“I am the gate for the sheep,” says Jesus. The real audience of Jesus in those days rightly understood its meaning. The modern generation would hardly know about shepherds and sheep. They see the meat; not the live cattle. The relationship between a shepherd and his sheep needs explanation.

In those days a shepherd was either an owner or a hireling. The sheep owner frequently tended the flocks himself. Shepherds were considered unclean because they had daily contact with dead animals and even unclean animals. They were considered low class, uneducated and so not trusted as witnesses in a court of law.

A good shepherd was very close to his sheep. He counted, marked, found the lost and fed his flock. He would also provide them with water. At the first sound of his call, the flock followed off to new feeding-grounds. The sheep knew him and trusted him. The shepherd’s call is usually a peculiar guttural sound, hard to imitate. Even should two shepherds call their flocks at the same time and the sheep be intermingled, they would never mistake their own master's voice.

In the evening, the shepherd would call the flock back to the sheepfold. He would count them by having them pass under his rod to make sure that all had returned. The sheepfold was nothing more than a rough circle of rocks piled into a wall with a small open space to enter. Since there was no gate to close – just an opening – the shepherd would lie across the opening and sleep there, in this case literally becoming the gate to the sheep.  That is why Jesus said, “I am the gate for the sheep.”  Because the shepherd would keep the sheep in and wild animals out, he is also the gate-keeper.

‘Gatekeeping’ is a technical term in communication. Gatekeeping is a process by which information is filtered to the public by the media. By this control the media can hide or focus, exaggerate or minimize and twist the reality. But shepherd’s gate keeping is a risk; forbidding entrance of any danger and stopping any sheep to go into danger.

Nearness of the shepherd and sheepfold provide safety for the sheep. Of all domesticated animals, sheep are the most helpless. Sheep would spend their entire day grazing, wandering from place to place, never looking up. As a result, they often become lost. Sheep are easily vulnerable to injuries and are helpless against predators. They won’t try to run away or spread out. Instead they huddle together and are easily slaughtered. Confinement is protection for the sheep.

Confinement has become the way of life now. We are very vulnerable to Covid-19. So, we are advised to be isolated and keep social distance. It is becoming harder day by day. Nevertheless, some of our parishioners email me stating that they consider this as God given time to reflect, pray and reevaluate priorities in their lives. We hope to see good changes in our socio, economic, cultural and religious life after this pandemic is over.

For even today the good shepherd is with us. He knows us; he leads us; he provides for us; he counts us and keep us safe by being as the door to save us. Shepherd’s voice is absolutely significant today as we have less access to the church and sacraments.  Pray that we will be good sheep by knowing, trusting and following the good shepherd.  

We will fear no evil, for He is with us; He makes us lie down in green pastures, and leads us beside quiet waters, and refreshes our souls. May God bless us! May God bless the world!