Fourth Monday of Easter

“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.”

Jesus came to give us abundant life and it is up to us to follow him through his open gateway or to let ourselves be stolen and slaughtered by the thief. So how do we enter into the abundant life Jesus promises us? We do so by imitating Christ and becoming meek and mild like the lamb in his parable. When we humble ourselves and follow Jesus’ lead, we are protected and provided for by God. We are saved and our souls grow in faith and when the time of harvest comes we yield much to the shearer’s blade.

How can we do a better job of following Christ? What can we do to keep the thief of souls away from us? Are we as meek, mild and humble as we should be?

O Lord, lead us through your gate to abundant life.

Amen.