Today’s passage records these words of Jesus: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (10:27-30). These four verses contain the whole of Jesus’ message; it is the nucleus of his Gospel: he calls us to share in his relationship with the Father, and this is eternal life.

Jesus wants to establish with his friends a relationship which mirrors his own relationship with the Father: a relationship of reciprocal belonging in full trust, in intimate communion. To express this profound understanding, this relationship of friendship, Jesus uses the image of the shepherd with his sheep: he calls them and they recognize his voice, they respond to his call and follow him. This parable is very beautiful! The mystery of his voice is evocative: only think that from our mother’s womb we learn to recognize her voice and that of our father; it is from the tone of a voice that we perceive love or contempt, affection or coldness. Jesus’ voice is unique! If we learn to distinguish it, he guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond even the abyss of death.

However Jesus, at a certain point, said: “my Father, who has given them to me...” (Jn 10:29), referring to his sheep. This is very important, it is a profound mystery, far from easy to understand. If I feel drawn to Jesus, if his voice warms my heart, it is thanks to God the Father who has sown within me the desire for love, for truth, for life, for beauty... and Jesus is all this in fullness! This helps us understand the mystery of vocation and especially of the call to a special consecration. Sometimes Jesus calls us, he invites us to follow him, but perhaps we do not realize that it is he who is calling, like what happened to the young Samuel. There are many young people today, here in the Square. There are large numbers of you aren’t there? It’s clear.... Look! Here in the Square today there are so many of you! I would like to ask you: have you sometimes heard the Lord’s voice, in a desire, in a worry, did he invite you to follow him more closely? Have you heard him? I can’t hear you? There! Have you wanted to be apostles of Jesus? We must bet on youth for the great ideals. Do you think this? Do you agree? Ask Jesus what he wants of you and be brave! Be brave! Ask him this!

Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood or to the consecrated life there is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father, a community.... This is why Jesus said: “Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest”, that is, God the Father, “to send out labourers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38). Vocations are born in prayer and from prayer; and only through prayer can they persevere and bear fruit.

[Pope Francis, Regina Coeli 21 April 2013]

«I Am the Gate of the sheep»

(Jn 10:1-10)

In the pastures, during the night the sheep were sheltered in stone enclosures on a slope and the shepherds (taking turns) placed themselves in defense of the flock by curling in the position of the door (below) armed with a stick, as if they were a door, impassable for thieves and predators.

Life’s assiduity allowed the flock - even of different owners - to recognize the typical call and the voice of the corresponding shepherd. Not infrequently did he designate each one by an individual nickname [unrepeatable according to character].

In Jerusalem the great city Gates were opened in the morning and closed at sunset. They were fundamental points of urban social life, obligatory passages to enter and exit the walls.

After decades of deportation, the end of the Babylonian empire and the edict of Cyrus, the Sheep Gate was the first to be restored and the only one consecrated, because through it flocked the herds to be sacrificed to the Temple.

Jesus takes a stand and explicitly denounces the abandonment’ situation of the true ‘flock’ [the people] sacrificed to the interest and logic of the institution which is not interested in people's happiness but only in the defense of privileges.

He is the Shepherd who walks ahead (v.4); doesn’t hide behind the scenes: he takes risks personally. The Lord doesn’t come to take, but to give in abundance. Because God is looking for his people in shortage.

His is a Call by Name (v.3): He respects personal identity, doesn’t impose abstract or unsustainable rhythms, doesn’t force the times; He assesses the conditions of each.

For the authentic Shepherd there are no anonymous crowds.

Therefore He does not close us within the ancient sacred ‘enclosures’ (v.1 Greek text) where mass obsessions lurk. Fences equipped with guardian and gendarmes, where all are uniform - and the sensitive soul no longer breathes, kidnapped by opportunists (v.8).

From His Gate we can go out (vv.3-9). Indeed, it’s He who forces us to overcome it (v.3 Greek text).

The authentic Guide leads to a different richness, more substantial pastures, unexpected amazements.

The true Shepherd obliges to make Exodus, pushing us [with force] out of the restricted sheepfolds.

The guide’s authoritativeness is confirmed both by the direct knowledge of the «guardian-gatekeeper» (v.3) and by that of the people, who recognize the Word, and follow it - pushed by that Call as by a thrill within.

Christ highlights the authority he has over the people, presenting himself with the non-transitory formula «I Am» [full of eminent and profound resonances].

And actualizing, He specifies this expression with the metaphor of the Gate - not so much to close it, but above all to open it wide and let us pass.

In this way and unlike the old guides, the small flock follows Him not out of fear or calculation, as it would do with an inflexible master, but spontaneously.

Taking into account the presence of obstacles without which we cannot grow, in the even excited journey, we will experience the invisible Friend as a Master of clarity, decision, constancy, flexibility, introspection.

Recognized in the Unknown Face that lurks within each of us, we will be made aware ‘up close’, motivated and free ones - so that we may be rendered to Life.

[Monday 4th wk. in Easter, May 12, 2025]

«I am the Gate of the sheep»

(Jn 10:1-10)

In the pastures, during the night the sheep were penned in stone pens on a slope and the shepherds (in turn) stood in defence of the flock by huddling in the position of the doorway at the bottom, armed with sticks, as if it were a door, impassable to thieves and predators.

The custom of life enabled the flock - even of different owners - to recognise the typical call and voice of the corresponding shepherd. He not infrequently designated each one with an individual nickname (unrepeatable according to character).

In Jerusalem, the great Gates of the city were opened in the morning and closed at sunset. They were fundamental points of urban social life, obligatory passages to enter and exit the walls.

After decades of deportation, the end of the Babylonian empire and the edict of Cyrus, the Sheep Gate was the first to be restored and the only one consecrated, because through it flowed the herds to be sacrificed to the Temple.

Because of the social paralysis and alienation of the wretched, the motto 'restoring communion with God' - the criterion for the rebuilding of the Temple and the Holy City - meant for Jesus to take a different point of view.

