[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, April 26, 2026, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. This week's episode is entitled: The Shepherd of the Sheep, and this week we are remind that Jesus is our Good Shepherd who came so that we might have abundant life.
As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
Jesus tells us that he is the door to the sheepfold through which every member of his flock must enter, and we must recognize and follow his voice. Peter tells us that we have been healed by Jesus’ wounds and that he responded to evil with gentleness. If we are true followers of Jesus, if we are lambs in his flock, how can we not follow the example he left for us?
So, let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of your Son, our Good Shepherd. May our ears always be open to his voice and our hearts and ever thankful for his wounds by which we are healed. We ask this through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:01:46] Our Gospel this week is from John 10: 1-10.
“[Jesus said:] ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ This figure Jesus used with the Pharisees, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’”
John's Gospel truly is the unofficial gospel for the Easter season - we hear passages from John on nearly every Sunday in the Easter season, in all three cycles of Scripture, with a few notable exceptions. This week's passage is the beginning of the Good Shepherd Discourse, which is essentially chapter 10 of John's Gospel, and it takes place right after Jesus heals the man born blind, and we heard that on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. If we think back to that passage, Jesus declared that the man who had been blind could now see BECAUSE of his faith whereas the Pharisees, who questioned the man born blind and who had repeatedly challenged Jesus, were now declared to be spiritually blind because of their LACK of faith. Jesus is still teaching in Jerusalem, he is still surrounded by crowds of people, and some of those people are Pharisees. Jesus takes this opportunity to remind the Pharisees that they are acting less like the good shepherds they are supposed to be and more like thieves and robbers.
So, let's listen to what Jesus has to say…
[00:04:32] “[Jesus said:] ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber;’”
Modern listeners don't possess the requisite knowledge of animal husbandry to understand exactly what Jesus is saying. Most of the time when we see sheep, it's either at a petting zoo or as we zip by them on the highway, so we simply can't understand the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep, especially not and as it would have been in biblical times. But shepherds would spend all day, every day, leading their flocks from field to field so they could graze. Then at night, those same shepherds would lead their flocks either into caves or walled structures called sheepfolds, where all the sheep from lots of flocks would huddle together for warmth, kept safe by the walls surrounding them and the shepherds who took turns guarding the entrance.
Shepherds knew that threats - either two legged threats posed by thieves and robbers, or four legged threats posed by predators - would never attempt to gain access to the sheep by the doorway that was being guarded. Instead, they would try to gain entrance another way. And Jesus is using a metaphor that his audience would have grasped in immediately to point out that the Pharisees have been acting more like thieves and robbers than shepherds… they are threatening the sheep rather than caring for and protecting them.
[00:06:26] “but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”
The one who comes directly, legitimately, who enters through the door - is an authentic shepherd… one who will care for and protect the sheep, not threaten them.
“To him, the gatekeeper opens;”
Now, that actually continues the metaphor. The gatekeeper would have been one of the shepherds of the combined flocks - the one shepherd who was set to guard the entrance, and Jesus is comparing that gatekeeper, that one legitimate shepherd who grants access to the shepherd sheep - to his Heavenly Father who entrusted the sheep of his flock to the care of his Son.
“the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
[00:07:23] The Good Shepherd, Jesus, knows every single sheep - every single one of us - by name, and he leads us to eternal life.
[00:07:36] “When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
[00:07:43] Again, Jesus' listeners would have understood that better than we do. The various shepherds in biblical times would have led their sheep to safety for the night, would have guarded and protected them during the night, and - in the morning - each shepherd need call only his own flock, and they would follow him. So, continuing the metaphor, Jesus means that as the Good Shepherd - he goes before his disciples and they follow him… they hear his voice, they recognize his voice… and they do what he tells them to do. That should apply to us as well. We should be allowing Jesus to lead us, we should hear and recognize his voice in the Scriptures, we should be doing what he tells us to do.
[00:08:42] “A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
At least that's how it's supposed to be… unfortunately, all too often we - like silly sheep - decide to go our own way and do our own thing… we flee from Jesus and listen to the voice of strangers.
“This figure Jesus used with the Pharisees, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.”
When John says “figure” he means figure of speech - a type of proverb or wise saying - and we understand that John means the entire metaphor that Jesus just developed. Then John says, the Pharisees didn't get it… they didn't understand what Jesus was saying, they didn't realize that he was talking to and about them.
