Listening to the Voice of the Good Shepherd
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April 25, 2026On this Fourth Sunday of Easter—Good Shepherd Sunday—we are invited to reflect on one of the most consoling and profound images Christ gives us of himself: the Good Shepherd and the Gate, the one through whom we enter salvation, communion, and the fullness of life. This is a reminder that the risen Christ continues to shepherd us, his Church. Our world is filled with many voices: voices that promise fulfillment without sacrifice, freedom without truth, and happiness without God. These voices can lead us farther from Christ, leaving our lives restless, pressured, and divided.
Amid these many voices that try to pull and take our attention, Jesus calls us by name and leads us toward truth, holiness, and eternal life. Jesus says, “The sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). This is a personal and loving relationship. The shepherd knows each sheep just as Christ knows each of us—our deepest wounds, our heavy struggles, the ups and downs of our faith, and our longing for God.
We hear His voice in the Sacred Scriptures and also through the Church—the apostolic teachings through the shepherds Christ has appointed, who continue His pastoral mission through the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus declares, “I am the gate for the sheep” (John 10:9). Jesus’ words reveal that access to the fullness of life comes through him alone. In Catholic teaching, Christ the Gate is made present to us in a sacramental way. Through Baptism, we enter the sheepfold of the Church. Through the Eucharist, we are continually nourished and strengthened by the Good Shepherd, who gives himself, his body and blood as true food and drink that give eternal life.
And those who enter through Christ as the gate find safety, forgiveness, grace, and communion—not because life becomes easier and smooth, but because it is grounded in God. The Gospel ends with this assurance, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
The abundance of life is not measured by wealth or success but by holiness and being in communion with God. It is experienced more deeply when we live our unity with Christ the Good Shepherd through a genuine relationship with others, especially the least, the last, and the lost.
This Fourth Sunday of Easter, let us renew our trust in the Good Shepherd. He calls each of us by name. We are beloved sons and daughters of the Father, not anonymous members of a crowd. When we respond faithfully to Christ’s voice, we become part of one flock, united across cultures and generations in faith, hope, and love. Let us listen attentively to His voice and trustingly enter through the gate that leads to eternal life.