He takes a stand and explicitly denounces the degradation of the true flock sacrificed to the interest and logic of the official religious institution, which is not interested in people's happiness but only in defending privileges.

The spiritual leaders of the ancient pious life were willing to do anything to secure their usual economic status, as well as visibility, prestige, protection of property and various securities.

Jn 5:2 indicates a pool with five porticoes along which the sick were laid "by the Sheep Gate". Wretches who due to supposed impurity did not have access to the Temple but were laid there awaiting a miracle.

According to the Lord, it is the institution that has to serve the sick and needy, instead of oppressing them through harassment and humbug, sweetened with impressive scripts.

He is the Shepherd who walks ahead (v.4); he does not hide behind the scenes: he risks himself. He does not come to take, but to give in abundance. For God seeks his people in penury.

His is a Calling by Name (v.3): he respects personal identity, he does not impose abstract or unbearable rhythms, he does not force timing; he assesses each person's condition.

For the authentic Shepherd, there are no anonymous crowds - to be milked, sheared, and directed down to the last detail. It is He who puts His face and pays.

So he does not enclose within the ancient sacred fences (v.1 Greek text) where mass obsessions lurk. Fences equipped with guardians and gendarmes, where one is homologated - and the sensitive soul no longer breathes, seized by opportunists, thieves and bandits (v.8).

From his Door we can go out (vv.3-9). On the contrary, it is He who forces us to overcome them (v.3 Greek text).

Does it seem unbelievable? It is the more of Faith: animated by the Spirit, believing that nothing escapes God's grasp.

In synergy with the inner Friend, every authentic Guide leads to a different richness, more substantial pastures, unexpected amazements.

The true Shepherd compels us to make an Exodus, pushing us (forcefully) out of the narrow sheepfolds - bounded and installed; interventionist or overflowing with sophistication, businessmen and faux-devotees - that we must now pass over.

For a new Birth, an ever new Encounter, a more significant experience of abundant and indestructible Life (v.10): that unheard of God totally other and totally near.

The leaders had an attitude of rejection of Jesus and the people. Strangers and greedy, they did not call people by name.

Instead, the authority of Christ is in service and for the life of the sick - in concern for the welfare of the people.

In the Lord's view, the authority of official leaders was not legitimate: because it was made up of climbing and ruthlessness, based on an interpretation of codes that did not liberate people but made them subservient - pigeonholed and incapable of reinventing themselves.

Their pursuit of advantage conflicted with the interests of the dispossessed, kept far away and in the fence. Jesus, on the other hand, makes himself a Gate, that is, a legitimate shepherd, who cares for the flock and knows it intimately.

He feels it to be His, and He comes not to serve and profit from it, but to make them happy - having a loving knowledge of each one. He is not a shepherd-king, but a life-giving shepherd.

The authoritativeness of the guide is corroborated both by the direct knowledge of the "gatekeeper-keeper" (v.3) and by that of the people, who recognise his Word, and follow him - driven by that call as by a tremor within.

Throughout the complex redaction of the Fourth Gospel, many believers had by then abandoned obedience to the law (as expounded by the rabbis): the old masters were no longer followed as before.

E.g. The man born blind does not accept the opinion of the albeit popular religious leaders (Jn 9) who accused the Master of being a sinner (v.24). Thus he embarks on a progressive journey of awareness and emancipation.

Christ emphasises the authority he has over the people, presenting himself with the non-transitory formula "I Am" [filled with eminent and profound resonances].

And bringing this expression up to date, he clarifies it with the metaphor of the Door - not so much to close it, but first of all to open it wide and let it pass.

In this way and unlike the old guides, the little flock follows him not out of fear or calculation, as they would an inflexible master, but spontaneously.

By taking into account the presence of obstacles (without which one does not grow) on the journey, even a frantic one, we will experience the invisible Friend as the Master of clarity, decision, constancy, flexibility, introspection.

Recognised in the unknown face within each one of us, we will be made closely aware, motivated and free - so that we are rendered to life.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Liturgy […] presents to us one of the most beautiful images that has portrayed the Lord Jesus since the earliest centuries of the Church: the Good Shepherd. The Gospel of St John, in chapter 10, describes the special features of the relationship between Christ the Good Shepherd and his flock, a relationship so close that no one will ever be able to snatch sheep from his hand. Indeed, the sheep are united to him by a bond of love and of reciprocal knowledge, which guarantees to them the immeasurable gift of eternal life.

At the same time, the flock’s attitude to the Good Shepherd, Christ, is presented by the Evangelist with two specific verbs: “to listen” and “to follow”. These terms suggest the fundamental characteristics of those who live out the following of the Lord.

First of all by listening to his word, from which faith is born and by which it is nurtured. Only those who are attentive to the Lord’s voice can assess in their own conscience the right decisions for acting in accordance with God. Thus the following of Jesus derives from listening: we act as disciples only after hearing and inwardly accepting the Master’s teachings in order to put them into practice every day..

[Pope Benedict, Regina Coeli 15 May 2011]

1. “Hodie natus est nobis Salvator mundi” (Responsorial Psalm).

For twenty centuries this joyful proclamation has burst forth from the heart of the Church. On this holy night the Angel repeats it to us, the men and women living at the end of a millennium: “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy... to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour” (Lk 2:10-11). We have prepared to welcome these comforting words during the season of Advent: in them the “today” of our redemption becomes a reality.

At this hour, the word “today” rings out with a unique sound: it is not only the commemoration of the birth of the Redeemer; it is the solemn beginning of the Great Jubilee. We are spiritually linked to that unique moment of history when God became man, taking to himself our flesh.

Yes, the Son of God, of one being with the Father, God from God and Light from Light, eternally begotten of the Father, became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and assumed our human nature. He was born in time. God entered history. The incomparable eternal “today” of God has become present in everyday human life.

2. “Hodie natus est nobis Salvator mundi” (cf. Lk 2:10-11).

We fall down in adoration before the Son of God. We unite ourselves in spirit to the wonder of Mary and Joseph. As we adore Christ, born in a stable, we make our own the faith, filled with astonishment, of the shepherds of that time; we feel their same amazement and their same joy.

