(Acts 2:14a,36-41; Ps.23:1-6; 1Pt.2:20b-25; Jn.10:1-10) "Whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep." Jesus says in earnest to the Pharisees, "I am the gate for the sheep… Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture." But they are as the thief who "comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy." Today, too, brothers and sisters, the thief is among us, those teachers who do "not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climb over elsewhere." For neither seeing nor caring to seek the wholeness of Scripture, that it is here that God speaks, they attempt to enter another way, relying on their own devices. So it says in the commentary of the missal I read: "the author of the First Letter of Peter" and "the author of John's gospel," for the author here shows he knows not the Word of God. Like the Pharisees who were so preoccupied with the words of the law that they could not see the Author of Life standing before them, so these are blind to the voice of Jesus and His apostles speaking in this Holy Book. As they piece together the fragments of supposed facts gleaned by their fanciful imaginations, the wholeness of the Word, holiness itself, entirely escapes them. How can they hear His silence amongst such chatter? And so the false shepherds strip the "verdant pastures" and pollute the "restful waters" of Holy Scripture. On wrong paths for their own sakes they lead others into the "dark valley" with no "rod" or "staff" of the Lord to give "courage." Only coming before the Word of God as children will they "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" and so see the truth of prophecy – but this is entirely too shameful to their pride. By their own minds must they live; in their reason alone they seek their refuge, caring not to "dwell in the house of the Lord" and have His "goodness and kindness follow" them. They need this not – they are quite self-sufficient. Brothers and sisters, my prayer is that you "save yourselves from this corrupt generation," that you "run away" like sheep at the "voice of strangers," saying, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." And as for these blind guides, I pray that they shall cease their vain effort to crucify the Lord again by making Him and His Word into a metaphor, a symbol – an empty construct of the human imagination – rather than the flesh and blood of God He Is. May they be "cut to the heart" as those at Peter's preaching, and like the rest of the faithful who "had gone astray like sheep" now return "to the shepherd and guardian of our souls." Entering through the gate that is Jesus, may they recognize the voice of God as He speaks through His Rock and His Beloved. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Lose the Pretense, How Do We?" from Remove the Mask of Lies, second album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, the innocent Lamb is Himself our Shepherd; may we find salvation at His side. YHWH, let us enter into your presence through your only Son, who is the true Shepherd guiding us to you. May we follow in His steps. Even though it lead to the Cross, may we remain near Him, ready to give our lives as He has, as the innocent Lamb for our salvation. Though we are cut to the heart by the truth He speaks in His Word and through His apostles, let us turn to Him in repentance and find His comfort and peace – let us thus find ourselves in your holy arms. O LORD, let our ears be open to hear His voice and His voice alone. Let us not be led astray by false shepherds, false prophets who seek only their own gain and not the welfare of your sheep. It is to sacrifice you call us, not to selfishness, and by laying down our lives, by entering the wounds in His flesh, we shall find eternal rest in your House. Let us be washed clean in His blood and so be saved from corruption.