READINGS

"I assure you that whoever doesn’t enter into the sheep pen through the gate but climbs over the wall is a thief and an outlaw. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The guard at the gate opens the gate for the shepherd, and the sheep listen to the shepherd's voice. The shepherd calls their own sheep by name and leads them out. Whenever the shepherd has gathered all of their sheep, the shepherd goes before the sheep and they follow the shepherd, because they know the shepherd's voice. They won’t follow a stranger but will run away because they don’t know the stranger’s voice.”
Those who heard Jesus use this analogy didn’t understand what he was saying.

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So Jesus spoke again, “I assure you that I am the gate of the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and outlaws, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.

 

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down their life for the sheep. When the hired hand sees the wolf coming, the hired hand leaves the sheep and runs away. That’s because the hired hand isn’t the shepherd; the sheep aren’t really theirs. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. They are only a hired hand and the sheep don’t matter to them.

 

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me, just as God who knit me in the womb knows me, and I know God. I give up my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that don’t belong to this sheep pen. I must lead them too. They will listen to my voice and there will be one flock, with one shepherd.

 

“This is why the life-giving God loves me: I give up my life so that I can take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I give it up because I want to. I have the right to give it up, and I have the right to take it up again. I received this commandment from God.”

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