We are a joyful community of disciples proclaiming the Good News and inviting all people to encounter the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.
"I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."
(John 10:1-10)
The Gate
When Jesus said this, I imagine he spoke with passion and zeal. I believe he was looking at the people around and earnestly imploring them to trust and to take that first step towards him and the rest of their lives.
Oftentimes, when we are faced with a difficult decision or come to a crossroads, we are faced with a myriad of choices. And we don’t always make the best decision. I think it’s easy to feel frustrated when circumstances don’t happen the way we hope. And what Jesus does in today’s Gospel is to give a gentle, but firm reminder that he is the way through whatever we might be facing. That he is the gate to which we can and will enter into a new life. It is so easy to put our faith and our hope in many other things, to seek fulfillment and comfort in things that can distract or numb us from the reality we face, which is that sometimes, life just isn’t going the way we want.
Maybe you’ve lost a job, are grieving the ending of a relationship, or the passing of a family member. Whatever it is, whatever you are facing today, my invitation is this: take that first step through the gate and allow the Lord to meet you and love you in the midst of it.
What steps do I need to take to let the Lord be enough for me?
Let us pray for the courage to always move closer to the Lord. Amen.
Reflection by:
Brendan de Padua is the Associate Director of Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2014 with a degree in English and has been blessed to be working in Ministry for the last 10 years, serving as a FOCUS Missionary, a youth minister, and a campus minister. In his free time he enjoys meeting up with friends, hiking, and reading a good book. He has a passion for praying with people and a desire to help others encounter the Lord, and is very excited to help raise up Saints in the Diocese of St. Petersburg!