Meditation Of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa: Fourth Sunday Of Easter

Below you can find the Meditation of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, for the Fourth Sunday Of Easter, on Sunday 21 April 2024.

John 10:11-18

Today's Gospel passage (John 10:11-18) is taken from chapter ten of John's Gospel, the so-called "Good Shepherd chapter".

It is no coincidence that the wisdom of the Church invites us to read this chapter in the Easter season: In fact, only in the light of Easter can we accept this Word and understand who this Good Shepherd is, who gives life in abundance (Jn 10:10).

The chapter opens with the image of the door (Jn 10:2,7,9): Jesus, before presenting himself as the shepherd of the flock, presents himself as the door of the sheepfold.

Why the door? The door is essential for passage and communication between two places, between two realities. Without the door, two spaces could be so near but would remain isolated.

Jesus is the door: by his earthly life, by his death, and by his resurrection, he reopens the way of communication between heaven and earth, between Man and the Father.

"Open" is a fundamental verb in salvation history, to the point of coinciding, in some respects, with salvation itself. God saves by opening: he opens the sea, he opens a way of salvation in the wilderness, he opens a way back after the exile, he opens the heavens so that the drought may end, he opens the barren wombs so that life may pass.

Last Sunday, we saw that the Risen One opened the disciples' minds to the scriptures (Lk 24:45).

But not only that: the disciples were locked in a place (Jn 20:19). And just as Jesus, shortly before, had been locked in a tomb; and just as the tomb did not remain closed, but opened so that Jesus could resume life, so the disciples are also called to open up to life: the resurrection of Jesus opens the time of our resurrection, of our rebirth to life.

This is precisely why Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he opens the fold and brings his sheep out (Jn 10:3-4). He does not leave them locked in their slavery, in fear of death, but he takes them out, sets them free: he opens for them the way of life.

And so we come to today's passage.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, as opposed to the hireling (Jn. 10:12).

Behind these two figures are two logics, two opposing lifestyles.

The mercenary acts only behind a fee, intending to gain: his service is always self-interested, and when the interest fails, so does the relationship, for it is not woven with intimacy and belonging: the sheep do not know the voice of strangers, of mercenaries.

Therefore, the mercenary does not offer security when he is faced with danger, he prefers to save his own life: when the wolf comes, he runs away, because he is afraid of death.

Jesus stands diametrically opposite.

He is not afraid of death, because he went through it first, and experienced that the Father's love did not leave him a prisoner of death, but reopened to him the way of life.

This Homily was originally published on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Please click here to read the full text…