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]

This Sunday has been dedicated to this supreme and essential need precisely because the Liturgy presents to us the figure of Jesus, the "Good Shepherd".

The Old Testament already usually speaks of God as the Shepherd of Israel, the people of the covenant, chosen by him to carry out the plan of salvation. Psalm 22 is a marvellous hymn to the Lord, the Shepherd of our soul:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; / he makes me lie down in green pastures, / he leads me beside still waters, / he restores my soul. / He leads me in paths of righteousness... / Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, / I fear no evil; / for thou art with me..." (Ps 22:1-3).

The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel often return to the subject of the people as "the Lord's flock": "Behold your God!... He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms..." (Is 40:11). Above all, they announce the Messiah as a Shepherd who will really feed his sheep and not let them go astray any more: "I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd..." (Ez 34: 23).

This sweet and moving figure of the shepherd is a familiar one in the Gospel. Even if times have changed owing to industrialization and urbanism, it always keeps its fascination and effectiveness; and we all remember the touching and poetic parable of the Good Shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep (Lk 15:3-7).

In the early times of the Church, Christian iconography used a great deal and developed this subject of the Good Shepherd, whose image often appears, painted or sculpted, in the catacombs, sarcophagi and baptismal fonts. This iconography, so interesting and reverent, testifies to us that, right from the early times of the Church, Jesus "the Good Shepherd" struck and moved the hearts of believers and non-believers, and was a cause of conversion, spiritual commitment and comfort. Well, Jesus "the Good Shepherd" is still alive and true today in our midst, in the midst of the whole of mankind, and he wants to let each of us hear his voice and feel his love.

1) What does it mean to be the Good Shepherd?

Jesus explains it to us with convincing clearness.

— The shepherd knows his sheep and the sheep know him. How wonderful and consoling it is to know that Jesus knows us one by one; that for him we are not anonymous persons; that our name—that name which is agreed upon by loving parents and friends—is known to him! For Jesus we are not a "mass", a "multitude"! We are individual "persons" with an eternal value, both as creatures and as re-deemed persons! He knows us! He knows me, and loves me and gave himself for me! (Gal 2:20);

— The shepherd feeds his sheep and leads them to fresh and abundant pastures. Jesus came to bring life to souls, and to give it in superabundance. And the life of souls consists essentially in three supreme realities: truth, grace, glory. Jesus is the truth, because he is the Word incarnate. He is the "head of the corner", as St Peter said to the rulers of the people and elders, the stone on which alone it is possible to construct the family, social, and political edifice: "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:11-12).

Jesus gives us "grace", that is divine life, by means of Baptism and the other sacraments. Through `"grace", we become participants in the very trinitarian nature of God! An immense mystery, but of inexpressible joy and consolation!

Jesus, finally, will give us the glory of Paradise, complete and eternal glory, where we will be loved and will love, participants in God's own happiness which is Infinite even in joy! "It does not yet appear what we shall be", St John comments, "but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 Jn 33:3).

— The shepherd defends his sheep; he is not like the mercenary who flees when the wolf arrives, because he does not care about the sheep at all. Unfortunately we know very well that there are still mercenaries in the world who sow hatred, malice, doubt, confusion of ideas and of the senses. Jesus, on the contrary, with the light of his divine word and with the strength of his sacramental and ecclesial presence, forms our mind, strengthens the will, purifies sentiments, and thus defends and saves from so many painful and dramatic experiences.

— The shepherd even offers his life for his sheep. Jesus realized the project of divine love by means of his death on the cross! He offered himself on the cross to redeem man, every individual man, created by love for the eternity of Love!

— Finally, the shepherd feels the desire to increase his flock. Jesus clearly affirms his universal concern: "And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd" (Jn 10:16). Jesus wants all men to know him, love him and follow him.

2) Jesus wanted the priest in the Church as the "Good Shepherd".

The parish is the Christian community, enlightened by the example of the Good Shepherd, around its own Parish Priest and priest collaborators.

In the parish the priest continues the mission and the task of Jesus; therefore he must "feed the flock", he must teach, instruct, give grace, defend souls from error and evil, console, help, convert and, above all, love.

Therefore, with all the anxiety of my heart as Pastor of the universal Church I say to you: love your priests! Esteem them, listen to them, follow them! Pray for them every day. Do not leave them alone either at the altar or in daily life!

And never stop praying for priestly vocations and for perseverance in the commitment of consecration to the Lord and to souls. But, above all, create in your families an atmosphere suitable for the flourishing of vocations. And, you parents, be generous in responding to God's plans for your children.

3) Finally, Jesus wants everyone to be a "good shepherd".

