Today is commonly known as Good Shepherd Sunday. It puts before us one of the most familiar and beautiful descriptions of God. The prayers at Mass speak of Him as the “brave” and “kind” shepherd. For this reason, today is also World Day of Prayer for Vocations. As we hear about the one Good Shepherd we should be moved to pray for more shepherds after His own Heart.
Problem is, the Good Shepherd doesn’t make an appearance in today’s Mass. In the Gospel (John 10:1-10), Jesus says not, “I am the Good Shepherd” but “I am the gate of the sheep.” Which is not as warm and inviting an image. Christian art has many depictions of the Good Shepherd, but are there any of the Gate? And “Gate Sunday” doesn’t have the same ring as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Still, this image (and more than that) of the gate captures not only what Christ is for us but also what should be prayed for, instilled, and demanded of the Church’s shepherds.
“Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep.” This verse is one of the great “I am” statements of Christ in John’s Gospel. Jesus makes
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