It is difficult not to be overcome by the eloquence of this event: we remain enthralled. We are witnesses of that instant of love which unites the eternal to history: the “today” which begins the time of jubilation and hope, for “to us a son is given; and dominion is laid upon his shoulders” (Is 9:6), as we read in the text of Isaiah.

At the feet of the Word Incarnate let us place our joys and fears, our tears and hopes. Only in Christ, the new man, is true light shed upon the mystery of human existence.

With the Apostle Paul, let us contemplate the fact that in Bethlehem “the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all” (Titus 2:11). This is the reason why on Christmas Night songs of joy ring out in every corner of the earth, in every language.

3. Tonight, before our eyes we see fulfilled what the Gospel proclaims: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him... might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

His Only-begotten Son!

You O Christ, are the Only-begotten Son of the living God, come among us in the stable of Bethlehem! After two thousand years, we re-live this mystery as a unique and unrepeatable event. Among all the children of men, all the children born into the world down the centuries, you alone are the Son of God: in an ineffable way, your birth has changed the course of human events.

This is the truth which on this night the Church wants to pass on to the third millennium. And may all you who will come after us accept this truth, which has totally changed history. Ever since the night of Bethlehem, humanity knows that God became Man: he became Man in order to give man a share in his divine nature.

4. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God! On the threshold of the third millennium, the Church greets you, the Son of God, who have come into the world to triumph over death. You have come to illuminate human life through the Gospel. The Church greets you and with you she wishes to enter the third millennium. You are our hope. You alone have words of eternal life.

You who came into the world on Bethlehem night, remain with us!

You who are the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, guide us!

You who came from the Father, lead us to him in the Holy Spirit, along the path which you alone know and which you have revealed to us, that we might have life and have it in abundance.

You O Christ, the Son of the living God, be for us the Door!

Be for us the true Door, symbolized by the door which on this Night we have solemnly opened!

Be for us the Door which leads us into the mystery of the Father. Grant that no one may remain outside his embrace of mercy and peace!

“Hodie natus est nobis Salvator mundi”: it is Christ who is our only Saviour! This is the message of Christmas 1999: the “today” of this Holy Night begins the Great Jubilee.

Mary, dawn of the new times, be at our side as we trustingly take our first steps into the Jubilee Year! Amen!

[Pope John Paul II, homily 24 December 1999].

The humble symbol of a door which opens bears in itself an extraordinary wealth of meaning:  it proclaims to all that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14: 6). He is such for every human being. The more united we are, being recognized as disciples of Christ by loving one another as he has loved us (cf. Jn 13: 35; 15: 12), the more effective this proclamation will be. The Second Vatican Council has fittingly recalled that division openly contradicts Christ's will, scandalizes the world and damages that most holy cause, the preaching of the Gospel to every creature (Unitatis redintegratio, n. 1).

3. The unity desired by Jesus for his disciples is a sharing in the unity he has with the Father and which the Father has with him. "As you, Father, are in me, and I in you", he said at the Last Supper, "may they be one in us" (Jn 17: 21). Consequently, the Church, "a people made one in the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" (St Cyprian, De Dom. orat., 23), cannot fail to look constantly at that supreme model and principle of unity which is resplendent in the Trinitarian mystery.

The Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit are one in the distinction of Persons. Faith teaches us that, by the power of the Spirit, the Son became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and was made man (Creed). At the gates of Damascus Paul has, in the power of the Spirit, a most extraordinary experience of the incarnate, crucified and risen Christ and becomes the Apostle of the One who "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Phil 2: 7).

When he writes:  "by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body", he means to express his faith in the Incarnation of the Son of God and to reveal the particular analogy of Christ's body:  the analogy between the body of the God-man, a physical body through which our redemption was wrought, and his mystical and social body, which is the Church. Christ lives in her, making himself present through the Holy Spirit in all who form one body in him.

4. Can a body be divided? Can the Church, the Body of Christ, be divided? Ever since the first Councils, Christians have together professed "one, holy, catholic and apostolic" Church. They know, with Paul, that there is one body, one Spirit and one hope to which all are called:  "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all" (Eph 4: 5-6).

In contrast to this mystery of unity, which is a gift from above, the divisions bear a historical character that attests to the human weaknesses of Christians. The Second Vatican Council recognized that divisions arose "for which, often enough, people on both sides were to blame" (Unitatis redintegratio, n. 3). In this year of grace, each of us must have a greater awareness of his own personal responsibility regarding the breaches that have marked the history of Christ's Mystical Body. This awareness is indispensable if we are to advance towards that goal which the Council described as unitatis redintegratio, the restoration of our unity.

But unity cannot be restored without inner conversion, because the desire for unity is born and grows from the renewal of mind, the love of truth, self-denial and the free outpouring of love. Thus:  conversion of heart and holiness of life, with personal and community prayer for unity, are the nucleus from which the ecumenical movement draws its strength and substance.

The longing for unity goes hand in hand with a profound ability to "sacrifice" what is personal, in order to dispose the soul to ever greater fidelity to the Gospel. Preparing ourselves for the sacrifice of unity means changing our viewpoint, broadening our horizons, knowing how to recognize the action of the Holy Spirit who is at work in our brethren, discovering new dimensions of holiness and opening ourselves to fresh aspects of Christian commitment.

If, sustained by prayer, we can renew our minds and hearts, the dialogue we are pursuing will eventually go beyond the limits of an exchange of ideas and become an exchange of gifts, a dialogue of love and truth which challenges and urges us to move ahead in order to offer God "the greatest sacrifice", which is our peace and fraternal harmony (cf. St Cyprian, De Dom. orat., n. 23).

[Pope John Paul II, homily at St. Paul's 18 January 2000].

