u201cChrist promises his followers as a recompense and reward eternal \nlife, exemption from death and corruption, and from the torments the \njudge inflicts upon transgressors. By giving life Christ shows that by \nnature he is life. He does not receive it from another, but supplies it \nfrom his own resources\u201d (St. Cyril of Alexandria)<\/li>
        • \u201cWe may also see in the word \u201clife\u201d a reference to the Eucharist, by\n means of which Christ implants in believers his own life through their \nsharing 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><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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

          • In the Bible the hand, in some contexts, is a metaphor which \nindicates the force of God who protects (Deut 33,3: Ps 31,6). In others,\n the verb \u201cto snatch\u201d (harp\u00e1z\u00f6) <\/em>suggests the idea that the \ncommunity of disciples will not be exempt from the attacks of evil and \nof temptations. But the expression \u201cno one will snatch them\u201d indicates \nthat the presence of Christ assures the community of the certainty of an\n unflinching stability which allows them to overcome every temptation of\n fear.<\/li>
          • Those who stay with the shepherd, Jesus says, will never be lost. \nHow could they be? Our Shepherd is the Way, he is Truth and Life. And \nwhen one does happen to go astray, he leaves the ninety\u2013nine and goes in\n search of the one who has wandered off to bring it back.<\/li>
          • And so the Gospel today says that we have been given to Jesus by the\n Father. For it is in and through Jesus, the Way, that we find our way \nto the Father. Jesus is Truth and Life and can only lead us to the \nsource of all Truth and Life, God himself.<\/li>
          • Jesus\u2019 words indicate that the sheep are his. What\u2019s more, under his\n protection they are secure; he maintains that \u201cno one can take them out\n of my hand.\u201d This is very reassuring, particularly in a world that \ncannot ensure security.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            • In the case of us Christians, this is a spiritual bond that can be \nstronger 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\n which means that we use our freedom and strength to be a loving, caring\n presence in our world. We can do this most effectively in the context \nof a supportive community and with the nourishment of the Eucharist.<\/li>
            • In the gospel quote that sounds so magisterial and serene we can \nhear a note of reality. Jesus says about his sheep, \u201cNo one can take \nthem out of my hand.\u201d He also says, in a similar manner, \u201cNo one can \ntake them out of the Father\u2019s hand.\u201d There are forces at work that \nthreaten to snatch us out of the hands of the Shepherd. Some of them are\n subtle and everyday promptings to renege on our faith, while other \nforces carry immediate dire threats to what we believe as Christians. \nJesus\u2019 words assure us that at the moment of death, or facing death in \nits other manifestations, when death seems to be winning the final \nvictory, our lives are secure in God\u2019s hands. Jesus\u2019 words of security \nhad meaning for the early church; they needed to hear and embrace in \nfaith what he said, for being a Christian when this gospel was written, \nwas a matter of life and death.<\/li>
            • No one can take them away from me.<\/em><\/strong> No \nhuman, angelic or diabolical power is above the power of the risen \nChrist, a power he has received from the almighty Father. To want to \ntake Jesus Christ\u2019s sheep from him would be tantamount to taking them \naway from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It would be absurd! \nPeople may make a clean break with this life, but they cannot snatch \neternal life from God\u2019s hands. As the Catechism teaches us, angels are \nat the service of God: \u201cWith their whole beings, the angels are servants\n and messengers of God\u201d (CCC 329), and at the service of man, \u201cFrom \ninfancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and \nintercession\u201d(CCC 336). Finally, although the devil is a powerful \nfigure, for he is a pure spirit, he cannot prevent the building up of \nthe Kingdom of God, he cannot take God\u2019s sheep away, because \u201cthe power \nof Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite\u201d (CCC 395). We alone, with our \nfreedom, can escape from Christ\u2019s flock and flee from the Father\u2019s good \nhands. The text of the Acts of the Apostles bears witness to this: \u201cWhen\n they saw the crowds, the Jews, filled with jealousy, used blasphemies \nto contradict everything Paul said.\u201d What tremendous power is the power \nof freedom, that can render useless the mirabilia of the Good Shepherd!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

                • If we want to see God made visible, \nJesus is saying, we need to look to Jesus. In fact, if we listen to \nJesus\u2019 words, we are listening to God. We have, therefore, a new holy \nplace in Christ, and now that he is resurrected, we can enter the holy \npresence of God whenever we turn to Christ in prayer, community and to \nthose he calls us to serve.<\/li>
                • In Christ we have an intimate union \nwith God. This union is strengthened today as we listen to Christ\u2019s \nwords with ears of faith. The Eucharist we will receive is also food \nfrom God\u2019s hands to nourish us on our journey and help us fulfil the \nvocation we have already heard from the risen Christ this Easter \ntime\u2013\u2013\u2013\u201dfeed my lambs.\u201d<\/li><\/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-5676","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\/5676","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=5676"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8376,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5676\/revisions\/8376"}],"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=5676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}