Today Jesus reminds us in the gospel that “I am the gate for the sheep.”  This is a beautiful image for us to reflect upon in prayer.  It reminds us of how the Good Shepherd will gather his sheep into the sheepfold and then make his bed for the night at the entrance of the sheepfold and serve as the gate for the sheepfold.  This is a beautiful image of the protective love of Jesus for his followers.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd, feeds us by day through his gentle words of guidance and life and through the sacraments that are a living stream of water that flows from his presence in our lives.  By day the Lord feeds us and nourishes us in word and sacrament so that we can grow strong in his loving care.  He leads us out into the pastures of the world and assures that we have an abundant life of goodness, truth, beauty and love.  We are never alone for he watches over us and gently calls us to himself.  The relationship we have with him is one of intimate love as he knows us each by name and calls us gently to himself.

     Jesus, the Good Shepherd knows the love that the Father has for each of us.  He knows the gentle and tender care that our Creator has taken in forming us in his image and calling us to himself.  The Father has given us each a name that expresses our unique giftedness and purpose in life.  The Father entrusts his beloved children to the Good Shepherd to lead them and guide them into the fullness of life.  Jesus calls each of us by name and leads us out into the world to accomplish his will and purpose for each of us in the world.  This is the heart of the Vocations that animate the Church in the service of love.  Good Shepherd Sunday is a special day of prayer for Vocations in the Church.  In calling us by name, Jesus helps us to recognize our name and our unique purpose in life.

     Jesus is always inviting us to place our trust in him, stay close to him and listen to his voice that is calling us to the fullness and abundance of life.  “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.”  The relationship that we share with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is also a share in the very special relationship that Jesus shares with the Father.  Jesus knows us intimately and we are called to grow in an intimate “knowing” of Jesus.  He will provide for all of our needs and his presence in our lives is a blessing presence.  We need to recognize his voice among the many voices of those who call for our attention every day and stay close by him.  Just as Jesus is never alone but the Father is always with him, so do we know that we are never alone because we have the comforting presence of the Good Shepherd with us always.

     Even when the night descends upon us and we can’t see the Shepherd well, he does not leave us alone to fend for ourselves.  In the darkest night, the Good Shepherd is always near, sleeping at the gate and keeping us safe from the wolves and denizens of the night.  In our relationship with Jesus we must learn to discern the difference between the thieves who rob and destroy, the false shepherds who want only to steal our life away, and the Good Shepherd who truly cares for each of us as his own and who wants only abundant life for us all.  In the night of suffering, Jesus lays down his life for us, suffers with us and keeps us close by him.  Night will come but we do not have to face the night alone.  When the daylight dawns, Jesus is always there, sleeping at the gate and ready to lead us into a new day of abundant life and joy.

     As disciples of Jesus we have a Good Shepherd that watches over us in love.  We know him by name and we can call upon him any time we are in need.  We can be gentle, loving and kind to one another because he will guard us from the wolves and false shepherds of the world.  In this Easter season, the image of the Good Shepherd reminds us that Jesus never leaves us alone and that he stands at the gateway of every new day.  He is the “shepherd and guardian of your souls” as Peter reminds us today in the second reading.  On this Good Shepherd Sunday, let us thank God for the beautiful way that he has taken care of us, placing us under the watchful care of the Good Shepherd.  Let us take the time to pray for Vocations in the Church and encourage our young people to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling them to a new and abundant life of selfless love.