Jesus presents to us two images which complete each other. The image of the shepherd and the image of the door of the sheepfold. The flock, which is all of us, has a sheepfold as its home, which serves as a refuge, where the sheep live and rest after the toils of the journey. And the sheepfold has an enclosure with a door, where there is a gatekeeper. Different people approach the flock: there is one who enters the enclosure by the door and one who “climbs in by another way” (cf. v. 1). The first is the shepherd, the second a stranger who does not love the sheep and wants to enter for other reasons. Jesus identifies with the first and shows a familiar relationship with the sheep, expressed by his voice, by which he calls them and which they recognize and follow (cf. v. 3). He calls them, to lead them out to grassy pastures where they find good food.

The second image by which Jesus presents himself is that of the “door of the sheep” (v. 7). In fact, he says: “I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved” (v. 9); that is, they “will have life and will have it abundantly” (v. 10). Christ, the Good Shepherd, became the door of mankind’s salvation, because he offered his life for his sheep.

Jesus, Good Shepherd and door of the sheep, is a leader whose authority is expressed in service, a leader who, in order to command, gives his life and does not ask others to sacrifice theirs. One can trust in a leader like this, as the sheep who heed their shepherd’s voice because they know that with him one goes to good and abundant pastures. A signal, a call suffices, and they follow; they obey; they begin to walk, guided by the voice of the One whom they feel as a friendly presence, strong and mild at once, who calls, protects, consoles and soothes.

This is how Christ is for us. There is a dimension of the Christian experience, that perhaps we leave somewhat in the shadows: the spiritual and affective dimension. Feeling connected to the Lord by a special bond, as sheep to their shepherd. At times we rationalize faith too much and we run the risk of losing the perception of the timbre of that voice, of the voice of Jesus the Good Shepherd, which motivates and fascinates. This is what happened to the two disciples of Emmaus, whose hearts burned as the Risen One spoke along the way. It is the wondrous experience of feeling loved by Jesus. Ask yourselves the question: “Do I feel loved by Jesus? Do I feel loved by Jesus?”. To him we are never strangers, but friends and brothers. Yet it is not always easy to discern the Good Shepherd’s voice. Be careful. There is always the risk of being distracted by the din of so many other voices. Today we are invited not to let ourselves be distracted by the false wisdom of this world, but to follow Jesus, the Risen One, as the one sure guide who gives meaning to our life.

[Pope Francis, Regina Coeli 7 May 2017]

You see Him in the shepherd, when he expounds his life

(Jn 10:1-10. 10:11-18. 10:27-30)

We are used to imagining Jesus as a Shepherd surrounded by the flock with a sheep supported on his shoulders or in his arms. Such is the reproduction of the parable in Lk 15 and Mt 18.

As an alternative to the Synoptics, the Fourth Gospel speaks of Jesus’ distinctive trait as a true Shepherd, taking its cue from David's bold character in the episode reported by 1Sam 17:32-36:

«David said to Saul “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him”. Saul replied “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth”. But David said to Saul “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,  I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.  Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear».

The «Shepherd the Beautiful One» [in the oriental sense of charming but also authentic, true and just, strong and daring] of Jn 10 does not caress the flock. «He does not comb the sheep!».

Rather, He is the guide and protector who not only defies bad weather, but above all doesn’t fear ferocious animals, those who want to profit even from a single little sheep.

In recent Sundays the Gospels have highlighted how even today we can see the Risen Lord.

In the Thomas episode, how He manifests himself in the community gathered for worship; last week, how to perceive Him on a weekday and in ordinary settings where daily life takes place.

Today we can note how the Risen One reveals Himself in a flesh-and-blood "shepherd", who decides not to be a parlor trinket - and not to wag his tail if some bully or fake master comes along.

St. Augustine writes: «You man must recognize what you were, where you were, to whom you were subjected [...] you were entrusted to a mercenary who didn’t protect you when the wolf came [...] This shepherd is not like the mercenary you were under when your misery troubled you and you had to fear the wolf».

Glad tidings of the Easter season are that our lives as saved persons are secured by the resolute intrepidity of brothers who like Jesus (only here similar to David) are not afraid to fight, even to the point of exposing themselves to protect the voiceless of the flock.

Authentic shepherd is he who has the guts to face both counterfeiters and marauders, to snatch the bewildered and defenseless from their claws.

His credibility is recognisable right from the decise Voice, which does not allow to be silenced by blackmail. He doesn’t allow himself to be frightened off by the wily, nor to be subdued by the lack of social appeal.

His Word-event prolongs the creative activity of the Father, who restores life, enriches life, rejoices in the lives of the sons.

This is his Beauty, that is, his fullness of Love that abides, filling us with meaning - in the time of transhumance and in the change of seasons.

«The Shepherd, the beautiful one, lays down his life for the sheep» (v.11): He has a style that reverses the chain of command.

Thus, the Master never invited anyone [not even among the apostles] to be a 'shepherd', that is, one who leads and commands the flock.

His intimates are called to be «fishers of men». Interested in the reality of people.

Not "directors", but putting themselves at the service of the life and freedom of those who are unfortunately entangled in suffocating abysses, dangerous eddies of death.

The Plus of Faith?

The drive and freshness of those who lay down their lives without backing down, to defend the innocent ones, the last to arrive.

No dirigisme.

[4th Sunday in Easter, of the Beautiful Shepherd, 11 maggio 2025]

There is evidence that he lives: you see him in the Shepherd

(Jn 10:1-10. 10:11-18 10:27-30)

The religious rule developed the idea that the Torah could cleanse the mind from errors, and the inclination of people from impurities - in order to chisel out a people pleasing to God.

Anything that disturbed the prescribed balance had to be immediately condemned and punished, as deleterious to fixed stability, mass cohesion, and its very efficiency.

The complete configuration of the unquestionable pious proposal and the very magnificence of the structures of official worship guaranteed the eloquence and imperturbability of the conditionings [on the misfits].

Insecurities and doubts were immediately branded as disturbing factors in the reassuring landscape, to be repressed from adolescence onwards.

The new Rebbe, however, did not want to sterilise emotions or situations. The inner world and anxieties were not to be silenced at all, but encountered and known.

On the other hand, looking around he realised (as we do today) that it was precisely in the mannered, observant or 'transgressive' people, the standard-bearers of ethics or events, who repressed spontaneous impulses or indulged in fashions... that subterfuges, concealed selfishness, sloth and disturbances increased.

