Catechism Links
CCC 754, 764, 2665: Christ the Shepherd and Gate
CCC 553, 857, 861, 881, 896, 1558, 1561, 1568, 1574: Pope and bishops as shepherds
CCC 874, 1120, 1465, 1536, 1548-1551, 1564, 2179, 2686: priests as shepherds
CCC 14, 189, 1064, 1226, 1236, 1253-1255, 1427-1429: conversion, faith, and baptism
CCC 618, 2447: Christ an example in bearing wrongs
CCC Cross Reference:
Acts 2:34-36 447, 449; Acts 2:36-38 1433; Acts 2:36 440, 597, 695, 731, 746; Acts 2:38 1226, 1262, 1287, 1427; Acts 2:41 363, 1226
Ps 23:5 1293
1 Pt 2:21 618; 1 Pt 2:24 612
Jn 10:1-21 764; Jn 10:11-15 754; Jn 10:11 553, 754; Jn 10:16 60; Jn 10:17-18 614, 649; Jn 10:17 606; Jn 10:18 609
Back to Deacon’s Bench '08
Back to SOW II '11
Back to SOW II '14
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '20
Back to SOW II '23
Reading 1
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
Responsorial Psalm
23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading II
1 Pt 2:20b-25
Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was insulted, he returned no insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Gospel
Jn 10:1-10
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 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 comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Acts 2:14 – 41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice:
‘Men of Judaea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, make no mistake about this, but listen carefully to what I say. ‘For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.’
Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ ‘You must repent,’ Peter answered ‘and every one of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.’ He spoke to them for a long time using many arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation’. They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22(23):1-6
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
or
Alleluia!
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
or
Alleluia!
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
or
Alleluia!
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
or
Alleluia!
Second reading 1 Peter 2:20 – 25
There is nothing meritorious in taking a beating patiently if you have done something wrong to deserve it. The merit, in the sight of God, is in bearing it patiently when you are punished after doing your duty.
This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and left an example for you to follow the way he took. He had not done anything wrong, and there had been no perjury in his mouth. He was insulted and did not retaliate with insults; when he was tortured he made no threats but he put his trust in the righteous judge. He was bearing our faults in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our faults and live for holiness; through his wounds you have been healed. You had gone astray like sheep but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Gospel John 10:1 – 10
Jesus said: ‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognize the voice of strangers.’
Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.
So Jesus spoke to them again:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who have come
are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
he will go freely in and out
and be sure of finding pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come
so that they may have life and have it to the full.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
4th Sunday of Easter
From: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Peter's Address (Continuation)
--------------------------------------------
[14a] But Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, [36] Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
The Baptism
-------------------
[36] Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." [37] Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" [38] And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to Him." [40] And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." [41] So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
14. In his commentaries St. John Chrysostom draws attention to the change worked in Peter by the Holy Spirit: "Listen to him preach and argue so boldly, who shortly before had trembled at the word of a servant girl! This boldness is a significant proof of the resurrection of his Master: Peter preaches to men who mock and laugh at his enthusiasm. [...] Calumny ('they are filled with new wine') does not deter the Apostles; sarcasm does not undermine their courage, for the coming of the Holy Spirit has made new men of them, men who can put up with every kind of human test. When the Holy Spirit enters into hearts He does so to elevate their affections and to change earthly souls, souls of clay, into chosen souls, people of great courage [...]. Look at the harmony that exists among the Apostles. See how they allow Peter to speak on behalf of them all. Peter raises his voice and speaks to the people with full assurance. That is the kind of courage a man has when he is the instrument of the Holy Spirit. [...] Just as a burning coal does not lose heat when it falls on a haystack but instead is enabled to release its heat, so Peter, now that he is in contact with the life-giving Spirit, spreads his inner fire to those around him" ("Hom. on Acts", 4).
36. During His life on earth Jesus had often presented Himself as the Messiah and Son of God. His resurrection and ascension into Heaven reveal Him as such to the people at large.
In Peter's address we can see an outline of the content of the apostolic proclamation ("kerygma"), the content of Christian preaching, the object of faith. This proclamation bears witness to Christ's death and resurrection and subsequent exaltation; it recalls the main points of Jesus' mission, announced by John the Baptist, confirmed by miracles and brought to fulfillment by the appearances of the risen Lord and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; it declares that the messianic time predicted by the prophets have arrived, and calls all men to conversion, in preparation for the Parousia or second coming of Christ in glory.