[00:09:40] That happens to us as well! How many times, when bad behavior is pointed out, do we look around at others rather than looking in a mirror? There's a pithy modern saying about that attributed to the 20th century author and attorney Louis Nizer… “when a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing back at himself.” That should serve as a good reminder to each of us that we are seldom without guilt, we may simply be better at hiding it.
“So [again,] Jesus said to them,”
To the people who were gathered around him - including the Pharisees.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.”
Jesus makes a total of seven “I AM” statements in John's Gospel - statements that declare his divine origin and authority - statements that are based on the words of God to Moses, spoken from the burning bush in Exodus 3… this is the third of those seven statements.
[00:10:53] “All who came before me are thieves and robbers;”
Jesus does not mean the prophets and patriarchs - he does mean the Jewish leaders of the past that the prophets denounced, he does mean the Jewish authorities of his own time that openly oppose him... including the Pharisees!
[00:11:19] “but the sheep did not heed them.”
Unfortunately, we know that is not the case for all of the sheep… there were always sheep that did heed those thieves and robbers - the bad kings throughout the history of Israel, the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees that opposed Jesus - but there were also always faithful sheep that did not heed the voices that tried to lead them astray. Then Jesus repeats his “I AM” statement - only this time even more generalized. Last time Jesus said: “I am the door of the sheep.” This time he simply says…
[00:12:06] “I am the door;”
But then he goes on…
“if anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
Jesus is the way to the Father, the door through which we enter into salvation, the way we are led into eternal life.
[00:12:30] “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;”
Bad leaders are bad leaders - whether we mean the bad kings of ancient Israel, the Jewish and Roman authorities that condemned Jesus, or any other bad leaders throughout history, even down to our present age - bad leaders are bad leaders!
[00:12:52] Any leader that puts him or herself first… any leader that promotes division, hatred, or conflict… any leader that breaks a sworn oath… any leader that does not lead all of his or her people… any leader that does not work for the common good - the good of ALL people… is a bad leader. And all too often, only history has the distance from which to make that determination. Jesus then declares…
[00:13:32] “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
[00:13:38] John says that earlier in his Gospel: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus is the one, only, eternal, and authentic Good Shepherd - who knows his sheep… every one of his sheep… and calls them by name; who leads his sheep to the place he himself prepared for them, whose heart is full of immense love, humble service, and immeasurable self-sacrifice.
[00:14:29] If we are true followers of Jesus, if we count ourselves among the sheep of his flock, if we do allow Jesus to lead us where he wants us to go, how can we not follow his example?
[00:14:49] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Acts 2: 14a, 36-41.
[00:14:58] Then Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, ‘Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
[00:16:03] This passage follows on the heels of last week's passage, and Peter is still speaking to the crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks, still on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit that descended upon all gathered in the Upper Room, still speaking with courage and confidence.
[00:16:25] So let's listen in as Peter continues his speech…
“Then Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed [the crowds],”
Much as we had to be reminded in Ordinary Time that the Sermon on the Mount wasn't broken into different parts and presented to the disciples over the course of several weeks, the Church's purpose in using the same opening words we heard last week is to remind us that Peter's speech was not broken into several parts and presented over the course of many days, but that it was one continuous oration.
[00:17:06] So, what does Peter say now?
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
[00:17:20] Peter's words are blunt, uncompromising, and spoken with absolute conviction. And remember, it was Peter who made that same declaration at Caesarea Philippi. If you are a member of my home parish, we heard that Gospel right before the beginning of Lent, when we celebrated the Anniversary of our Dedication, but for those who did not listen to that episode, Peter said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” and that is in Matthew 16.
[00:17:54] Here in Acts, he uses slightly different words that mean exactly the same thing. The title LORD declares that Jesus shares his divine nature with God the Father - he is the Son of the living God. The title CHRIST declares that Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed One, the long-awaited descendant of King David who delivers his people and whose kingdom is eternal. It is precisely that Jesus - that Lord and Christ - who was rejected and crucified by the Jewish and Roman authorities.
[00:18:36] “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart,”
[00:18:40] Authentic preaching should do just that… it should penetrate the mind, touch the heart, and elicit a genuine response. In fact, good preaching should draw people to Christ.