Precisely those who approached the spiritual path by multiplying dirigisme, ethicism, activism, and control became exaggeratedly confrontational, and secretly unreliable.

Burdened with suffocating norms, the naive people were reduced to unhappiness; all felt restlessness and parchedness - precisely because the obsession with sin or non-performance prevented the integration of desires.

Everything that had to be reduced and annihilated for reasons of social and votary conformity, ended up penetrating souls in a more intimate way, resurfacing here and there in a paradoxical way, with duplicity and imbalances - these were very serious.

Authentic Jesus the Guide was a 'friend of publicans and sinners' in the sense that he taught to broaden the harmony of the creaturely being, and to learn to look without prejudice; to treasure various experiences, even opposing ones: of everything that emerges even in the inner world.

The perfection he preached was in the imperfection and irrationality of love - which everywhere gathers pearls of experience.

Indeed, according to the True Shepherd, it was precisely important to be troubled, rather than impassive or confident: to learn over time to make sense even of the signs that worry the conformist or à la page mentality - thus completing ourselves.

The authentic Master and Friend knows that - by learning to welcome, not to establish - only what touches, involves and upsets us personally will succeed in shifting our gaze, to grow and exodus towards fertile pastures; the land of freedom, even of relationships.

In a speech in April '68 Paul VI asked himself:

"Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Good Shepherd. We are invited by the Lord himself to think of him in this way: an extremely lovable, sweet, close figure. By presenting himself in this aspect, he repeats the invitation of the shepherd: that is, he draws a relationship that smacks of tenderness and wonder. He knows his sheep, and calls them by name. Because we are of his flock, he knows and appoints us; he approaches each one of us and desires to bring us into a loving, filial relationship with him. The Lord's goodness is revealed here in a sublime, ineffable manner'.

In a general audience in March '75 the Pontiff encouraged us to 'give a tone of courage to Christian life, private and public, so as not to become insignificant on a spiritual level and even complicit in the collapse. The cross is always raised before us: it calls us to vigour'.

The Bishop of Rome intended to urge us not to live by mediation and concordism.

Despite appearances, it is this second quotation that is most pertinent to describe the character of the liturgy of the Word on the Fourth Sunday of Easter; let us see why.

We are used to imagining Jesus as the Shepherd surrounded by the flock with a sheep on his shoulders or in his arms. Such is the reproduction of the parable of Lk 15 and Mt 18.

As an alternative to the Synoptics, the Fourth Gospel speaks of the distinguishing feature of Jesus as the true Shepherd, taking its cue from the bold character of David in the episode reported in 1 Sam 17:32-36:

"David said to Saul, 'Let no one lose heart because of this man. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine'. Saul replied to David: "You cannot go against this Philistine and fight with him: you are a boy and he is a man of arms from his teens". But David said to Saul: "Your servant used to graze his father's flock and sometimes a lion or a bear would come and take a sheep from the flock. Then I pursued him, and struck him down, and snatched the sheep from his mouth. If he turned against me, I would seize him by the jaws, strike him down, and kill him. Thy servant has slain the lion and the bear".The 'Shepherd the Beautiful' [in the oriental sense of charming but also authentic, true and righteous, strong and bold] of John 10 does not caress the flock. As Pope Francis would say: 'He is not combing the sheep!

He is rather the guide and protector who not only defies the elements, but above all is not afraid of ferocious animals, who want to take advantage of even one sheep.

He does not put his tail between his legs in front of the beasts, and if he does, he snatches the prey from the jaws of the gangs of wolves [sometimes disguised as lambs and men of God; very dangerous people, dealers in illusion].

In the past Sundays, the Gospels have highlighted how we can also see the Risen One today.

In the Thomas episode, how he manifests himself in the community gathered for worship; last week, how to perceive him on a weekday and in the ordinary surroundings where daily life takes place.

Today we can see how the Risen One reveals Himself in a flesh-and-blood 'shepherd', who decides not to be a parlor trinket - and not to wag his tail if some bully or fake master comes along.

S. Augustine writes: 'You man must recognise what you were, where you were, to whom you were subject [...] you were entrusted to a mercenary who, when the wolf came, did not protect you [...] This shepherd is not like the mercenary under whom you were when your misery plagued you and you had to fear the wolf'.

Glad tidings of the Easter season are that our lives as saved are secured by the resolute intrepidity of brothers who, like Jesus (only here similar to David), are not afraid to fight, even to the point of exposing themselves to protect the voiceless of the flock.

Authentic shepherd is the one who has the guts to stand up to both counterfeiters and marauders, to snatch the bewildered and helpless from their claws.

His credibility is recognisable from the decisive voice, which does not allow itself to be silenced by blackmail. He does not allow himself to be frightened by the wolves, nor does he allow himself to be cowed by the lack of social hold.

His Word-event prolongs the creative activity of the Father, which restores life, enriches life, rejoices in the lives of his children.

This is his Beauty, that is, his fullness of Love that persists, filling us with meaning - in the time of transhumance and in the change of seasons.

"The Shepherd, the beautiful one, lays down his life for the sheep" (v.11): He has a style that overturns the chain of command.

In this way, the Master never invited anyone [not even among the apostles] to be a 'shepherd', that is, one who directs and commands the flock.

His intimates are called to be 'fishers of men'. Interested in the reality of people.

Not 'directors', but putting oneself at the service of the life and freedom of those who are unfortunately entangled in suffocating abysses, dangerous whirlpools of death.

The sheepfold of the shepherds of Palestine was a dry-stone fence, over which brambles were allowed to grow or bundles of thorns were placed, to prevent both sheep and thieves from climbing over it.

The little wall could delimit a space in front of a house, or in the case of staying outdoors, along a slope. In such a case, it could be a night shelter for several flocks and several shepherds.

One of them kept watch in turn, standing at the entrance to the enclosure, barring access - as if it were a door. He stood there armed with a stick made more effective by splinters of stone embedded in it.