Every Christian, by virtue of Baptism, is called to be himself a "good shepherd" in the environment in which he lives. You parents must exercise the functions of the Good Shepherd with regard to your children; and you, too, children, must be edifying with your love, your obedience and above all with your courageous and consistent faith. Also the mutual relations between husband and wife must be marked by the example of the Good Shepherd, in order that family life may always have that nobility of sentiments and ideals willed by the Creator, because of which the family has been defined the "domestic Church". So also at school, at work, in playgrounds and places of leisure, in hospitals and where people are suffering, let everyone always try to be a "good shepherd" like Jesus. But above all let persons consecrated to God, Religious, Sisters, those who belong to the Secular Institutes, be "good shepherds" in society. Today and always we must pray for all religious vocations, male and female, in order that this testimony of religious life in the Church may be more and more numerous, alive, intense, and always efficacious. Today more than ever the world needs convinced witnesses who are completely consecrated!

Beloved Faithful, I conclude by recalling the heartfelt invocation of Jesus the Good Shepherd: "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest" (Mt 9:37; Lk 10:2).

[Pope John Paul II, homily 6 May 1979]

In today’s Gospel passage (cf. Jn 10:27-30) Jesus is presented to us as the true Shepherd of the People of God. He speaks about the relationship that binds him to the sheep of the flock, namely, to his disciples, and he emphasizes the fact that it is a relationship of mutual recognition. “My sheep” — he says — “hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (vv. 27-28). In carefully reading this phrase, we see that Jesus’ work is explained in several actions: Jesus speaks; Jesus knows; Jesus gives eternal life; Jesus safeguards.

The Good Shepherd — Jesus — is attentive to each one of us; he seeks us and loves us, addresses his Word to us, knowing the depths of our heart, our desires and our hopes, as well as our failures and disappointments. He accepts us and loves us as we are, with our merits and our faults. He “gives eternal life” to each one of us: that is, he offers us the opportunity to live a full life, without end. Moreover, he safeguards us and leads us lovingly, helping us to cross impervious paths and the sometimes dangerous roads that appear in life.

The verbs and actions that describe the way in which Jesus, the Good Shepherd, interacts with us correspond to the verbs that relate to the sheep, namely us: “hear my voice”, “follow me”. They are actions that show how we must correspond to the tender and caring attitudes of the Lord. Indeed, hearing and recognizing his voice, implies intimacy with him, which is strengthened in prayer, in the heart-to-heart encounter with the divine Master and Shepherd of our souls. This intimacy with Jesus, this openness, speaking with Jesus, reinforces in us the desire to follow him, by emerging from the labyrinth of errant ways, abandoning selfish behaviour in order to set out on new paths of fraternity and of self-giving, in imitation of him.

Let us not forget that Jesus is the only Shepherd who speaks to us, knows us, gives us eternal life and safeguards us. We are the only flock and we only have to strive to hear his voice, while he lovingly examines the sincerity of our hearts. And from this constant intimacy with our Shepherd, from this colloquy with him, springs the joy of following him, allowing ourselves to be led to the fullness of eternal life.

Let us now turn to Mary, Mother of Christ the Good Shepherd. May she, who readily responded to God’s call, help in particular those who are called to the priesthood and to consecrated life to joyfully and willingly accept Christ’s call to be his more direct coworkers in proclaiming the Gospel and at the service of the Kingdom of God in this age of ours.

[Pope Francis, Regina Coeli 12 May 2019]

«Who shall we go to?». Faith, a critical sign (not attenuated)

(Jn 6:60-69)

A God on our level? «This Logos is sclerotic» (v.60) - as in: to imagine that the Most High identifies himself to the ‘least’ in everything is an incomprehensible and offensive position.

Can the Eternal recognize himself in a mere son of man?

Like his ministry in Judea, Jesus' last activity in Galilee ends in failure (v.66).

Even the disciples who taste the new Word are disappointed.

Many of the people sought him as a doer of miracles - continuing to be content with the dominant reference points, with the same material bread as ever.

Christ is not for continuing to adapt, but for consistent Nourishment. Here’s the crisis: it’s not lacking when we are faced with serious choices.

The Master had a different interpretation. And the “wedding” drama could not be resolved in comfortable parentheses.

Proposals such as the communion of goods, the choice of last place, the welcome given not only to the neighbors of the clan and so on, overturn the idea of ​​greatness and failure.

The question becomes intimate: «But do you also want to go away?» (v.67).

Peter responds in the plural, expressing the Faith of the small group that takes risks, without too many keys of circumstance - and that can be ours.

The Galilee crisis is not a pale historical memory, but a watershed at the center of which we all are - every day. A persistent event, which divides us from easy enthusiasm, but leads the authentic journey.

