Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne

Homily of Pope Francis

The last words Jesus speaks in the Gospel we have just heard summarize the meaning of his mission: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). This is what a good shepherd does: he lays down his life for his sheep. Thus, Jesus, like a shepherd searching for his flock, came to find us when we were lost; like a shepherd, he came to rescue us from death; like a shepherd who knows his sheep one by one and loves them with infinite tenderness, he brought us into the Father's fold, making us his children.

Let us therefore contemplate the image of the Good Shepherd and focus on two actions which, according to the Gospel, he performs for his sheep: first he calls them, then he leads them out.

1. First, “he calls his sheep” (v. 3). At the beginning of the story of our salvation, it is not us with our merits, our abilities, our structures; at the origin, there is God’s call, his desire to be with us, his care for each one of us, the abundance of his mercy that wants to save us from sin and death, to give us abundant life and endless joy. Jesus came as the Good Shepherd of humanity to call us and bring us home. We can then remember with gratitude his love for us, for us who were far from him. Yes, when “we all, like sheep, were going astray” and “each of us was going our own way” (Isaiah 53:6), he took our iniquities upon himself and bore our sins, bringing us back to the heart of the Father. This is what we heard from the Apostle Peter in the second reading: “You were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). And today, in every situation of life, in what we carry in our hearts, in our wanderings, in our fears, in the feeling of defeat that sometimes assails us, in the prison of sadness that threatens to enclose us, He calls us. He comes as the Good Shepherd and calls us by name, to tell us how precious we are in His eyes, to heal our wounds and take our weaknesses upon Himself, to gather us into unity in His fold and make us a family, among ourselves and with the Father.

Brothers and sisters, as we are here this morning, we feel the joy of being God's holy people: we are all born of his call; he is the one who summoned us, and that is why we are his people, his flock, his Church. He has gathered us here so that, although different from one another and belonging to different communities, the greatness of his love may unite us all in one embrace. It is beautiful to find ourselves together: bishops and priests, religious and lay faithful; and it is beautiful to share this joy with the Ecumenical Delegations, the leaders of the Jewish community, the representatives of the civil institutions, and the diplomatic corps. This is what catholicity is: all of us, called by name by the Good Shepherd, are called to welcome and spread his love, to ensure that his fold is inclusive and never exclusive. We are therefore all called to cultivate relationships of fraternity and collaboration, without dividing ourselves, without considering our community as a reserved environment, without letting ourselves be taken up by the concern to defend each of our own space, but by opening ourselves to mutual love.

2. After calling the sheep, the Shepherd “leads them out” (Jn 10:3). He first brought them into the sheepfold by calling them, now he leads them out. We are first gathered into God’s family to form his people, but we are then sent into the world to become, with courage and without fear, heralds of the Good News, witnesses of the Love that has regenerated us. This movement—entering and going out—we can grasp through another image Jesus uses: that of the gate. He says, “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved; they will come in and go out, and find pasture” (v. 9). Let us understand this clearly again: they will enter and they will go out. On the one hand, Jesus is the gate that has been opened wide so that we may enter into communion with the Father and experience his mercy; But, as everyone knows, an open door is not only for entering, but also for leaving the place where one finds oneself. Thus, after bringing us back to God's embrace and into the fold of the Church, Jesus is the door that leads us out into the world: he urges us to go and meet our brothers and sisters. And let us remember this well: all of us, without exception, are called to this, to leave our comfort zones and have the courage to reach out to the peripheries that need the light of the Gospel (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, no. 20 ).

Brothers and sisters, being “outgoing” means for each of us to become, like Jesus, an open door. It is sad and painful to see closed doors: the closed doors of our selfishness toward those who walk beside us every day; the closed doors of our individualism in a society that risks withering away in solitude; the closed doors of our indifference to those who are suffering and poor; the closed doors to those who are foreign, different, migrants, poor. And even the closed doors of our ecclesial communities: closed among ourselves, closed to the world, closed to those who are “not in good standing,” closed to those who yearn for God’s forgiveness. Brothers and sisters, please, please: let us open the doors! Let us also try to be – with our words, our gestures, our daily activities – like Jesus: an open door, a door that is never slammed in anyone's face, a door that allows everyone to enter and experience the beauty of the Lord's love and forgiveness.

I repeat this especially to myself, to my brother bishops and priests: to us, pastors. Because the pastor, says Jesus, is neither a robber nor a thief (cf. Jn 10:8); he does not take advantage of his role, he does not oppress the flock entrusted to him, he does not "steal" space from his lay brothers and sisters, he does not exercise rigid authority. Brothers and sisters, let us encourage one another to be ever more open doors: "facilitators" of God's grace, experts in closeness, ready to offer our lives, just as Jesus Christ, our Lord and all, teaches us with open arms from the throne of the cross, and shows us each time on the altar, the living Bread broken for us. I also say this to our lay brothers and sisters, to catechists, pastoral workers, those who hold political and social responsibilities, and to those who simply live their daily lives, sometimes with difficulty: be open doors! Let us allow the Lord of life to enter our hearts, his Word that consoles and heals, so that we may then go out and be open doors ourselves in society. Let us be open and inclusive towards one another, to help Hungary grow in fraternity, the path to peace.

Beloved, Jesus the Good Shepherd calls us by name and cares for us with infinite tenderness. He is the gate, and whoever enters through Him has eternal life: He is therefore our future, a future of "life in abundance" (Jn 10:10). Let us never be discouraged, let us not allow the joy and peace He has given us to be stolen from us, let us not become trapped in problems or apathy. Let us allow ourselves to be accompanied by our Shepherd: with Him, our life, may our families, our Christian communities, and all of Hungary shine with new life!

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APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF POPE FRANCIS

in HUNGARY

(April 28-30, 2023)

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER

Kossuth Lajos Square (Budapest)

4th Sunday of Easter, April 30, 2023

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