In the morning, each flock would spontaneously recompose itself at the sole voice of its shepherd, which - due to the fact that they spent a lot of time together in isolated places - was immediately recognised.

The sheep followed him, confident that they were being led to pastures and oases.

The brave 'shepherd' knows the sheep passionately, 'one by one' - but there are many bandits who still intend to take advantage.

To them one is as good as the other - they are not willing to fight, except for prestige. Nor do they have any knowledge of our 'name'.

Conversely, in the Lord's thinking there are no anonymous masses, but rather persons; souls that are all significant.

He takes into account the character and possibilities of each one. He understands our difficulties; he does not force times, he respects individual rhythms.

Religious and political leaders of the time - flatterers and true marauders - did not cherish the merits and labours of each of their subjects.

They pose as sacred benefactors; seeking only their own benefit - even through their apparent relief work.

Despite the clamorous appearances that were intended to emphasise the rank they had attained, their goal and methods were marked by the lust for affirmation, by exclusive self-interest and class.

Christ distinguishes Himself from the impostors, smugglers, who wanted to drag the people to exploitation, depersonalisation, bewilderment, then to complete subordination - not only of the imagination.He who in the midst of the din of so many voices becomes hostage to external convictions, is plagued and can no longer reactivate his own Exodus. 

So he would always have to borrow.

But slipping one's soul and life into the armour of others, already made up, does not fulfil the unrepeatable vocation; it does not make the innocent happy.

Whoever follows Jesus not only enters, but also "comes out" (v.9) of the "sacred enclosure": a trap that was chiselled to exploit the naive and shaky.

In Him, we are made autonomous, true, free; able to walk on our own legs, thus able to activate paths of a humanity that is perhaps still distant.

Educated in the 'Son of Man' to feel adequate, to live intensely and cheerfully in the existence of others too, we no longer feel any need for humiliating paternalism.

In Jesus' time, if the shepherd was a wage earner, when faced with grave danger [e.g. bandits, or large wild beasts] he was allowed to flee.

And he did so gladly, because the flock did not belong to him.

In short, those who adhere to the minimum obligations set by the 'contract' are not really involved - they do not care about anything, neither about Christ's proposal nor about people.

On the other hand, genuine love does not stop; it has no boundaries: "one flock, one shepherd" (v.16).

That is to say: everyone is called to be involved; blessed, and 'perfect' in terms of their own mission.

"The 'only shepherd' in the Gospels is not the Pope, nor any Patriarch. Not even a small local prince-feudal lord.

But the whole flock, ministering without exception - in Christ destined for the fullness of life in freedom (vv.17-18).

Jesus is a genuine Shepherd because he is not afraid to lay down his life in defence of his brothers.

He is the strong man who does not let his helpless ones be torn from his hands (v.28): he does not allow us to be lost.

Perhaps it is not even so easy for us to give in, to be saved, to let ourselves be accompanied, transported, guided by the inner Friend.

Yet, despite our lack of docility, salvation is guaranteed: by his unconditional initiative.

This is the reliable pivot of our adventure: women and men who in such a nuptial and creative relationship make the leap from religious sense to Faith.

This is the great news, the good news that we proclaim.

Our vocational root is not shaken by shortcomings.

God's enemy is not sin, therefore, but the lulling of illusions and the following of charlatans; or malfeasance, interest, self-satisfaction, which take root and spread precisely in shadowy areas and in the cordons you do not expect.

It is not easy to trust Christ and with Him be in communion with the Father (v.30) as the one People of God, laity and clergy.

He does not cheat: he does not promise careers, honours, titles, roles, candyfloss, easy life, triumphs, accolades, and shortcuts.

Sometimes the beasts come and you don't mess around; you have to decide and - why not - sometimes be tough.

I remember years ago a massacre of sheep in the Accumoli area - not too far from me.

When the old women became aware of the wolves, they stood in a circle around the lambs, and were mauled - to save their young.

In religions, respect for veterans - not infrequently business partners with some idol passed off as 'God' - is paramount.

They demand to be defended, protected, served and revered; whatever nefariousness they have done or are still cultivating in their souls.

That is why - as I said - the Master never invited anyone to be a 'shepherd' (the one who directs and commands the flock).

His intimates are called to be 'fishers of men'.

Not 'directors', but putting themselves at the service of the life and freedom of those who are unfortunately entangled in suffocating abysses, dangerous whirlpools of death.

Strange to see in history how all Christian denominations were immediately filled with 'pastors' (who do not give up).

"The Shepherd, the good Shepherd, lays down his life for the sheep" (v.11): He has a style that overturns the greedy, pyramidal chain of command.

Good Shepherd People

The defence of the little flock, and the whole people becoming Shepherds

(Jn 10:11-18)

At the beginning of ch.10 Jn lays bare the difference between true shepherd and thief [rapacious and profiteering false teachers who do not care about the lives of others].

The authentic guide cares for the tiny flock, exposes himself to defend it and make it prosper; he leads it to water, and to green pastures.

Thus, from the initial simile of the Gate, Jesus moves on to the comparison of the Shepherd who defends the wandering flock and easy prey to bullies.

The people instinctively grasp who is the true guide, in the variations of season and transhumance: they have an immediate, vibrant existential perception.

Women and men of the people always have a far more reliable practical discernment than the artificial, contemptuous discernment of the official authorities they suppose themselves to have.

None of them would have given or risked anything for the life of the flock entrusted to them, whom they considered ignorant, marked for life; cursed (Jn 7:49. 9:34).

On the strength of such subtlety of concrete intelligence, here is the goal at which Jesus aims in the Gift of Himself: it is the People themselves who will become Shepherds (v.16b).

So, too, the flock-shepherd of Christ will not dodge the blows, nor will they be passive and conformist - but like Him: bold and outriding.

This surprise adds a further opening of horizon, which we would call universal ecclesiology.

A disturbing prospect for opportunists and those satiated with the 'buildings' set up by religion - and its inducements - alarmed only by those built in the Faith.

But the Lord snatches us from the wolves.

Moreover, he does not limit himself to the crowds that are close to him.