Accepting this conclusive challenge, it changes the boundaries of the narrow world that entangles the soul, thus the course of existence... even the ambitious one of the disciples who perhaps did not want the inconveniences of another 'kingdom'.

The ranks are thinning, the choices no longer obvious, the voices are many [and so the half measures]. The once safe place is undermined.

Is it worth being consistent? Isn't it better to adapt to power relations or fashions?

Faith unites us with the Lord, Listening gives the right position, and the intertwining of natures, human and divine, is produced in the Eucharist.

Deep aspirations lead beyond calculations and the natural order. In us, the incarnation and action of the only Guide who can be trusted continues.

The purity of truth doesn’t break, rather it pours out.

Faced with hardship in the desert, the people had doubted the divine presence [«in the midst of us»].

The same were happening in the Johannine communities of the end of the first century, which questioned themselves about the presence of the Risen One in the ‘breaking of bread’.

Some had left the church to return to the «onions of Egypt».

In the area of ​​Ephesus there was no lack of well-being and attractions - guaranteed and sanctified by pagan religiosity.

The same devout life polarized around the economic inducement of the Artemis’ Temple - transformed into one of the major banks of the ancient East - guaranteed a carefree existence and a much more "solid" and showy quality of life than the humble Eucharistic sign.

What could those crumbs were worth compared to one of the seven Wonders of the ancient world?

With Jesus there remains only a small group, which however is more intimate - and the right question is asked:

Is it also dignified not to be first in the class, and "winners"?

Who... knows how to value history, and every path, even defections?

What Person does not force us to be one-sided?

[Saturday 3rd wk. in Easter, May 10, 2025]

«Whom shall we go to?». Faith, a critical sign (not attenuated)

(Jn 6:60-69)

A God on our level? "This Logos is sclerotic" (v.60) - as if to say: to imagine that the Most High joins with the least in everything is an incomprehensible and offensive position.

Can the Eternal recognise Himself in a simple son of man - even subversive and out of the loop - alienated from established circuits?

As in his ministry in Judea, Jesus' last activity in Galilee ends in failure (v.66).

The official pious experience proceeded on the surface - centred on the visibility of events and elite judgement, then on a succubus reality.

Even the disciples who taste the new Word are disappointed by the Master, who substitutes the Father for the tradition of the 'fathers'.

Many of the people sought him as a miracle-worker - continuing to be content with the religious structure, the dominant reference points, the same material bread as always (and so on).

Christ is not for continuing to conform, but for consistent nourishment. Here is the crisis: it does not fail when one is faced with serious choices.

For their own use, the leaders propagated dead idols, which blandished petty ideas (and immediate interests) - and frightened no one who deserved it.

Instead, the Lord went beyond the demands and horizons of normality. He had a different key.

The nuptial drama could not be resolved in convenient parentheses, as in conformist devotions: which ultimately compromise nothing [as in the later bigoted idea of 'angel food'].

Proposals such as the communion of goods, the choice of the last place, the welcome given not only to clan neighbours and so on, overturn the idea of greatness and failure.

To get involved, the disciples would have to be ready to embrace Life in the Spirit.

Impassable territory... but you can't agree with everything: bargaining, negotiation, calculations and apparatuses have had their day. In today's global crisis, the aut aut aut is pressing.

The question troubles: "But do you also want to leave?" (v.67).

Peter responds in the plural, expressing the Faith of the small group that ventures out - and that can be ours, when we remain untethered by dissociations of life, or verifications and paroxysms of 'worldviews'.

The crisis in Galilee is not a pale historical memory, but a watershed at the centre of which we are all - every day. A persistent event, which separates us from easy enthusiasms - but leads the authentic journey.

Accepting this final challenge changes the boundaries of the narrow world that entangles the soul, thus the course of existence... even the ambitious one of the disciples who perhaps did not want the discomforts of another kingdom.

Especially in the (even sacred) world of externality and shouting, the dilemma is alive: that of the fulfilled, perfect personal way; which goes in the direction of intimate energy, not of circumstantial keys.

Deaf opposition from the leaders, interested murmuring from many followers: the choice to draw on another Life must be peremptory.

The ranks are thinning, the choices are no longer obvious, the voices are many (and so are the half-measures). The once safe place is undermined.

Is it better to be consistent? Is it not better to conform to power relationships or fashions?

Faith unites with the Lord, listening gives the right position, and in the Eucharist the intertwining of natures, human and divine, is produced.

Deep aspirations drive beyond calculations and the natural order.

In us, the incarnation and action of the only Guide we can trust continues.

The purity of truth does not shatter, rather it spills over.

Before the hardships in the desert, the people had doubted the divine presence ("in our midst").

