4th Sunday of Easter 2008. A     Print print this page                 
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In the Gospel Jesus referred to himself as the gate; he declared: ‘I am the gate of the sheepfoid.’
He explained that through him we could either go in and find security or go out and find fresh pastures.

You’ll remember that when Moses asked God for his name,
God answered: ‘I AM who I AM. This is what you must tell the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you”.

When Jesus told the people that Abraham was glad to see his time arrive they laughed at him, because Abraham lived nearly 2000 years before Jesus. Jesus told them, ‘before Abraham ever was I AM.

This expression, I am, without any qualification is a very solid statement. There is a calm permanency about it. We can say it too; we are and we always will be.

Jesus went on to give himself several metaphoric names.
I am the way, he said, inviting us to walk with him.
I am the truth, he said, telling us that his words and life were real and true, we should measure everything else against them.
I am the vine, he said, you are the branches, telling us that we draw nourishment from him, we grow because of our attachment to him.
I am the bread of life, he said, telling us that everything about him is our nourishment, his words his example and his body in the Eucharist.
I am the Good Shepherd, he said, telling us that he has our welfare at heart.
I am the light of the world, he said, telling us that he is enabling us to see truth and reality, good and evil.
I am gentle and humble in heart, he said, telling us to shake off pomposity, arrogance and any form of inflated self-image.
I am the resurrection and the life, he said, telling us that in the fullness of time he will give us new life and that life will be life indeed.

He came that we may have life and have it to the full,
remembering that we are the image of God.

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