By His wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Christ is Risen! Alleluia!
He is truly risen! Alleluia!
Do you remember that day when you left your childhood home, not for a vacation, or temporary break, or to go away to school, but truly left to set out on your own?
I remember that day well, and it was difficult. I wide eyed with dreams and plans, and my mother was having none of it. She thought I did it too soon, without thinking. It was one of those, ‘Who do you think you are’ moments.
In retrospect, mom was right. I was being foolish. Things eventually worked out, and I remember several years later her coming to my then new home with bread, wine, and salt – traditional Polish gifts for the new home that we might have food, joy, and flavor. It is a beautiful tradition.
We all experience those goings and comings in ways particular to ourselves. There are times we go astray – as St. Peter says – like sheep. There are times we return to the safe embrace of family.
Jesus knows this. He knows the conflicts and selfish tendencies we have when we think we are all that, when mom or dad would say: ‘Who do you think you are?’ Those were times we thought we were enough and could do it on our own.
Jesus the Good Shepherd is the way to returning, His is the safe way to the embrace that welcomes, cares for us, feeds us, and protects us forever.
Jesus uses the metaphor of Himself as the Sheep Gate. In that, He is illustrating that we have only one way in – through Him. Sure, we can pretend and try to jump the fence, go in and out, do it our own way, but when we do, we cheapen and break our relationship with Him. If we are doing it on our own, we need to fix it, mature, and come through the Gate.
Enter through Him. By the Gate of Christ we come home and the bread and wine that feed us are there to bring us joy.