The same happened in the Johannine communities of the late first century, which questioned the Presence of the Risen One in the breaking of bread.

Some had left the church to return to the "onions of Egypt". On the other hand, in the area of Ephesus there was no lack of wealth and attraction - guaranteed and sacralised by pagan religiosity.

The same devout life polarised around the inducement of the Temple of Artemis - transformed into one of the major banks of the ancient East - guaranteed a carefree and much more 'solid' and conspicuous quality of life than the humble Eucharistic sign.

What could those crumbs be worth compared to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world?

And then enjoy being surrounded by so many "proper" people around, therefore well inserted in public and private relations - as well as adhering to attractive proposals from every point of view, not least of which was profit [or discredit: cf. the Ephesian silversmiths of trinkets; goldsmiths and craftsmen outraged with Paul: Acts 19:23ff].With Jesus, only a small group remained, but they were more intimate - and asked the right question:

Is it also dignified not to be first in the class, and 'successful'?

Who knows how to value history, and every path, even defections?

What Person does not force us to be one-sided?

The epilogue of John 6 does not call for a discipline of extrinsic spiritual proposals.

Nor does he tell (as typical in the ancient East) of talismans or mythical plants 'that make the old man young', nor of a 'sacred fire of the gods'.

For Jesus does not advocate the arduous climbing of religions, but humanisation... that brings us closer. Concrete adherence.

A saved existence glosses over any idea of naturalistic sequels expressible by ancient symbols or metaphors.

Thus e.g. the outward icons of "Plant" or "Fire", which alluded to immortal life and the divine, are discarded altogether and even replaced by "flesh" and "blood".

Their opposite, but: the character of lambs.

The experience of divinisation cannot ignore the Paschal faith-relationship dimension, which elevates us only in the freedom to 'descend'.

In times of leisure and harmony, we are always surprised to notice that our innermost core demands a different Rest.

We understand that the longed-for Peace is not a matter of place, exclusive beaches or panoramas; nor of ingenious calculations, hypotheses, sophisticated worldviews or ideal situations, but of a just Person.

But if today we feel poised in every decision and at every moment, "Who can we trust" always?

Every day we need a You that encourages and refreshes, making us feel like protagonists and collaborators, not reserves or benchwarriors.  

Never will the Dharma convince us in earnest, nor a Book... the engine of a conversion (unless it is opened with a spear).

It is only an experience that does not trap us in solitude that changes us from lukewarm believers to critical witnesses.

We feel the urgency of a loving purpose, otherwise nothing makes sense; not even success.

In me, I distinctly perceive an inclination to only grant trust to Whom I feel in need, or in at least a slightly reciprocal relationship; in a feeling that at least inwardly qualifies.

A Person who helps me first of all to reconcile with my limitations; not to feel accepted in general, but understood and welcomed within a configured affair, of real forgiveness or redemption. Or at least relationship.

Something good is not enough for me: I need Someone to free me from narrow horizons, from conditioning that takes my breath away, from internal powers that demand, from external social idols that suffocate identity, making the reason I was born diminish.

I need encouragement when I become despondent, and then I feel a need for motherly hands that welcome, for fatherly hands that reassure; for a witness, for a glance.

I feel an impelling need for a Thou who reveals to me the Good on which to begin or begin again; I am in need of an Interlocutor who makes me realise that there is a future, even in adverse conditions - and at any age.

I am not interested in façade perfection: I hunger for a Person who does not betray, who does not let me fall to the ground at the most beautiful, to the point of touching the dust. 

I seek a Friendship that doesn't mock and trample. And let it not be 'now and then': let it notice, let it heal, let it understand me and let me breathe, then raise my head and get back on track... until I too am able to pull sisters and brothers to growth.

Instead of the thunder and lightning of Sinai, which overpowers and repels, I ask for an attunement on my own level, which allows situations to be sublimated into precious correspondence and empathy.

Then yes: the personal aspect of the mission-relationship with the world becomes manifest, intense; decisive.

The non-depersonalising contact with the Voice of the Father made Brother convinces, in the drama and even in the clash of the face-to-face relationship.

The one not distant and indistinct Person who knows where to lead me and pulses within conveys that sense of participation and complicity that makes the soul so mysteriously sure of its most palpitating inclinations. Thus finally transforming a conformist and intimidated life into a dense, complete and shining adventure - one that overcomes obstacles, mentalities and conditioning that would make it pale into extinction.

We need a Presence that in the joy of togetherness opens, invites, gives taste; shatters the tension of deserving and fulfilling expected performance.

A Person who allows us to feel heard, understood and cared for, and who in the warmth of this Nest makes of ourselves a human sign with a Purpose of Love.