37. St. Peter's words were the instrument used by God's grace to move the hearts of his listeners: they are so impressed that they ask in all simplicity what they should do. Peter exhorts them to be converted, to repent (cf. note on 3:19). The "St. Pius V Catechism" explains that in order to receive Baptism adults "need to repent the sins they have committed and their evil past life and to be resolved not to commit sin henceforth [...], for nothing is more opposed to grace and power of Baptism than the outlook and disposition of those who never decide to abjure sin" (II, 2, 4).
38. "Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ": this does not necessarily mean that this was the form of words the Apostles normally used in the liturgy, rather than [the] Trinitarian formula prescribed by Jesus. In the "Didache" (written around the year 100) it is stated that Baptism should be given in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, but this does not prevent it, in other passages, from referring to "those baptized in the name of the Lord." The expression "baptized in the name of Christ" means, therefore, becoming a member of Christ, becoming a Christian (cf. "Didache", VII, 1; IX, 5).
"Like the men and women who came up to Peter on Pentecost, we too have been baptized. In baptism, our Father God has taken possession of our lives, has made us share in the life of Christ, and has given us the Holy Spirit" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 128). From this point onwards, the Trinity begins to act in the soul of the baptized person. "In the same way as transparent bodies, enlightened by the Holy Spirit become spiritual too and lead others to the light of grace. From the Holy Spirit comes knowledge of future events, understanding of mysteries and of hidden truths, an outpouring of gifts, Heavenly citizenship, conversation with angels. From Him comes never-ending joy, perseverance in good, likeness to God and--the most sublime thing imaginable --becoming God" (St. Basil, "On the Holy Spirit", IX, 23).
This divinization which occurs in the baptized person shows how important it is for Christians to cultivate the Holy Spirit who has been infused into their souls, where He dwells as long as He is not driven out by sin. "Love the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. Listen in the intimacy of your being to the divine motions of encouragement or reproach you receive from Him. Walk through the earth in the light that is poured out in your soul. [...] We can apply to ourselves the question asked by the Apostle: 'Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?' (1 Corinthians 3:16). And we can understand it as an invitation to deal with God in a more personal and direct manner. For some, unfortunately, the Paraclete is the Great Stranger. He is merely a name that is mentioned, but not Someone--not one of the three Persons in the one God—with whom we can talk and with whose life we can live. No: we have to deal with Him simply and trustingly, as we are taught by the Church in its liturgy. Then we will come to know our Lord better, and at the same time, we will realize more fully the great favor that was granted us when we became Christians. We will see the greatness and truth of this divinization, which is a sharing in God's own life" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 133-134).
39. The "promise" of the Holy Spirit applies to both Jews and Gentiles, but in the first instance it concerns the Jews: it is they to whom God entrusted His oracles; theirs was the privilege to receive the Old Testament and to be preached to directly by Jesus Himself. St. Peter makes it clear that this promise is also made "to all that are far off"--a reference to the Gentiles, as St. Paul explains (cf. Ephesians 2:13-17) and in line with Isaiah's announcement, "Peace, peace to the far and to the near" (Isaiah 57:19). Cf. Acts 22:21.
40. "This crooked generation" is not only that part of the Jewish people who rejected Christ and His teaching, but everyone who is estranged from God (cf. Deuteronomy 32:5; Philippians 2:5).
41. St. Luke here concludes his account of the events of the day of Pentecost and prepares to move on to a new topic. Before he does so he adds a note, as it were, to say that "about three thousand souls" became Christians as a result of Peter's address.
St. Luke often makes reference to the numerical growth of the Church (2:47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:1, 7; 9:31; 11:21, 24; 16:5). Interesting in itself, this growth clearly shows the effectiveness of the Gospel message boldly proclaimed by the Apostles. It proves that if the Gospel is preached with constancy and clarity it can take root in any setting and will always find men and women ready to receive it and put it into practice.
"It is not true that everyone today--in general--is closed or indifferent to what our Christian faith teaches about man's being and destiny. It is not true that men in our time are turned only toward the things of this earth and have forgotten to look up to Heaven. There is no lack of narrow ideologies, it is true, or of persons who maintain them. But in our time we find both great desires and base attitudes, heroism and cowardice, zeal and disenchantment--people who dream of a new world, more just and more human, and others who, discouraged perhaps by the failure of their youthful idealism, take refuge in the selfishness of seeking only their own security or remaining immersed in their errors.