The call and care of the authentic Shepherd crosses any boundary; not just the artificial and crafty one of the Temple.

God's vocation concerns even people still far from sacred precincts (v.16a Greek text), who are also considered necessary and full members of his People.

The new principle of belonging is Listening (v.3): immediacy even of one's own intimate and natural life instincts.

This is worth more than a soul already cleansed of error, or a flawless crowd.

Such is the creaturely and spontaneous prelude of mutual Communion [conviviality of differences] that supplants ancient religious affiliations.

"The Shepherd, the beautiful one, lays down his life for the sheep" (v.11): He has a style that overturns the greedy, pyramidal chain of command.

The fraternities of Living Faith had well understood that existing in the Spirit of Christ and the life of the soul had unexpected implications - completely incompatible with the attachment to the ephemeral that the official authorities allowed themselves.

The irreverent Lucian of Samosata (120-190) gives a very significant glimpse of this originality - still in its infancy - which brings out the simplicity, the climate of mutual trust and the quality of life of the first believers, led by the good example of community leaders.

The well-known satirical author, opposed to superstitions and credulity among which he also counted Christianity, bears indirect and paradoxical testimony to why the unexpected proposal of Sharing from church co-ordinators - so alternative, incomprehensibly magnanimous and liberal - was recognised.

In light-hearted language that still makes us think of the distance to the ideal, despite the millennia that have passed - the ancient Greek-Syrian writer acutely described the concrete impact of the Faith in the true God, which he noticed was becoming increasingly widespread among the people.

Jesus wanted the establishment of an alternative society - non-vertical, non-exclusive, rather capable of happy coexistence - to be based on the popular heart, starting with the testimony of authentic 'teachers'.

In 'The Death of Peregrinus' [De morte Peregrini, 13] the 2nd century polemicist expresses himself thus:

"Their first Lawgiver persuades them that they are all brothers to each other, and as they convert, denying the Greek gods, they worship that wise man crucified, and live according to his laws. For something they despise all goods equally and believe them to be common and do not care when they have them. Therefore if a shrewd impostor arose among them who knew how to handle them well, he would immediately become rich, mocking these gullible and foolish people'.

It seemed madness for the ideal of a Hellenistic, individualistic, self-made man, as well as for the very image of a friend of God who deserved glory and courtesies - therefore his protégé in 'blessings' [a conviction that unfortunately remains almost unchanged].

But as can be seen between the lines, the new 'leaders' in Christ were indeed beginning to supplant the credibility of the other more culturally renowned leaders, who were nevertheless far less interested in the reality of people.

In the lives of the 'Christians', a balance, a coming together, a well-being and a 'Way of wholeness' quite different from that of the ancient sterilised, one-sided 'perfection' became evident.

The most of Faith?

Not the fine manners. Rather, the cue and freshness of one who lays down his life without backtracking, to defend the innocent, the ultimate.

No dirigisme.

To internalise and live the message:

In your community, do you feel judged on external perfections, and hunted down by judging wolves, or valued personally, and on the path to all-round completeness?

They just go together

The Gospel we heard on this Sunday is only a part of Jesus' great discourse on the shepherds. In this passage the Lord tells us three things about the true shepherd: he lays down his life for the sheep; he knows them and they know him; he is at the service of unity. Before reflecting on these three essential characteristics of being a shepherd, it will perhaps be useful to briefly recall the earlier part of the discourse on shepherds in which Jesus, before designating Himself as Shepherd, says to our surprise, "I am the door" (Jn 10:7). It is through Him that one must enter into the shepherding service. Jesus emphasises this basic condition very clearly when he says: "Whoever... goes up another way is a thief and a robber" (Jn 10:1). This word 'climb' - 'anabainei' in Greek - conjures up the image of someone climbing over the fence to reach, by climbing over, where he legitimately could not reach. "Rising" - we can also see here the image of careerism, of the attempt to get "to the top", to get a position through the Church: serving, not serving. It is the image of the man who, through the priesthood, wants to make himself important, to become a personage; the image of the man who aims at his own exaltation and not at the humble service of Jesus Christ. But the only legitimate ascent to the shepherd's ministry is the cross. This is the true ascent, this is the true door. Not to desire to become someone personally, but instead to be there for the other, for Christ, and so through Him and with Him to be there for the men He seeks, whom He wants to lead on the path of life. One enters the priesthood through the Sacrament - and that means precisely: through the donation of oneself to Christ, so that He disposes of me; so that I serve Him and follow His call, even if this should be at odds with my desires for self-fulfilment and esteem. To enter through the door, which is Christ, is to know him and love him more and more, so that our will may be united with his and our actions become one with his actions. Dear friends, for this intention we want to pray again and again, we want to strive for precisely this, that Christ may grow in us, that our union with Him may become ever deeper, so that through us it is Christ Himself who shepherds.

Let us now look more closely at Jesus' three fundamental statements about the good shepherd. The first, which with great force pervades the whole discourse on shepherds, says: the shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The mystery of the Cross lies at the heart of Jesus' service as shepherd: it is the great service He renders to us all. He gives himself, and not just in the distant past. In the sacred Eucharist he does this every day, he gives himself through our hands, he gives himself to us. For this reason, with good reason, at the centre of priestly life is the sacred Eucharist, in which Jesus' sacrifice on the cross remains continually present, truly among us. And from this we also learn what it means to celebrate the Eucharist properly: it is an encounter with the Lord who for our sake strips himself of his divine glory, allows himself to be humiliated to the point of death on a cross, and thus gives himself to each one of us. The daily Eucharist is very important for the priest, in which he exposes himself again and again to this mystery; again and again he places himself in God's hands while experiencing the joy of knowing that He is present, He welcomes me, again and again He lifts me up and carries me, He gives me His hand, Himself. The Eucharist must become a school of life for us, in which we learn to give our life. Life is not only given at the moment of death, not only in the way of martyrdom. We must give it day by day. One must learn day by day that I do not possess my life for myself. Day by day I must learn to surrender myself; to make myself available for that thing for which He, the Lord, needs me at the moment, even if other things seem more beautiful and more important to me. Give life, not take it. It is precisely in this way that we experience freedom. Freedom from ourselves, the vastness of being. Precisely so, in being useful, in being a person who is needed in the world, our life becomes important and beautiful. Only he who gives his life, finds it.

