living life abundantly - 4th sun easter A 2014

Jesus said, I am the gate for the sheep.  And a second time he said, I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.

When Jesus said “whoever enters through me will be saved” what did he mean “will be saved”? What does it mean to be saved?  Some of you might have been approached by some people who might have asked you, are you saved?  What did you say?  How did you answer?  Did you ask them, what do they mean saved? How does it feel to be saved?  Does being saved mean my sins have been erased, I am forgiven?  Did Christ come to die for my sins so that I can be forgiven and therefore saved?  Of course this is what Jesus came for – to forgive our sins, to wash away our sins.  But what does it mean, what does it feel like, what does it do, what does salvation bring you?

In our gospel today, in the last part of our gospel, Jesus offers an interesting definition of salvation.  I have come, he said, so that they may have life and have it more abundantly.  I am the gate of the sheepfold, Jesus said. Through this gate the sheep will come in and go out and find pasture, and they will have life and have it more abundantly.  This is what salvation does to us, this is what it means to pass in and out of the door who is Jesus – so that we will have life and have it more abundantly.

Living life abundantly does not mean an abundance of material goods.  Living life abundantly does not mean living a life of material prosperity.  If that is what is meant by living life abundantly then Jesus would have been the riches man on earth.  And yet the gospels report that he died a poor man and had nowhere to lay his head. 

To have a fuller understanding of what living life abundantly means in this passage in chapter 10 of the gospel of John, we have to recall that this discourse of Jesus comes after he healed a blind man in chapter 9.  And so what is living life abundantly for the blind man – a life lived abundantly for a blind man means sight, it means to be set free from dependence, to be set free from mendicancy, it means freedom; a life lived abundantly for a blind man means ridding himself of deep regrets, to be freed at last from constantly blaming himself or his parents as the cause of his misfortune; and most especially a life lived abundantly means being given a new opportunity.  All these because Jesus is the door, all these because Jesus provides access.

So what does salvation mean to you, in your own context, in your life situation, what is a life lived abundantly?   Of course it is forgiveness of sins but precisely because salvation is forgiveness it sets you free and it gives you new opportunities.  What is salvation for an abandoned neglected child if not to be loved, accepted and even adopted?  What is salvation for the underprivileged and the poor if not employment, education, and the chance to prop themselves up, recovering dignity and self-worth?   What is life lived abundantly for a single mother abandoned by her husband if not acceptance, respect, forgiveness and support?  What is a life lived abundantly for a family torn by misunderstanding and division if not reconciliation, humility, recovering that sense that no matter what we are family, we are brothers and sisters.  Salvation so as to live life abundantly is to identify and extricate those things which rob us, which deprive us of the joy that God intends for us.  Jesus is the door, Jesus provides access.

Today, this Sunday of the Good Shepherd, we the religious in the archdiocese of Jaro gather for this world day of prayer for vocations. Our life is different from yours.  We cannot form a biological family like you have.  We cannot work for things in the world like you do.  We cannot because we choose not.  Why?  Because for us a life lived abundantly means to support the community, to support in various ways God’s greater family which includes each one of you.  Some of us are into educating your children, some are into the empowerment of the marginalized most especially women, some of us provide livelihood programs for the poor, some of us are forming even your helpers, some of us take care of the sick, some of us dedicate ourselves to pray and make intercessions for the needs of community.  In many ways we dedicate our lives so that you may live your life more abundantly and by doing so we too will have lived fulfilled and joy-filled lives.  You are so many but we are so few and that lessens our ability to support you, that lessens our ability to reach out to you, to help you live life more abundantly.  

We are inviting you to pray with us after this mass so that the Lord will not fail to send us workers and shepherds for the flock, to pray so that our parishes and communities will not be found wanting of holy and good shepherds like Jesus.