[00:18:56] Every effective homily should be a call to repentance and a guide on how to make positive change… change that makes us better.
“and [they] said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’”
[00:19:14] Their words indicate that this is an authentic, heartfelt response to Peter's clear accusation.
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent,’”
Peter is calling for real atonement and sincere conversion - of the type that will impact his listeners’ minds, hearts, behaviors, and relationships… nothing can, or should, remain unchanged by such a conversion. But Peter's words do not stop at repentance alone. He says, repent…
“and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ.”
[00:19:59] Notice that is not the full trinitarian formula for Baptism which Jesus instructed his Apostles to use - in the Great Commission at the end of Matthew's Gospel. But Peter is also not actively baptizing his listeners at this point. He is, however, employing a thematic expression of repentance that appears a number of times in Acts. So, Peter says that if you repent, if you are baptized…
“for the forgiveness of your sins; you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The Sacrament of Baptism brings about the forgiveness of sins, both Original (or inherited) sin and personal sin - offenses committed by our own will. And in addition, it imparts the Holy Spirit.
“For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off,”
[00:20:56] So, those who are near and those who are far… those who are of Jewish descent and those who are of Gentile origin.
“every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.”
Meaning that it is up to God, not to us. God chooses us and calls us to himself long before we ever choose him. Think of God's words to Jeremiah the prophet: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”
“And [Peter] testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’”
[00:21:39] When Peter says: “save yourselves” - he is not saying, nor does he mean, that his listeners earn their own salvation - or that we earn our own salvation!
[00:21:52] That type of misguided thinking can only happen if we take Peter's words out of context! He says: “save yourselves FROM THIS CROOKED GENERATION” (emphasis added)… and he means: separate yourselves from the thoughts, ideas, and actions of crooked people. The NAB actually translates “crooked” as “corrupt”. So, save yourselves from corrupt people… but how is that accomplished? There's only one way we can do that. By accepting the good news of Jesus, by following him as a member of his flock, by following where he leads us and doing what he tells us to do. All of that is our choice and is within our control.
[00:22:45] “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
Meaning that Peter's preaching was effective – and, if you think back to what I said just a while ago - all good, effective preaching should draw people to Christ, it should be a call to repentance, it should guide people toward positive change… and I will add one more caveat - it should be Apostolic! Legitimate Christian preaching should be based upon the witness of the Apostles as recorded in Sacred Scripture. When preaching is authentic, when it is truly Christian, when it is Apostolic, then - and only then - will it truly do God's will and draw souls to Christ… then - and only then - will it teach people about Christ so that they will come to know his voice and follow him.
[00:23:50] So, just like the souls that were drawn to Christ because of Peter's words on that day in Jerusalem, just like the souls that have been drawn to Christ ever since because of the witness of the Apostles, we - too - are drawn to Christ… we - too - are precious members of his flock, we - too - hear his voice and, hopefully, follow the example he left for us.
[00:24:21] Our Responsorial Psalm this week is Psalm 23, and the refrain is:
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
And here are the verses:
[00:24:30] “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.”
“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.”
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
[00:25:12] This is a Psalm of Trust in God, and it is one of the many Psalms attributed directly to King David. It depicts God as a Shepherd, a Guide in times of trouble and distress, and the Host of a banquet whose blessings include peace, refreshment, comfort, and honors.
[00:25:34] This Psalm reminds us that God cares deeply for his Chosen People, the sheep of his flock, and that he cares just as much for each and every individual as he does for the entirety of the Jewish people. It also reminds us that this applies not to just to the Jewish people - but to all of the flock gathered by Jesus, which includes us Gentiles!
[00:26:03] The reference to a table and cup in the third stanza suggests that this Psalm may at some point have been part of a Thanksgiving Communion service in the temple, like those described in Leviticus 12. And having one's head anointed with oil was a way of showing hospitality to an honored guest… and remember, both Matthew and Mark recount that Jesus’ head was anointed with perfumed oil at the home of Simon in Bethany.
This Psalm is a frequent choice for funeral Masses. Not only is it well known and quite familiar to most people, it also brings comfort, hope, and assurance to those who are grieving. And it's quite evident why the Church paired this Psalm with our Gospel for Good Shepherd Sunday.
