Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Jn 10:22-30
May 10, 2022 | Tuesday

Today’s Gospel

The time came for the feast of the Dedication. It was winter, and Jesus walked back and forth in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in doubt? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have already told you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name proclaim who I am, but you don’t believe because, as I said, you are not my sheep.

My sheep hear my voice and I know them; they follow me and I give them eternal life. They shall never perish, and no one will ever steal them from me. What my Father has given me, is greater than all things else. To snatch it out of the Father’s hand, no one is able! I and the Father are One.”

Today’s Reflection:

What is the connection between the Feast of the Dedication and Jesus’ teaching that He is a shepherd? The Feast of the Dedication is the commemoration of the dedication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus after it had been desecrated by King Antiochus Epiphanes.  In a way, this feast celebrates their liberation from a pagan king.  By saying that He is a shepherd, Jesus is telling the people that like a shepherd, He will also bring them liberation. He will bring them to freedom. From this thought, let us reflect on the following questions – What are the things that we need to be free from? What are some attachments that we need to let go of?  Once we find answers to these questions, let us be reminded that our shepherd, Jesus Christ, will be there to guide us in our journey to freedom. /Vulnerasti, 2022