In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
We are his people, the sheep of his flock
1. Let us open our hearts to receive God’s Word
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (Jn 10, 27-30)
i. My sheep listen to my voice … follow me … they shall never perish
I do not aspire
to be part of the herd mentality
to be led
to become a puppet
But neither do I wish
to perish
soul-less
I aspire to form part of that community
who listen to the voice of truth
the truth that liberates
that saves us from perishing.
Reflect:
Which voice gives you dignity?
ii. I know them … I give them eternal life … no one will snatch them out of my hand
I do not wish to end up in the hands of anyone
except for the hands
of the One who looks at me, sees me, knows me, loves me
the One in front of whom I become alive
empowered to walk, risk, be filled with interior joy,
the one who surprises me when I find myself including the “we”
helping me overcome the defensive wall of the ego
that pushes me to keep a distance, to stand above.
Reflect Bring to mind a moment when you felt alive. What do you notice?
iii. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand
The powerful beauty
of the One who knows the Father
who entrusts himself in His hands
knowing there is nothing greater than Him
no tragedy
no tyrant
no threat
no bully
no failure
The beauty, freedom, power
of those who surrender themselves in His hands
with boundless confidence
because they know God as “Father”
from whose hands no one can be taken hostage.
The beauty
when we find ourselves saying
not only “My Father”
but also “Our Father”…”
… each with dignity, each as an original gift
no one a slave of a herd mentality
nor an instrument of the propaganda machine.
Reflect:
Take some time to stay with Jesus’ boundless confidence. What’s the invitation?
3. Our Father