Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Jn 10: 22-30
May 2, 2023 | Tuesday
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:
As we continue to look at the characteristics of a good shepherd, it will become clear that God chose this motif at least in part because His people are so apt to act like sheep. Scriptures like Is. 53:6 remind us repeatedly that God’s people and sheep are very much alike, and the connection is most often negative. “Sheep are not only dependent creatures; singularly unintelligent, prone to wandering and unable to find their way to a shepherd even when it is in sight.” The analogy is fitting; because of our helplessness and our tendency to wander and get lost, we need a Good Shepherd, who came in the form of Jesus, who willingly laid His life for us. /Vulnerasti, 2023
