Schismatics hate Today’s Reading from John 10: 1-10. It separates Christ’s appointed Shepherds from those who are self-anointed. Today’s Reading is hated by false shepherds.
Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees (of every time and place) did not realize what He was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through Me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief (a false shepherd) comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy (lives and souls, including those young lives lost by birth control chemicals and devices); I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
It is clear that Jesus is dividing shepherds. Those who provide His Body and Blood, which He said we need to “have life in you”, are His shepherds. Others are not. He tells us that He came so that His sheep may “have life and have it more abundantly”. It does not seem that we can apply His Words to those who do not provide His Body and Blood. How many of them are “false shepherds”?.
Nor does it appear to be rational that we may apply His Words to those who deny their saving grace and refuse to do what is necessary to receive The Body and Blood He said we needed to “have life in you” on earth.
This is a powerful passage in defense of His Church, His priests, and His people. We ignore its deep meaning at our peril.
