Reading 2
I, John, had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
Then one of the elders said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“For this reason they stand before God’s throne
and worship him day and night in his temple.
The one who sits on the throne will shelter them.
They will not hunger or thirst anymore,
nor will the sun or any heat strike them.
For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne
will shepherd them
and lead them to springs of life-giving water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Gospel
Jesus said:
“My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
Reflection
While today’s Gospel is just four verses, the short passage conveys a reassuring and multifaceted message. Jesus takes on the role of Shepherd, saying that He knows His sheep and promises them eternal life. “No one can take them out of my hand,” He says. What a comfort these words can be to us, who may feel as though the world is so hostile to who we are and what we believe. The Father, who has given us to Jesus, is greater than any enemy, insult, or even our own mistakes. When we are in Jesus’ sheepfold, we are truly safe.
Our second reading from Revelation describes the multitudes in Heaven, worshipping the Lord day and night because He shelters and shepherds them, “wiping away every tear from their eyes.” God offers this blissful destiny to us.
Notice that Jesus says His sheep follow Him. Indeed, to be partakers in these marvelous promises, we must humble ourselves, likening ourselves to sheep, and follow the Shepherd. The second reading also tells us that these crowds have washed their robes in “the blood of the Lamb.” We must embrace and enter into Christ’s sacrifice of self-emptying love. Jesus, even in today’s Gospel, does not cling to power or status, but rather pours out His love in humility. He credits His Father with all greatness, saying that it is His unity with the Father that gives Him the ability to hold us forever. If we, too, recognize that our gifts come from above, we can let ourselves be held by Our Savior without our pride getting in the way.
Join me, also, in thanking the Father for giving us a Sheperd in His Beloved Son, Jesus, and for granting us a new pope, Pope Leo XIV. May we abide in the peaceful assurance that He holds us—and His Church—in the palm of His hands.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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