"I am the good shepherd, I know my own and my own know me..." (Jn. 10: 14).

Meditating on this gives a deep sense of oneness with Jesus, our Good Shepherd. This intimate relationship cannot be replaced by any other human relationships. Our personal experiences are evidence to this truth. In reality this is the anchor of our faith!

We believe this would be the way Peter and John had experienced in doing the will of God as they cured a cripple in the name of Jesus. They were courageous to proclaim this truth.

This faith consoles us in the very words in the second reading wherein John reminded us "to think of the love the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God's children". For children who have experienced the love of their parents they would be able to grow in the love that our heavenly Father has bestowed on us. What a privilege we have as children of God!

This deep experience would certainly reflect in our responses to the challenges we face daily in our life.

Today as we are called by the Church to pray for priestly and religious vocations, we cannot negate the fact that everyone of us who believes in the truth of Jesus' Resurrection need to declare God is our true Shepherd.