I came so that they might have life

"Life" is one of the central themes in John's Gospel.

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We hear it from the very beginning: “Through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race” (1:4) and toward the end of the Gospel: “But these are written that you may [come to] believe... and that through this belief you may have life in his name” (20:31).

In this text on the Good Shepherd, the image of Jesus as the life-giving Savior comes to fore. He is the gate, the passageway to a meaningful and secure life, both in this world and hereafter. But this entails a mutual recognition, an intimacy between the Shepherd and the sheep: they hear his voice, for he calls them by name and leads them out.

Throughout these years of following the Good Shepherd, have I developed a keener sense of recog-nizing his voice that leads me to a value-driven existence and more loving relationships?

First Reading • Acts 11:1-18