Jesus, the Good Shepherd: “The Sheep Hear His Voice”

The Gospel of John 10:1-10, proclaimed on the 4th Sunday of Easter, invites us to contemplate one of the most beautiful and consoling images in all of Scripture: Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Although today’s passage does not explicitly contain the phrase “I am the Good Shepherd” (which appears in the Gospel Acclamation and in the continuation, John 10:11), it is wholly a catechesis on Jesus’ pastoring. The verse that summarizes today’s reflection is: “The sheep hear His voice.” (Jn 10:3). To situate this passage well, Monsignor Cattenoz, bishop emeritus of Avignon, who lived as a shepherd of sheep in North Africa before even becoming a priest, used to tell that every shepherd has his own call to gather the ...