"To all those men and women, wherever they may be, in their more exalted moments of in their crises and defeats, we have to bring the solemn and unequivocal message of St. Peter in the days that followed Pentecost: Jesus is the cornerstone, the Redeemer, the hope of our lives. 'For there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved' (Acts 4:12)" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 132).
*********************************************************************************************
From: 1 Peter 2b:20-25
Duties Towards Masters--Christ's Example
-------------------------------------------------------------
[20b] [Beloved}: if when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God's approval. [21] For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. [22] He committed no sin; no guile was found on His lips. [23] When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten; but He trusted to Him who judges justly. [24] He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. [25] For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
18-25. The sacred writer now addresses all domestic servants (the Greek word means all who work in household tasks). He exhorts them to obey their masters, even if they are harsh (verse 18), because God is pleased if they put up with unfairness for His sake (verses 19-20); in doing so they are imitating the example of Jesus (verses 21-25). St. Paul, when addressing slaves in his letters (cf. Ephesians 5:5-9; Colossians 3:22-24), never encourages them to rebel. Christian teaching on social issues is not based on class struggle but on fraternal love: love eventually does away with all discrimination, for all men have created in the image of God and are equal in His sight. This peaceable policy gradually made for the suppression of slavery, and it will also lead to the solution of all social problems (cf. "Gaudium Et Spes", 29).
The fact that St. Peter addresses only servants and does not go on to say anything to masters (as St. Paul usually does: cf. Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3: 23ff) has led some commentators to suggest that most of the Christians addressed in this letter must have been people of humble condition.
21-25. This passage is a beautiful hymn to Christ on the cross. Christ's sufferings, which fulfill the prophecies about the Servant of Yahweh contained in the Book of Isaiah (52:13-53:12), have not been in vain, for they have a redemptive value. He has taken our sins upon Himself and brought them with Him on the cross, offering Himself as an atoning sacrifice. This means that we are free of our sins ("dead to sin") and can live "to righteousness", that is, can live for holiness with the help of grace.
The example of the suffering of Christ is always a necessary reference point for Christians: however great the trials they experience, they will never be as great or as unjust as those of our Lord. Reflecting on Christ's suffering led St. Bernard to comment: "I have come to see that true wisdom lies in meditating on these things [...]. Some have provided me with wholesome, if bitter, drink, and I have used others as gentle and soothing unction. This gives me strength in adversity and helps me to be humble in prosperity; it -allows me to walk with a sure step on the royal road of salvation, through the good things and the evil things of this present life, free from the dangers which threaten to right and left" ("Sermons on the Song of Songs", 43, 4).
25. The messianic prophecy about the Servant of Yahweh includes the image of the scattered flock (cf. Isaiah 53:6), to which Jesus alludes in His allegory of the Good Shepherd (cf. John 10:11-16). St. Peter, to whom our Lord had given charge of His flock (cf. John 21:15-19), would have had a special liking for imagery connected with shepherding.
Jesus Christ is "the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls" and "the chief Shepherd" (1 Peter 5:4). The etymology of the Greek word--"episcopos" (guardian) --means "overseer"; the word was used in civic life to designate those who were responsible for seeing that the law was kept. In the Dead Sea manuscripts the Hebrew equivalent ("mebaqqer") is used to designate the religious leaders of the schismatic community of Qumran. Whatever might be the origin of the term, in the New Testament the word "episcopos" (bishop) is often used to mean the pastor of the Church (cf., e.g., Acts 20:28; see the note on 1 Peter 5:1-4). Here St. Peter applies to Christ the words the prophet Ezekiel places on the lips of God: "I will seek out My sheep and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered" (Ezekiel 34:12). Our Lord founded the Church as a sheepfold "whose sheep, although watched over by human shepherds, are nevertheless at all times led and brought to pasture by Christ Himself, the Good Shepherd and prince of shepherds (cf. John 10:11; 1 Peter 5:4), who gave His life for His sheep (cf. John 10:11-16)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 6).
*********************************************************************************************
From: John 10:1-10
The Good Shepherd
-----------------------------
[Jesus said to the Pharisees,] [1] "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; [2] but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. [5] A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." [6] This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what He was saying to them.