[00:26:57] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from 1 Peter 2: 20b-25.
“[Beloved;} [I]f when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”
[00:28:05] This is the third of five passages we will hear from 1 Peter during this Easter season. And if we look back at what's been said over the past couple of weeks, we heard that this is a Pastoral Letter - which it most certainly is - and that it was also an Encyclical, of sorts - a letter written by the Pope (which was Peter at the time) and addressed to the Church… that also is valid.
[00:28:32] Consequently, 1 Peter is - at times - classified as a catholic letter (and that's lowercase “c” catholic) meaning universal or addressed to all the faithful. And that is particularly appropriate since its purpose was to encourage Christians to live their faith courageously in the midst of a hostile, secular society. So, let's listen to what Peter has to say…
“[Beloved:] [I]f when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God's approval.”
Jesus taught that very thing in the Beatitudes… Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake… Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely… Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
[00:29:32] Then Peter says…
“For to this you have been called,”
In other words, simply by virtue of the fact that we call ourselves Christian.
“because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
Peter means Jesus' three year public ministry, certainly, everything that he preached and taught, but Peter also means his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Jesus himself told us that we must take up our crosses and follow him… he said that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for a friend and then proceeded to do just that on his own Cross… and, at the Last Supper, Jesus said to his disciples: I have given you an example, so you should do as I have done for you.
[Jesus] committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips.”
Those images come from Isaiah's Fourth Suffering Servant song, absolutely, but they were also a perfect description of Jesus in his trial before the Sanhedrin and in his trial before Pilate.
“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten;”
And yes, those are unbelievably difficult examples to follow - they go against so much in our fallen human nature that often wishes, and sometimes actively chooses, to return anger with anger and hate with hate. But Jesus also told us in the Sermon on the Mount: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Peter goes on to say that Jesus…
“trusted to him who judges justly.”
Which means that Jesus trusted implicitly in his Heavenly Father. In fact, if we think back to his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest, Jesus said: not my will, but your will be done.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,”
The Apostles often said “the tree” rather than “the Cross”… but Peter says that to remind every Christian that Jesus died for our sins. Not just the sins other people have committed, but for our sins as well.
“that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”
[00:32:21] Jesus served others; therefore, we should serve others.
Jesus loved others, so should we.
Jesus suffered for others, so should we.
Jesus died for others; if necessary, so should we.
All of that is how we live to righteousness!
[00:32:45] “By his wounds you have been healed.”
In the 11th century, Saint Anselm of Canterbury developed what is called the Satisfaction Theory of Atonement, which - in a very simplified manner - says that humanity owed a debt of justice and honor to God for our sins that we could never pay, so Jesus - the perfect, spotless, sacrifice - paid our debt for us.
Now that shouldn't suggest to us that God is some sort of vengeful accountant looking at a cosmic spreadsheet and issuing a pay up or else notice to us… that's not at all the case! Saint Anselm developed the Satisfaction Theory of Atonement in his book: “Why God Became Man” and it was a distinct improvement over the centuries old Ransom Theory of Atonement originally proposed by Origen of Alexandria. It's not essential that
non-theologians understand either theory in depth, because both were simply theological attempts to explain - in some logical manner - why Jesus died for our sins. That is something that we as human beings are simply driven to try to understand.
[00:34:11] But that is a gift we can't earn, one we can never be truly worthy of, and one that has already taken place - once in history - for the benefit of all who are willing to accept such a wondrous gift. Peter then concludes this passage, saying…
“For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”
[00:34:39] Sheep are intelligent, smelly, social, stubborn, playful animals that are usually good parents and - at times - require special care and guidance… a description that could just as easily apply to all of humanity! Which is precisely why the Shepherd/sheep metaphor works as well as it does.
[00:35:07] But just like sheep, we can stray from the flock… we can run away and get lost… we can resist doing what's right… and we often think we know what is best - even when we don't. So, Peter tells us that when we stray, we must return to Jesus who is the Good Shepherd and the Guardian of our souls.
Because when Jesus is the foundation upon which everything else rests, when he is our model for how to live well, when we open our hearts and minds to hear his voice as he gently guides us in the right paths, then we will be the faithful sheep of his flock, and we will find that it becomes ever so much easier to follow the example he left for us.
[00:36:15] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you safe and secure in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
