FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, CYCLE A

Readings First: Acts 2:14, 36-41; second: 1 Pet 2:20-25; Gospel: Jn 10:1-10

Theme of the readings

As the gate to the sheepfold, Jesus is the metaphor that summarizes the message of the liturgy. Jesus says of himself: "I tell you most solemnly that I am the gate of the sheepfold" (Gospel). In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter exhorts his listeners: "You must repent … and every one of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (first reading). Again Peter, in his First Letter, writes: "You had gone astray like sheep, but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls" (second reading), showing one of the functions of the gate, which is to protect the flock from anything that could harm it.

Doctrinal message

In chapter 10, St. John uses various images, which attempt to explain the reality of the Christian community and of the Church: sheepfold, gate, shepherd, hired man, etc. In this loveliest of allegories, the sheepfold is the community of believers in Christ. Jesus is both the gate of the sheepfold and the shepherd of the flock. And what about the "hired men"? The Pharisees (cf. 9:13)? The false doctors and "Christian" prophets who appear in some of the New Testament texts? These are hard questions to answer. With all this, today’s liturgy focuses on the image of Jesus Christ, the gate of the sheepfold.

The gate is the place through which one enters the sheepfold, the community of faith. This gate is Christ, dead and risen, who created a new flock through a new covenant in his blood. The Christian passes through this gate of salvation to the new community of faith by means of baptism. By baptism we are immersed in the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ, and are at the same time incorporated in the Church (cf. CIC 1213-1214). Anyone who wants to enter the fold, to belong to the Church, without going through the gate but getting in some other way is a "thief and a brigand" (Jn 10:1). Belonging to the Church at a merely sociological level is impossible, just as it is impossible to want to separate faith in Jesus Christ from faith and belonging to the Church: "Christ yes, but the Church no".

Through the gate the sheep go out of the fold to seek good pasture. What is pasture for the Christian community? First of all, the living and effective word of the Scriptures, then the sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ for the salvation of believers and lastly, the good example of our brothers and sisters in the faith. The gate that gives access to these good pastures is Jesus Christ in his historical reality and in his glorious life, as the Word of God and the Father’s authentic "exegete", the source and fundamental origin of all the sacraments, the archetype of the Christian way of life. 

The door of the sheepfold is also a means to protect and defend those who are inside it. The risen Christ is the guardian of the sheep and defends them from any brigand or rapacious wolf that might roam around the fold. When the community of believers is protected by Christ, the only gate of the sheepfold, we can be certain that nothing bad will happen to the flock. It will not suffer any harm, even amidst trials and tribulations and the great problems caused by powerful enemies who would like attack it.

Pastoral suggestions

In accordance with the wishes of Pope Paul VI, World Day of Prayer for Vocations is being celebrated in the Church today. We should bear in mind that the priest is not, of course, the gate of the sheepfold, but he is indeed the guardian who opens and closes it for the sheep. This is a favorable moment to address a theme so timely and so necessary for the future of the faith. We suggest a few topics for reflection:

1. Explain and help people understand that a Church without priests is not the Church that Jesus Christ wanted, nor would he have wanted a Church without lay people. Christ’s Church is constituted by hierarchy and laity, by shepherds and sheep. The former have been called to exercise the service of authority and the total gift of themselves for the latter, who in turn have been called to exercise the service of obedience and Christian effort in the world. 

2. The priestly vocation is a gift of God, but one requiring everyone’s collaboration (the family, parish, associations, ecclesial movements), so that the gift may germinate in the hearts of those who are called. God’s seed will neither sprout nor grow if it does not find good and fertile soil. Have we sometimes wondered about the number of vocations to the priesthood which are "frustrated" because they cannot rely on a favorable environment?

3. Pray constantly for new priestly vocations. Pray for the new recruits who are beginning their course of formation, for those who are on the way, that they may continue preparing themselves in the best possible way to carry out their ministry. Pray for those who are already priests that they may always keep before their eyes "the shepherd and guardian of our souls." Wouldn’t it be a wonderful idea to establish adoration for vocations in your parish one day a month?

Source: http://www.clerus.org/clerus/dati/2004-05/21-13/CICLOA.html by P. ANTONIO IZQUIERDO L.C. (1948-2013)

[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태, 출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다].