Tuesday – 4^th Week of Easter

Gospel – John 10:22-30

Blind to the Truth

On the shores of the Mediterranean Sea – Tel Aviv

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the laundry outside. “That laundry is not very clean”, she said. “She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.” Her husband looked on, but remained silent.  Every time her neighbor would hang her washing to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

Some time later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean laundry on the line and said to her husband: “Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.”  The husband said, “No, dear!  I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows”

Sometimes the truth can be right there in front of our nose!  And sometimes we can be blind, deaf and dumb and not see it at all!  Sometimes we see what we want to see, hear only what we want to hear.  Sometimes we deliberately choose not to accept the truth!

And that is what is going on in today’s Gospel.  The Pharisees want Jesus to tell them who He really is.  His response?  I already told you!  He then compares them to His flock of followers – my sheep hear my voice; they listen to me!  You are deaf!  They are not!

It’s a good lesson for all of us.  At times we all have selective hearing; we hear only what we want to hear.  We want praise and avoid criticism even if it’s meant to be constructive.  And yet too often we need to be corrected, to be guided back to the right path by our Good Shepherd.  We need to listen!  All the time, not just selectively!

Take some time daily, sit down, breathe, open our ears and LISTEN! Listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd!

 On a personal note, please keep Ginger and our family in your prayers as we celebrate today the Funeral Mass for both her Mom and Dad. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord!