Responsorial Psalm
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Reading 2
Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.
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.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Gospel
Jesus said:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."
Reflection
Today’s readings remind us that Jesus is our gateway to Heaven. We know Him as Shepherd—and indeed He is our protector and guide. Today’s responsorial psalm emphasizes that we want for nothing because we have the Lord to lead us. However, the Gospel adds another dimension. Jesus tells us that He is the gate. In other words, we are only saved through Him.
Our second reading describes what entering through the gate of Christ looks like: imitating Him. Namely, St. Peter describes how we are called to suffer gracefully as Jesus did. Christ never retaliated or lashed out, but rather “handed Himself over to the one who judges justly.” Despite the torment He underwent, He entrusted Himself to the Father. So too must we suffer with patience and surrender to God’s will.
God is calling some men and women to imitate Christ’s patience and surrender in a particular way: through Priesthood or Religious Life. Today is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, and these readings remind us to listen for the voice of the Shepherd who calls to us and the people around us. In order to listen for our Shepherd, we must devote ourselves to prayer. Further, by praying for the Father to raise up holy priests and religious in this Diocese and throughout the world, we offer invaluable support to the Church and the salvation of souls.
Embracing the example of our Suffering Lord—whether it is through Priesthood, Religious Life, or carrying our daily crosses—can seem impossible. However, we know that Jesus has paved the way. As Peter says, “by His wounds [we] have been healed.” Whatever we may endure, we know that Christ has gone before us. Jesus’ suffering became our means of salvation, and when we unite ourselves to Him, our suffering shares in His saving power. This truth is why Jesus can say that He came for us not only to have life, but to “have it more abundantly,” even though we experience pain. Even our pain, because of Christ, enriches our life.
What is more, God is so wonderfully good that He will often sweeten our lives with consolations. As the psalmist says, “…beside restful waters He leads me; He refreshes my soul.” Following Christ is not only entering His suffering, but also adopting His love, security, and peace, all rooted in the Father. When we surrender to the one who is perfectly just, we entrust ourselves to the one who will always ensure our greatest good. So, as we pray for vocations and seek to discern our own calling, we can pray with the psalmist: “Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil; for You are at my side.”
Let us follow in Christ’s footsteps—suffering with grace and rejoicing with gratitude—heading towards Heaven through Jesus, the gate.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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