Destined For Sainthood?

If Jesus had been born in the twentieth century, His choice of the “shepherd and flock” imagery to describe His relationship with us might seem misplaced. Modern sheep herding methods simply do not fit the word-picture Jesus paints in today’s Gospel:

The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice (John 10:2-5).

This picture is hardly identifiable with today’s sheep industry. In Jesus’ time the flocks were small, each sheep could be identified by name, each flock could identify its own shepherd’s call. The shepherd walked out ahead, exercising tender, loving care. Often he risked his own safety to preserve the flock’s unity, protecting it against beasts of prey and thievery. It was his duty to…