Secondly, the Lord tells us: "I know my sheep, and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father" (John 10: 14-15). Two apparently entirely different relationships are intertwined here: the relationship between Jesus and the Father, and the relationship between Jesus and the men entrusted to Him. But both relationships go right together, because men, after all, belong to the Father and are in search of the Creator, of God. When they realise that one only speaks in one's own name and draws only from oneself, then they realise that it is too little and that he cannot be what they are looking for. Where, however, another voice resounds in a person, the voice of the Creator, of the Father, the door to the relationship that man awaits opens. So it must be in our case. First of all, we must live our relationship with Christ and through him with the Father; only then can we truly understand men, only in the light of God can we understand the depth of man. Then the listener realises that we are not talking about us, about something, but about the true Shepherd. Obviously, also encapsulated in Jesus' words is the whole practical pastoral task, to follow people, to visit them, to be open for their needs and questions. Obviously practical, concrete knowledge of the people entrusted to me is essential, and obviously it is important to understand this 'knowing' of others in the biblical sense: there is no true knowledge without love, without an inner relationship, without a deep acceptance of the other. The shepherd cannot be content with knowing names and dates. His knowing the sheep must always also be a knowing with the heart. This, however, is only possible in the end if the Lord has opened our hearts; if our knowing does not bind people to our own little private self, to our own little heart, but instead makes them feel the heart of Jesus, the heart of the Lord. It must be a knowing with the heart of Jesus and oriented towards Him, a knowing that does not bind man to me, but guides him towards Jesus, thus making him free and open. And so we too among men become neighbours. So that this way of knowing with the heart of Jesus, of not binding to me but binding to the heart of Jesus and thus creating true community, that this may be given to us, we want to pray to the Lord again and again.

Finally, the Lord speaks to us of the service of unity entrusted to the shepherd: "I have other sheep that are not of this fold; these also I must lead; they shall hear my voice and become one flock and one shepherd" (John 10: 16). It is the same thing that John repeats after the Sanhedrin's decision to kill Jesus, when Caiaphas said that it would be better if only one died for the people than for the whole nation to perish. John recognises in this word of Caiaphas a prophetic word and adds: "Jesus had to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather together the children of God who were scattered" (11:52). The relationship between the Cross and unity is revealed; unity is paid for with the Cross. Above all, however, the universal horizon of Jesus' action emerges. If Ezekiel in his prophecy about the shepherd was aiming at the restoration of unity among the scattered tribes of Israel (cf. Ez 34:22-24), it is now not only about the unification of scattered Israel, but the unification of all God's children, of humanity - of the Church of Jews and Gentiles. Jesus' mission concerns the whole of humanity, and therefore the Church is given a responsibility for the whole of humanity, so that it recognises God, that God who, for all of us, in Jesus Christ became man, suffered, died and rose again. The Church must never be content with the ranks of those it has reached at some point, and say that the others are just fine: the Muslims, the Hindus, and so on. The Church cannot retreat comfortably within the limits of its own environment. He is charged with universal concern, he must be concerned for all and of all. This great task in general we must 'translate' into our respective missions. Obviously, a priest, a pastor of souls, must first and foremost concern himself with those who believe in and live with the Church, who seek in it the path of life, and who for their part, like living stones, build up the Church and thus also build up and sustain the priest. However, we must also always again - as the Lord says - go out "into the streets and along the hedges" (Lk 14:23) to bring God's invitation to his banquet also to those people who have not yet heard of it, or have not yet been inwardly touched by it. This universal service, service for unity, has many forms. Always part of this is also the commitment to the inner unity of the Church, so that it, beyond all diversity and limitations, is a sign of God's presence in the world, which alone can create such unity.

The early Church found in the sculpture of its time the figure of the shepherd carrying a sheep on his shoulders. Perhaps these images are part of the idyllic dream of country life that fascinated society at the time. But for Christians, this figure naturally became the image of the One who set out to seek the lost sheep: humanity; the image of the One who follows us even into our deserts and confusions; the image of the One who has taken the lost sheep, which is humanity, on his shoulders and brings it home. It has become the image of the true Shepherd Jesus Christ. To Him we entrust ourselves. To him we entrust you, dear brothers, especially at this hour, that he may lead you and carry you every day; May He help you to become, through Him and with Him, good shepherds of His flock. Amen!

[Pope Benedict, homily for priestly ordination 7 May 2006].

Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd who gives eternal life to his sheep (cf. Jn 10: 28). This image of the shepherd is deeply rooted in the Old Testament and dear to Christian tradition. The Prophets attributed to David the title: "Shepherd of Israel", which hence possesses an indisputable messianic importance (cf. Ex 34: 23). 

Jesus is the true Shepherd of Israel, since he is the Son of Man who desired to share the condition of human beings to give them new life and lead them to salvation. 

Significantly, the Evangelist adds to the term "shepherd" the adjective kalós, good, which he only uses with reference to Jesus and his mission. In the account of the Wedding at Cana, the adjective kalós is also used twice to signify the wine offered by Jesus, and it is easy to see it as a symbol of the good wine of messianic times (cf. 2: 10). 

"I give them (that is, to 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). 

John uses the verb tithénai - to offer, which he repeats in the following verses (cf. 15, 17, 18). We find the same verb in the Last Supper narrative when Jesus "laid aside his garments" in order to "take" them back later (cf. Jn 13: 4, 12). 

Thus, it is clear that the intention is to affirm that the Redeemer has absolute freedom to do with his life as he chooses and thereby give it up or take it back freely. 

Christ is the true Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep, for us, sacrificing himself on the Cross. He knows his sheep and his sheep know him, just as the Father knows him and he knows the Father (cf. Jn 10: 14-15). 

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: 27-28).

[Pope Benedict, homily for priestly ordination 29 April 2007]