What is needed is Someone who transforms the meaning of everyday actions, even minute or apparently banal ones, into intimacy and Dialogue.

A Core of Sharing where we find support - not sentences - for our incessant transmigration: from the spiritualisations that 'elevate' to the humanisation that brings us closer.

And establish us at root. And transmits smiles to the soul.From the ancient religious sense to the Fedenovella? A question of Person.

To internalise and live the message:

The usual and at hand, or the best and that fits you?

What and Whom do you choose?

Do you see deep? Do you choose beyond boundaries?

«We have believed and then known»

On this passage we have a beautiful commentary by St Augustine, who says, in one of his sermons on John 6: "Do you see how Peter, by the grace of God, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, understood? Why did he understand? Because he believed. You have words of eternal life. You give us eternal life by offering your [risen] body and blood [Yourself]. And we have believed and known. It does not say: we have known and then believed, but we have believed and then known. We believed in order that we might know; for if we had wanted to know before we believed, we could neither know nor believe. What have we believed and what have we known? That you are Christ the Son of God, that you are eternal life itself, and in flesh and blood you give us what you yourself are' (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 27, 9). So said St Augustine in a sermon to his believers.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 26 August 2012]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On the past few Sundays we have meditated on the “Bread of Life” discourse, which Jesus gave in the Synagogue of Capernaum after satisfying the hunger of thousands of people with five loaves and two fish. The Gospel today presents the disciples’ reaction to this discourse, a reaction which Christ himself deliberately provoked.

First of all, the Evangelist John — who was present with the other Apostles — says: “After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him” (Jn 6:66). Why? Because they did not believe in the words of Jesus who said: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven... he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (cf. Jn 6:51, 54); words that were truly difficult to accept, incomprehensible. This revelation — as I have said — was incomprehensible to them because they understood it in a purely literal sense, whereas these words foretold the Paschal Mystery of Jesus, in which he was to give himself for the world’s salvation: the new presence of the Blessed Eucharist.

Seeing that many of his disciples were deserting him, Jesus turned to the Apostles, asking them: “Will you also go away?” (Jn 6:67). As on other occasions it was Peter who answered on behalf of the Twelve: “Lord, to whom shall we go?”. We, too, might wonder: to whom should we go? “You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn 6:68-69).

We have a beautiful comment of St Augustine on this passage. In one of his sermons on John 6 he says: “See how Peter, by the gift of God and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, understood Him. How other than because he believed? ‘You have the words of eternal life’. For You have eternal life in the ministration of Your body [Risen] and Your blood [Yourself]. ‘And we have believed and have known’. He does not say: ‘we have known and then believed’, but ‘we have believed and then known’. We believed in order to know; for if we wanted to know first, and then to believe, we should not be able either to know or to believe. What have we believed and known? ‘That You are Christ, the Son of God’; that is, that You are that very eternal life, and that You give in Your flesh and blood only that which You are” (In Evangelium Johannis tractatus, 27, 9). St Augustine addressed this homily to his believers.

Finally, Jesus knew that among the Twelve Apostles there was also one who did not believe: Judas. Judas could have gone away too, as did many of the disciples; indeed, perhaps if he had been honest he would have been bound to leave. Instead he stayed on with Jesus. He did not stay out of faith or out of love, but rather with the secret intention of taking revenge on the Teacher. Why? Because Judas felt let down by Jesus and decided that he, in his turn, would betray Jesus. Judas was a zealot and he wanted a victorious Messiah who would lead a revolt against the Romans. Jesus had not measured up to these expectations. The problem was that Judas did not go away and his greatest sin was his deceitfulness, which is the mark of the Devil. For this reason Jesus said to the Twelve: “One of you is a devil” (Jn 6:70). Let us pray to the Virgin Mary to help us believe in Jesus, like St Peter, and always to be sincere with him and with everyone.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 26 August 2012]

1. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68).

Dear young people of the Fifteenth World Youth Day! These words of Peter, in his conversation with Christ at the end of the discourse on the “bread of life”, affect us personally. In these days we have meditated on John’s statement: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). The evangelist has brought us back to the great mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Son given to us through Mary “when the fullness of time had come” (Gal 4:4).

[…]

2. We have reached the high point of World Youth Day. Yesterday evening, dear young people, we confirmed our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God whom the Father sent, as the First Reading reminded us today, “to bring good tidings to the poor, ... to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound ... to comfort all who mourn” (Is 61:1-3).

