From today’s Scripture: “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.”—Jn 10:14-15

How do we know Christ? Jesus speaks here of his followers knowing him as the Father knows the Son and the Son knows the Father. What is this knowing? It appears it goes beyond a simple recognition. Though Peter’s confession of Christ as the “Son of the living God” is a form — an important form — of knowing, it seems Christ means something more here.

Perhaps it comes through the final phrase, “I will lay down my life for the sheep.” This is a kind of knowing that is expressed in love by the laying down of one’s life. This love is also what binds the Trinity and is what we hear from the first epistle of John, that God is love. Remarkably, here we see that this knowing is a loving which unites us with the Trinity. In a way, God makes room within himself, in his love, to redeem the world so that God may be “all in all.”

Let us pray: Lord, unite us within yourself through your grace and through your love. May we see today your calling on our lives and respond with love to all we meet.

Today’s author is Nathan Smith, the director of ecumenism for Glenmary and consultant for the US Catholic bishops.

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