Christ the Good Shepherd

Christ the Good Shepherd

Gospel According to Saint John

Chapter 10

[1] Amen, amen I say to you: He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber. [2] But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. [4] And when he hath let out his own sheep, he goeth before them: and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. [5] But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers.

[6] This proverb Jesus spoke to them. But they understood not what he spoke to them. [7] Jesus therefore said to them again: Amen, amen I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. [8] All others, as many as have come, are thieves and robbers: and the sheep heard them not. [9] I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved: and he shall go in, and go out, and shall find pastures. [10] The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly.

[11] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. [12] But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and flieth: and the wolf catcheth, and scattereth the sheep: [13] And the hireling flieth, because he is a hireling: and he hath no care for the sheep. [14] I am the good shepherd; and I know mine, and mine know me. [15] As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep.

[16] And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. [17] Therefore doth the Father love me: because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. [18] No man taketh it away from me: but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father. [19] A dissension rose again among the Jews for these words. [20] And many of them said: He hath a devil, and is mad: why hear you him?

The Third Prophesy: Genesis 22: 1-19
The offering of Abraham is a figure of the Sacrifice of the Cross. Faith and obedience of Abraham.

In diébus illis: Tentávit Deus Abraham, et dixit ad eum: Abraham, Abraham. At ille respóndit: Adsum. At illi: Tolle fílium tuum unigénitum, quem díligis, Isaac, et vade in terram visiónis: atque ibi ófferes eum in holocáustum super unum móntium, quem monstrávero tibi. Igitur Abraham de nocte consúrgens, stravitá sinum suum: ducens secum duos júvenes, et Isaac fílium suum. Cumque concidísset ligna in holocáustum, ábiit ad locum, quem præcéperat ei Deus. Die autem tértio, elevátis óculis, vidit locum procul: dixítque ad pueros sues: Exspectáte hic cumá sino: ego, et puer illuc usque properántes, postquam adoravérimus, revertémur ad vos. Tulit quoque ligna holocáusti, et impósuit super Isaac fílium suum: ipse vero portábat in mánibus ignem, et gládium. Cumque duo pérgerent simul, dixit Isaac patri sue: Pater mi. At ille respóndit: Quid vis, fíli? Ecce, inquit, ignis, et ligna: ubi est víctima holocáusti? Dixit autem Abraham: Deus providébit sibi víctimam holocáusti, fíli mi. Pergébant ergo páriter: et venérunt ad locum, quem osténderat ei Deus, in quo ædificávit altáre, et désuper ligna compósuit: cumque alligásset Isaac fílium suum, pósuit eum in altáre super struem lignórum. Extendítque manum, et arrípuit gládium, ut immoláret fílium suum. Et ecce Angelus Dómini de cælo clamávit, dicens: Abraham, Abraham. Qui respóndit: Adsum. Dixítque ei: Non exténdas manum tuum super púerum, neque fácias illi quidquam: nunc cognóvi quod times Deum, et non pepercísti unigénito fílio tuo propter me. Levávit Abraham óculos suos, vidítque post tergum aríetem inter vepres hæréntem córnibus, quem assúmens óbtulit holocáustum pro fílio. Aprellavítque nomen loci illíus, Dóminus Videt. Unde usque hódie dícitur: In monte Dóminus vidébit. Vocávit autem Angelus Dómini Abraham secúndo de cæla, dicens: Per memetípsum jurávi, dicit Dóminus: quia fecísti hanc rem, et non pepercísti fílio tuo unigénito propter me: benedícam tibi, et multiplicábo semen tuum sicut stellas cæli, et velut arénam, quæ est in líttore maris: possidébit semen tuum portas inimicórum suórum, et benedicéntur in sémine tuo omnes gentes terræ, quia obedísti voci mesa. Revérsus est Abraham ad púeros suos, abierúntque Bersabée simul, et habitávit ibi.

In those days, God tested Abraham, and said to him, Abraham, Abraham: and he answered, Here I am. He said to him, Take thy only-begotten son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of vision; and there thou shalt offer him for an holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will show thee. So Abraham rising up in the night, saddled his ass, and took with him two young men, and Isaac his son; and when he had cut wood for the holocaust, he went his way to the place which God had commanded him. And on the third day, lifting up his eyes he saw the place afar off; and he said to his young men, Stay you here with the ass: I and the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, and, after we have worshipped will return to you. And he took the wood for the holocaust, and laid it upon Isaac his son: and he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as they two went on together, Isaac said to his father, My father; and he answered, What wilt thou, son? Behold, saith he, fire and wood; where is the victim for the holocaust? And Abraham said, God will provide Himself a victim for a holocaust, my son. So they went on together; and they came to the place which God had showed him, where he built an altar, and laid the wood in order upon it; and when he had bound Isaac his son, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood; and he put forth his hand, and took the sword to sacrifice his son. And behold an angel of the Lord from heaven called to him, saying, Abraham, Abraham;and he answered, Here I am. And he said to him, Lay not thy hand upon the boy, neither do thou anything to him; now I know that thou fearest God, and hast not spared thy only-begotten son for My sake. Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw behind his back a ram amongst the briars, sticking fast by the horns, which he took and offered for a holocaust instead of his son. And he called the name of that place, The Lord Seeth. Whereupon even to this day it is said, in the mountain the Lord will see. And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying, By My own self have I sworn, saith the Lord; because thou hast done this thing, and hast not spared thy only-begotten son for My sake, I will bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the seashore; thy seed shall possess the gates of their enemies, and in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My voice. Abraham returned to his young men, and they went to Bersabee together, and he dwelt there.

COLLECT

P. Oremus.
D. Flectamus genua.
S. Levate.
Deus, fidélium Pater summe, qui in toto orbe terrárum, promissiónis tuæ Fílios diffúsa adoptiónis grátia multíplicas: et per paschæ sacraméntum, Abraham púerum tuum universárum, sicut jurásti, géntium éfficis patrem; da pópulis tuis digne ad grátiam tuæ vocatiónis introíre. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sæcula sæculórum. S. Amen.

P. Let us pray.
D. Let us kneel.
S. Arise.
O God, the supreme Father of the faithful, Who dost multiply Thy children throughout the world by spreading abroad the grace of adoption, and Who, through the paschal sacrament, dost make Thy servant Abraham the father of all the nations, as Thou didst swear, grant that Thy people may worthily enter into the grace of Thy vocation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. S. Amen.