In today’s Eucharistic celebration, Jesus helps us to come to know a particular aspect of his mystery. In the Gospel, we listened to a part of his discourse in the synagogue at Capernaum after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. In it he reveals himself as the true bread of life, the bread which has come down from heaven to give life to the world (cf. Jn 6:51). These are words that those who hear him do not understand. Their outlook is too material for them to grasp what Christ really means. They are thinking in terms of flesh, which “is of no avail” (Jn 6:63). Jesus’s words, instead, have to do with the unlimited horizons of the spirit: “The words that I have spoken to you – he insists – are spirit and life” (ibid.).

But his hearers are hesitant: “This is a hard saying, who can listen to it?” (Jn 6:60). They consider themselves to be persons of common sense, with their feet on the ground. For this reason they shake their heads and go away muttering, one after another. The initial crowd gradually grows smaller. At the end, only the tiny group of his most faithful disciples remains. But with regard to the “bread of life” Jesus is not prepared to back down. Rather, he is ready to lose even those closest to him: “Will you also go away?” (Jn 6:67).

3. “Will you also?” Christ’s question cuts across the centuries and comes down to us; it challenges us personally and calls for a decision. What is our answer? Dear young people, if we are here today, it is because we identify with the Apostle Peter’s reply: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68).

Around you, you hear all kinds of words. But only Christ speaks words that stand the test of time and remain for all eternity. The time of life that you are living calls for decisive choices on your part: decisions about the direction of your studies, about work, about your role in society and in the Church. It is important to realize that among the many questions surfacing in your minds, the decisive ones are not about “what”. The basic question is “who”: “who” am I to go to, “who” am I to follow, “to whom” should I entrust my life?

You are thinking about love and the choices it entails, and I imagine that you agree: what is really important in life is the choice of the person who will share it with you. But be careful! Every human person has inevitable limits: even in the most successful of marriages there is always a certain amount of disappointment. So then, dear friends, does not this confirm what we heard the Apostle Peter say? Every human being finds himself sooner or later saying what he said: “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”. Only Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and of Mary, the eternal Word of the Father born two thousand years ago at Bethlehem in Judaea, is capable of satisfying the deepest aspirations of the human heart.

In Peter’s question: “To whom shall we go?” the answer regarding the path to follow is already given. It is the path that leads to Christ. And it is possible to meet the divine Master personally: he is in fact truly present on the altar in the reality of his Body and Blood. In the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we can enter into contact with the person of Jesus in a way that is mysterious but real, drinking at the inexhaustible fountain that is his life as the Risen Lord.

4. This is the stupendous truth, dear friends: the Word, who took flesh two thousand years ago, is present today in the Eucharist. That is why the year of the Great Jubilee, in which we are celebrating the mystery of the Incarnation, had to be an “intensely Eucharistic” year as well (cf. Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 55).

The Eucharist is the sacrament of the presence of Christ, who gives himself to us because he loves us. He loves each one of us in a unique and personal way in our practical daily lives: in our families, among our friends, at study and work, in rest and relaxation. He loves us when he fills our days with freshness, and also when, in times of suffering, he allows trials to weigh upon us: even in the most severe trials, he lets us hear his voice.

Yes, dear friends, Christ loves us and he loves us for ever! He loves us even when we disappoint him, when we fail to meet his expectations for us. He never fails to embrace us in his mercy. How can we not be grateful to this God who has redeemed us, going so far as to accept the foolishness of the Cross? To God who has come to be at our side and has stayed with us to the end?

5. To celebrate the Eucharist, “to eat his flesh and drink his blood”, means to accept the wisdom of the Cross and the path of service. It means that we signal our willingness to sacrifice ourselves for others, as Christ has done.

Our society desperately needs this sign, and young people need it even more so, tempted as they often are by the illusion of an easy and comfortable life, by drugs and pleasure-seeking, only to find themselves in a spiral of despair, meaninglessness and violence. It is urgent to change direction and to turn to Christ. This is the way of justice, solidarity and commitment to building a society and a future worthy of the human person.

This is our Eucharist, this is the answer that Christ wants from us, from you young people at the closing of your Jubilee. Jesus is no lover of half measures, and he does not hesitate to pursue us with the question: “Will you also go away?” In the presence of Christ, the Bread of Life, we too want to say today with Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68).

6. Dear friends, when you go back home, set the Eucharist at the centre of your personal life and community life: love the Eucharist, adore the Eucharist and celebrate it, especially on Sundays, the Lord’s Day. Live the Eucharist by testifying to God’s love for every person.

I entrust to you, dear friends, this greatest of God’s gifts to us who are pilgrims on the paths of time, but who bear in our hearts a thirst for eternity. May every community always have a priest to celebrate the Eucharist! I ask the Lord therefore to raise up from among you many holy vocations to the priesthood. Today as always the Church needs those who celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice with a pure heart. The world must not be deprived of the gentle and liberating presence of Christ living in the Eucharist!

