One flock one Shepherd

The texts today from the Roman Catholic lectionary are reminders of the universal thirst of humanity for God. Peter recounts how inspiration through the indwelling Spirit revealed to him the mission to bring the Good News to the Gentiles. He witnessed the same Spirit in them as he knew in the Apostles. The will of God evidenced in the action of the Spirit freed Peter to accept those considered “outside the Law” as heirs with the Apostles to the intimacy with the Divine through Jesus. John’s Gospel exclaims that “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:16). We cannot avoid considering how the divisions among people over how to respond to the invitation of God to communion are heretical and scandalous. The sense of these texts does not seem to be leading to a strategy to force all to believe in the “one true faith”. It appears that our main task might be to listen. Our listening may be more effective if we understand as the psalmist describes “O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling” that our relationship with the Divine is the action plan for the Shepherds we can be in leading all to the Fold.