[7] So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. [8] All who came before Me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. [9] I am the door; if any one enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. [10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
1-18. The image of the Good Shepherd recalls a favorite theme of Old Testament prophetic literature: the chosen people is the flock, and Yahweh is their shepherd (cf. Psalm 23). Kings and priests are also described as shepherds or pastors. Jeremiah inveighs against those pastors who had let their sheep go astray and in God's name promises new pastors who will graze their flocks properly so that they will never again be harassed or anxious (cf. 23:1-6; also 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; Isaiah 40:1-11). Ezekiel reproaches pastors for their misdeeds and sloth, their greed and neglect of their responsibility: Yahweh will take the flock away from them and He Himself will look after their sheep: indeed, a unique shepherd will appear, descended from David, who will graze them and protect them (Ezekiel 34). Jesus presents Himself as this shepherd who looks after His sheep, seeks out the strays, cures the crippled and carries the weak on His shoulders (cf. Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7), thereby fulfilling the ancient prophecies.
From earliest times, Christian art found its inspiration in this touching image of the Good Shepherd, thereby leaving us a representation of Christ's love for each of us.
In addition to the title of Good Shepherd, Christ applies to Himself the image of the door into the sheepfold of the Church. "The Church," Vatican II teaches, "is a sheepfold, the sole and necessary gateway to which is Christ (cf. John 10:1-10). It is also a flock, of which God foretold that He Himself would be the shepherd (cf. Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11ff), and whose sheep, although watched over by human shepherds, are nevertheless at all times led and brought to pasture by Christ Himself, the Good Shepherd and Prince of shepherds (cf. John 10:11; 1 Peter 5:4), who gave His life for His sheep (cf. John 10:11-15)" ("Lumen Gentium", 6).
1-2. The flock can be harmed in a subtle, hidden way, or in a blatant way through abuse of authority. The history of the Church shows that its enemies have used both methods: sometimes they enter the flock in a secretive way to harm it from within; sometimes they attack it from outside, openly and violently. "Who is the good shepherd? 'He who enters by the door' of faithfulness to the Church's doctrine and does not act like the hireling 'who sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees'; whereupon 'the wolf snatches them and scatters them'" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 34).
3-5. In those times it was usual at nightfall to bring a number of flocks together into one sheepfold, where they would be kept for the night with someone acting as look-out. Then at dawn the shepherds would come back and open the sheepfold and each would call his sheep which would gather round and follow him out of the pen (they were used to his voice because he used to call them to prevent them from going astray) and he would then lead them to pasture. Our Lord uses this image--one very familiar to His listeners--to teach them a divine truth: since there are strange voices around, we need to know the voice of Christ--which is continually addressing us through the Magisterium of the Church--and to follow it, if we are to get the nourishment our soul needs. "Christ has given His Church sureness in doctrine and a fountain of grace in the Sacraments. He has arranged things so that there will always be people to guide and lead us, to remind us constantly of our way. There is an infinite treasure of knowledge available to us: the word of God kept safe by the Church, the grace of Christ administered in the Sacraments and also the witness and example of those who live by our side and have known how to build with their good lives a road of faithfulness to God" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 34).
6. Christ develops and interprets the image of the shepherd and the flock, to ensure that everyone who is well-disposed can understand His meaning. But the Jews fail to understand--as happened also when He promised the Eucharist (John 6:41-43) and spoke of the "living water" (John 7:40-43), or when He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:45-46).
7. After describing His future Church through the image of the flock, Christ extends the simile and calls Himself the "door of the sheep". The shepherds and the sheep enter the sheepfold: both must enter through the door, which is Christ. "I", St. Augustine preached, "seeking to enter in among you, that is, into your heart, preach Christ: if I were to preach other than that, I should be trying to enter by some other way. Through Christ I enter in, not to your houses but to your hearts. Through Him I enter and you have willingly heard me speak of Him. Why? Because you are Christ's sheep and you have been purchased with Christ's blood" ("In Ioann. Evang." 47, 2-3).
8. The severe reproach Jesus levels against those who came before Him does not apply to Moses or the prophets (cf. John 5:39, 45; 8:56; 12:41), nor to the Baptist (cf. John 5:33), for they proclaimed the future Messiah and prepared the way for Him. He is referring to the false prophets and deceivers of the people, among them some teachers of the Law -- blind men and blind guides (cf. Matthew 23:16-24) who block the people's way to Christ, as happened just a little before when the man born blind was cured (cf. John 9).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
No comments:
Post a Comment