You yourselves must be fervent witnesses to Christ’s presence on the altar. Let the Eucharist mould your life and the life of the families you will form. Let it guide all life’s choices. May the Eucharist, the true and living presence of the love of the Trinity, inspire in you ideals of solidarity, and may it lead you to live in communion with your brothers and sisters in every part of the world.

In a special way, may sharing in the Eucharist lead to a new flourishing of vocations to the religious life. In this way the Church will have fresh and generous energies for the great task of the new evangelization. If any of you, dear young men and women, hear the Lord’s inner call to give yourselves completely to him in order to love him “with an undivided heart” (cf. 1 Cor 7:34), do not be held back by doubts or fears. Say “yes” with courage and without reserve, trusting him who is faithful to his promises. Did he not assure those who had left everything for his sake that they would have a hundredfold in this life and eternal life hereafter? (cf. Mk 10:29-30).

7. At the end of this World Youth Day, as I look at you now, at your young faces, at your genuine enthusiasm, from the depths of my heart I want to give thanks to God for the gift of youth, which continues to be present in the Church and in the world because of you.

Thank God for the World Youth Days! Thanks be to God for all the young people who have been involved in them in the past sixteen years! Many of them are now adults who continue to live their faith in their homes and work-places. I am sure, dear friends, that you too will be as good as those who preceded you. You will carry the proclamation of Christ into the new millennium. When you return home, do not grow lax. Reinforce and deepen your bond with the Christian communities to which you belong. From Rome, from the City of Peter and Paul, the Pope follows you with affection and, paraphrasing Saint Catherine of Siena’s words, reminds you: “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!” (cf. Letter 368).

I look with confidence to this new humanity which you are now helping to prepare. I look to this Church which in every age is made youthful by the Spirit of Christ and today is made happy by your intentions and commitment. I look to the future and make my own the words of an ancient prayer, which sings the praise of the one gift of Jesus, the Eucharist and the Church:

“I give thanks to you, Father of us all,
for the life and the knowledge
which you have revealed to us through Jesus your servant.
To you be glory in every age!

Just as this bread now broken
was wheat scattered far and wide upon the hills
and, when harvested, became one bread,
so too let your Church be gathered into your kingdom
from the far ends of the earth...

You, O Lord almighty, have created the universe
to the glory of your name;
you have given people food
and drink for their comfort,
so that they may give you thanks;
but to us you have given a spiritual food and drink
and eternal life through your Son...
Glory be to you for ever!” (Didache 9:3-4; 10:3-4)

Amen.

[Pope John Paul II, homily at Tor Vergata 20 August 2000]

The Gospel for today’s liturgy (Jn 6:60-69) shows us the reaction of the crowd and the disciples to Jesus’ discourse following the multiplication of the loaves. Jesus invited them to interpret that sign and believe in him, who is the true bread come down from heaven, the bread of life; and he revealed that the bread he will give is his body and blood. These words sound harsh and incomprehensible to the ears of the people, so much so that, from that moment, the Gospel says, many of his disciples turn back; that is, they stop following the Master (vv. 60, 66). Then Jesus asks the Twelve: “Do you also wish to go away?” (v. 67), and Peter, on behalf of the whole group, confirms their decision to stay with Him: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn 6:68-69). And it is a beautiful confession of faith.

Let us look briefly at the attitude of those who withdrew and decided not to follow Jesus any more. Where does this disbelief come from? What is the reason for this rejection?

Jesus’ words enkindled great scandal: he was saying that God decided to manifest himself and accomplish salvation in the weakness of human flesh. It is the mystery of the incarnation. The incarnation of God is what provoked scandal and presented an obstacle for those people — but often for us too. Indeed, Jesus affirms that the true bread of salvation, which transmits eternal life, is his very flesh; that to enter into communion with God, before observing the laws or satisfying religious precepts, it is necessary to live out a real and concrete relationship with him. Because salvation came from him, in his incarnation. This means that one must not pursue God in dreams and in images of grandeur and power, but he must be recognized in the humanity of Jesus and, as a consequence, in that of the brothers and sisters we meet on the path of life. God made himself flesh. And when we say this, in the Creed, on Christmas Day, on the day of the Annunciation, we kneel to worship this mystery of the incarnation. God made himself flesh and blood; he lowered himself to the point of becoming a man like us. He humbled himself to the extent of burdening himself with our sufferings and sin, and therefore he asks us to seek him not outside of life and history, but in relationship with Christ and with our brothers and sisters. Seeking him in life, in history, in our daily life. And this, brothers and sisters, is the road to the encounter with God: the relationship with Christ and our brothers and sisters.

