Jesus said that he who enters into the sheepfold by the door is the good shepherd, unlike the thief, who climbs up another way (Jn 10:1); He added immediately that He is the true door of the sheepfold (Jn 10:7). His reference to the difference that occurs between the good Shepherd of souls, on the one hand, and the thief or self-seeking mercenary, on the other, is quite patent.

To be sure, entering in by the door – that is, being identified with Christ, for such is the meaning of that expression for a Shepherd of souls – is not exactly an easy task. It is a fundamental principle of Christian life that the disciple of Jesus Christ has to die to himself; and this fact is even more transcendental and urgent when dealing with a Shepherd of the Church. Practicing a sociological and purely human Pastoral activity, which entails no commitments, is a good deal easier than seriously challenging people to an essential and indispensable personal holiness.

Let us examine an example from among many which one could suggest: the modern homilies for children, which is a common practice nowadays. Every Sunday, Father X gathers the children of his parish into a Mass especially celebrated for them.

We must add here, as a parenthesis, that nobody, until now, has been able to find out the need for and the convenience of a special mass for children, whose integration into the parish community was always believed to be important; evidently, this common practice is fashionable and provides an aura of modernity, which makes a good impression. One must also take into account, so that one is able to grasp this whole situation, that modern Pastoral practice is filled with enigmas completely inaccessible to anyone who believes in the Christian Dogmas and keeps an ounce of common sense.

Very well; when the moment of the homily arrives (our curé shouting his head off, trying to impose some order despite the children’s screaming, racket, playing, running around, etc.) our Father X asks one of the children:

– Let us see, Peter, what do you think of today’s gospel?

One can easily imagine what Peter, who is around ten or twelve years old, may think about the reading of the corresponding Sunday’s gospel. Forgotten and left behind are the biblical commentaries of the Holy Fathers and even of Saint Thomas, all of which have lost their topicality. To which we must add here, also as a parenthesis, that Father X has never read Saint Thomas, and even less the Holy Fathers; but one can let this go. Although, according to the Bible, from the mouths of children we will hear the truth, it is evident that the only thing one will be able to hear in this case is some stammering and real nonsense; to which our pastoral-expert priest assents with enthusiasm, and even asks the other children to give a warm round of applause to the improvised and infant exegete (commenced waves of roaring applause, increasing intensity of din, shouts and laughter all around…, and any other encouragement one may want to add).

Of course, all this has a tremendous advantage – at least for somebody (it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good): Father X does not need to squeeze his brain when preparing his homily beforehand, or to ponder it in his prayer while impetrating grace from on High, or to …, etc., etc. Generally speaking, Father X enjoys among his parishioners a good reputation for being an up-to-date, modern pastoral priest. Except for the pharmacist of the town (there is always a black beast), who has the deserved reputation of being a conservative, pre-Conciliar enemy of progress, may God forgive him. He is convinced that our good cleric, apart from not being overly gifted with sharpness, is extremely lazy and not very spiritual.

But he that enters by the door, to him the porter opens, and the sheep hear his voice; for he calls his own sheep by name and then leads them out. Clearly, if he calls them by name it is because he knows each one of them; which means that between the sheep and the Shepherd (in singular, mind you) there is both personal friendship and knowledge. Let us notice in passing that this evangelical text uses the expression his own sheep, perhaps to make us understand that the Shepherd considers them his very own sheep; not meaning a nuance of possession or to use them in his own interest: I have not come to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give my life[1]. Equivalent expressions in the ordinary language could be something like my heart belongs to him and he belongs to me; or this person is my life, or perhaps, my life belongs to you, etc.

(Translated from the book Meditaciones de Atardecer, pp.44 and ff.)

[1] Mt 20:28.