The Good Shepherd - Week 13

John 10

1. Read verse 1. What is the sheepfold? (See CCC #553)
(a) From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Jesus entrusted a specific authority to Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The "power of the keys" designates authority to govern the house of God, which is the Church. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, confirmed this mandate after his Resurrection: "Feed my sheep." The power to "bind and loose" connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgements, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church. Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and in particular through the ministry of Peter, the only one to whom he specifically entrusted the keys of the kingdom. (CCC, 553)

0: A Psalm of David. 1: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; 2: he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; 3: he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. 5: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. 6: 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. (Ps 23)

1: "Has not man a hard service upon earth, and are not his days like the days of a hireling? 2: Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hireling who looks for his wages, 3: so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me. (Job 7:1-3)

He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Is 40:11)

24: "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master; 25: it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Be-el'zebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. 26: "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27: What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. 28: And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. 30: But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31: Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32: So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; 33: but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. 34: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35: For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36: and a man's foes will be those of his own household. 37: He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38: and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Mt 10:24-38)

But he who endures to the end will be saved. (Mt 24:13)

31: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32: Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33: and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34: Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35: for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36: I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37: Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38: And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39: And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' 40: And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' 41: Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42: for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43: I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44: Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' 45: Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' 46: And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Mt 25:31-46)