Reflection
I have come so that you may have life, life in abundance.
How do I have abundant life or fullness of life?
We can understand the fullness of life in two senses in today’s readings (John 10:1-10).
A. As a shepherd, and
B. As a sheep.
A. As a Shepherd:
I receive the fullness of life in and through Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
He promises the fullness of life in three statements in today’s Gospel reading (John 10:1-10).
They are:
1. I am the gate.
The gate symbolises:
Safety,
Security, &
Protective care.
2. I know your name.
Knowing the name means:
Knowing the person personally, intimately, and having a cordial relationship.
3. I go before you.
Going before.
There are two kinds of shepherds.
The first shepherd is:
The owner of the sheep flock,
He faces the dangers, &
He gives life for sheep.
The second shepherd is:
The hired man,
Does not care about sheep, &
As he senses any kind of danger, he leaves the sheep and runs for life.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd has given us the fullness of life by being with us always, knowing us personally, and giving His Life for us on the Cross for our sins to lead us to eternal life, the pasture land.
B. As a sheep:
You are in a village and If you observe the sheep, the sheep always stands. The sheep does not sleep.
Why does not the sheep sleep?
The sheep to sleep, it needs to free from 4 states of mind.
What are they?
They are:
1. Free from fear:
It is always in danger. It may be attacked by a dangerous animal during the day or it may be stolen by a thief during the night. It feels safe when the shepherd is around. There is no fear if the shepherd is with the sheep.
In the same way, we as a human, are fear of the past experiences, incidents. We may have anxiety of the future or we may be afraid of what I will be in future. We fear people sometimes. It may be my blood relationship like father or superior in my community or office or someone who has authority and power. Jesus promises us that I am with you. He did not say that I was with you or I will be with you. It is present tense, now moment. He is with us assuring each one of us that he is with us not to fear the past, the future, and the person.
2. Free from Conflict:
There are strong and well built sheep among the sheep fold. There are also some weak sheep. We know where there some strong and weak, there is conflict. This conflict happens due to various reasons. One of the reasons is that there is ego and there is pride.
Among us there are some who too are powerful, high caste people, has political influence, money power and so on. On the other side, we witness that there are poor, marginalised, downtrodden, and deprived people. There is a conflict among us. It is because of our pride, ego and power. As 1 cor 13 states, Love is the greatest virtue in Christian life.
3. Free from Hurts:
The sheep goes around all over the places in order to search for the pasture land and food. Meanwhile, they get wounds on their bodies by scratch on the rock and trees. There starts the trouble from hurts that come into smelly wounds of the sheep. It irritates the sheep throughout day and night and they are not able to rest peacefully.
What are wounds in us? Hurts are the guilt feelings that we have in our life. The feeling of guilt haunts us and it disturbs the peace of mind all the day and night. It keeps on ruining our present life. It limits our growth. We are depressed and stressed with guilt. We have ruptured our life in the past. Are we going to live with it? Your sins are forgiven. St. Paul would say that we are made righteous when Jesus died on the Cross. We are no more sinners. We are righteous in Jesus Christ.
4. Free from Deprivation:
What is the meaning of deprivation for a sheep? It is a dry land. There is no pasture. It is an empty stomach. The sheep longs for pasture. Even though the shepherd takes the sheep to the good pasture land, the sheep always looks around to go to the pasture land again and again.
We have everything. We are blessed if we have food, we are blessed if we have shelter, we are blessed if we have clothing. There are so many things to be grateful too. Are we grateful? Are we satisfied? Are we contented? Are we happy? Are we at peace?
Or Am I longing always for something in my life rather than satisfied, contented, and happy?
Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, promises us the fullness of life. I, as a sheep, need to free from these four states of mind that bind me not to enjoy the fullness of life, so that as a sheep, I can be happy, satisfied, and contented with myself and my life.
And the feeling of freedom, will allow me to enter into the fullness of life with Jesus, the Good Shepherd and to be a part of his sheep-fold feeling secure in his arms, having cordial relationship with him in prayer and imitating him in my everyday life as he set an exemplary life before me and us.
I have come so that you may have life, life in fullness.