Even today, God’s revelation in Jesus’ humanity can cause scandal and is not easy to accept. This is what Saint Paul calls the “folly” of the Gospel in the face of those who seek miracles or worldly wisdom (cf. 1 Cor 1:18-25). And this “scandalousness” is well represented by the sacrament of the Eucharist: what sense can there be, in the eyes of the world, in kneeling before a piece of bread? Why on earth should someone be nourished assiduously with this bread? The world is scandalized.

Faced with this prodigious deed of Jesus, who with five loaves and two fish fed thousands of people, everyone acclaimed him and wanted to lift him up in triumph, to make him king. But when he himself explains that the gesture is a sign of his sacrifice, that is, of the gift of his life, his flesh and blood, and that those who want to follow him must resemble him, His humanity given for God and for others, then no, this is not pleasing, this Jesus throws us into crisis. Rather, we should be worried if he does not throw us into crisis, because we might have watered down his message! And we ask for the grace to let ourselves be provoked and converted by his “words of eternal life”. And may Mary Most Holy, who bore her Son Jesus in the flesh and joined herself to his sacrifice, help us to always bear witness to our faith in our real lives.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 22 August 2021]

No triumphal march: fragments, to reconcile

(Jn 6:52-59)

The Eucharistic theme conveys a fundamental message, about the quality of Life of the Eternal that we can already experience here and now.

The Life of the Eternal is not the effect of external “belief” in Jesus. Conviction that would stop us, and lose 'contact'.

Instead, it becomes reciprocal, evolves, recovers us, as in a natural energy.

Here is the raw Food, and Drink: by 'chewing’ Him and 'crushing’; 'drinking’ Him and 'gulping’, ‘quaffing’ Him and ‘swilling down' even [verbs used in the Greek text].

Total assimilation, which is converted into an experience - Gift from Person to person.

The Food to be fed on is not a seal, but an everlasting, convoking motion. Not a logical, compassed and consenting doctrine, but Word-event that fully engages.

For this reason, here is the Person of Christ - in his true and full human reality, offered and broken; in his authentic teaching and vicissitude as the paschal lamb, amidst wolves that shredded him.

It is the raw means by which the Life of the Eternal is given and preserved.

In this sense the Eucharist received in bare Faith is the real (not symbolic) Presence of the Risen One.

The harshness of the vocabulary used - not very intimate - scratches the lives of believers with concrete effects in the first person.

«To have Life» is to be united with Jesus - but not in a sweet, sentimental, or dazzling way.

The Pact of a new kingdom is existence in God: a charge that’s not exhausted, and ushers us into the paradoxical, wounded glory of the community of sons.

The Eucharist is the reference point of Church recognizing itself, defines what it is called to be. And must not find its perennial bonds elsewhere.

With polemical crudeness, Jesus insists on proposing Himself as the Easter Lamb who rudely chopped up and totally absorbed, frees from slavery - introducing his own intimates in angular but true trajectories.

His proposal passes through an impertinent transgression of legalism: it was absolutely forbidden to assume blood, considered the seat of life.

To make the story of the total Christ one's own - so far removed from controlled thinking - is to mark a contestation of norms and habits or fashions.

In short, others "manna" or external affective dependencies, diluted, conditioning-centred, are not even pale figures of the Living Food.

The life Communion with the concrete Person of Lord is only that of the Son with the Father: cultivating it, we dream of it and keep it there, along with our events - so that they are nourished by same Spirit.

By letting the motivations and the world of images linked to the Lord's Supper evolve, we allow ourselves to be led by the efficacious Sign. It will guide and even lead, precisely where we need to go.

By surrendering to such a memorial that gives intimate impetus, something will happen - for the soul to take the field. We will see other stages give birth.

Here is the Judgement of the wounded Crucified, who sprinkles authentic life (even if inclement); without admirable attunements all around.

This by taking our flesh and blood [involves the body and moods] which assimilates to Him the discarded, those outcasts of earthly thrones and opportunistic entanglements.

This is shocking for the vulgar outside mentality that raises defences and seeks approval, recognition, achievement; mirages of success, things that everyone wants.

Decrease that doesn’t attract enthusiastic consensus, but rather flies in the face of normal expectations of the usual choruses of glory - of the acclamation’ symphonies for whirlwind success and available, but mitigating.

Flesh and Blood: thrown into the furrows of history. We also being involved without dampening the Spirit; in a personal and intimate way: One Body, assimilated into Him and His affair.

First fruits of no triumphal march: we too became food, crumbs and fragments, to reconcile.

Otherwise, the time of the Promises cannot be fulfilled.

[Friday 3rd wk. in Easter, May 9, 2025]