John 10:7-15  walked this path,

descended into the

Jesus  Good Shepherd/ Prince of Shepherds
kingdom of Death ,
 Knows His sheep and loves them conquered death,and
 Willing to sacrifice Himself for them returned to accompany
 Protects and defends us us now and to give us
 Brings us life certainty that together
 with Him, we can find a
way through it.
Thief  represents the many dangers that
come on our way Shepherd  doesn’t just show us the way
through life but also shows us the way through
 Bring nothing but death death
Sheepfold or sheep pen  secured , walled  leads us even in heaven
enclosure in which sheep are kept when they
are not being pastured by the shepherd Therefore, Jesus is the Good Shepherd 
the way to enter the gates of heaven and of
 Might be a permanent barn-like eternal happiness.
enclosure for shelter
 Enclosed with walls or makeshift Death not only physically but death from
barricade of briars our old sinful ways that we may have Christ,
 Way to enter is through a narrow single who is Life.
opening

Good shepherd  values his flock

 Keeps them in the sheepfold which also
serves as protection for all that might
harm them
How is Christ, the Good shepherd?
Jesus  lays down His life for the sheep (us)
Pope Francis – Holy Thursday homily => “a true
shepherd lives with his sheep –accompanies
them on their journey and knows them”
How is the Church, the Sheepfold of Christ?
As sheepfold of Christ, the Church is filled
with the presence of God.
Image of Church  a person who follows
Christ belongs to his fold. Because we
follow Him, He is both our Shepherd and
the Door to the sheepfold who provides for
all our needs.
As Sheepfold of Christ  Church aims to

Pope Benedict XVI – encyclical on hope “Spe  guide us to the truths

Salvi”(saved in Hope) gave this vision of the revealed by Christ
Shepherd Jesus is the Good Shepherd not  help us know the voice of
just through His life with us but through His the Good Shepherd (“I am
death with us. the good Shepherd, And I
know My Own and My own
- true Shepherd  knows the path know me (John 10:14).
that passes through the valley of
death
Church (sheepfold of Christ) => where we meet
Christ in God’s Word in Scriptures , in Church
Teaching, in the liturgical and sacramental
worship of God and in the ministry and service
for one another.
 We realize that God loves us that He
indeed is the Sheep who had laid down
His life for His sheep, a personal love
communicated to us through the life of
His Sheepfold
With all of these, our faith or our relationship
with God is not just personal but a communal
response.
What are we called to do as members of His
sheepfold?
 Remain in His Love and do service to
others
 As Christ shows love and care for us, we
too are expected to do the same.
Jesus =>first-born Son of God
o Establishes a brotherly
communion
Sheepfold => a communion of persons
belonging to Christ.
 Called to render mutual service
according to the different gifts
bestowed on each of us.
Paradoxical quality of faith as personal yet
ecclesial is revealed in Scriptural Image of the
Church  Sheepfold of Christ
Members of God’s fold => believers of Christ
and reborn through the Word of the Living God,
of water and of Spirit in Baptism (John 3:5).
Hence, a personal relationship with Christ is
important or essential.
This is not individualistic. It matures and
develops with others especially in the Church
 we are called to obey the teachings of the
Christ in the Church and to take an active role in
the liturgical celebrations of the Church. As one
flock, we proclaim: “The Lord is my
Shepherd..there is nothing we shall
want.”( Psalm 23)
Joh 10: 11  I am the good shepherd; the good
shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Hebrews 13:20-21 ”…the great shepherd of
the sheep through the blood of the eternal
covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in
every good thing to do His will, working in us
that which is pleasing in His Sight through Jesus
Christ to whom be the glory forever and ever…
Matthew 25: 33-36 “…He will place the sheep
on his right and the goats on His left, “ Come
you who are blessed by my Father, Inherit the
kingdom prepared for you…..For I was hungry,
you gave me food. I was thirsty……”
St Augustine of Hippo
- Feast day: August 28
- Patron of brewers
o Conversion from a former
life of loose living
o Inspired who struggles with
a particular vice or habit
- Son of St Monica
- Born in Africa
- Spent many years of his life in
wicked living and false beliefs
- One of the most intelligent men
o Can’t see or understand the
Divine Truth because his
sins and pride darkened his
mind
St Augustine of Hippo - Preached very often and prayed
with great fervor
- Was converted through the prayers - Cried to God “ Too Late have I loved
of St Monica and the marvelous You!
preaching of St Ambrose
o Became convinced that
Christianity was the one
true religion  but still not
converted because he
thought he could never live
a pure life
- Heard Two men suddenly
converted on reading the life of St
Antony and he felt ashamed
o To Alpius :”Unlearned
people are taking Heaven
by force, while we, with all
our knowledge, we so
cowardly that we keep
rolling around in the mud of
our sins!”
- Fung himself out into the garden
and cried out to God “ How long
more , O lord? Why dies not his
hour put to an end to my sins”
o Then heard a child singing
“Take up and read”
 Thinking that God
intended him to
hear those words.
He read the book of
the Letters of St
Paul and read the
first passage.
 First passage => put
away all impurity
and live in imitation
of Jesus.
o He lead a new life
- Baptized, became a priest , bishop,
Catholic writer, founder of religious
priest and one of the greatest saints
- On His Wall “ Here we do not speak
evil of anyone”
- Overcame strong heresies
- Practiced great poverty and
supported the poor