Reflection - Fourth Sunday of Easter - How to have life to the full?

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

In this Sunday’s gospel, one of the most popular quotes from the New Testament lies in wait. For Catholics who know little about the scriptures in terms of the author, chapter and verse, John 10:10 rings a bell: “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

Such positive words, full of promise and goodness; our destiny is to have full lives here and in the life to come. Where do we go from here? That is a question which arises?

For example, why don’t I have a life which is full, or could it be more full? Lots of writers will say that we are looking at ourselves and not at Jesus and we have to learn to leave our lives in his hands. Of course, they are correct, but it doesn’t always help much because we already know that is true. It would seem, according to this thinking, that the fault is our own - which leaves us a little down-hearted.

There is always a ‘yes, but…’ to positive statements whether Jesus speaks them or someone author who wants to lift us up by giving the secret to a full life. But there is no secret.

We can ‘help’ ourselves by thinking about ourselves differently. For example, instead of making our own self the locus of our attention, let the scripture run through us like life-giving water. (John’s gospel describes Jesus as life-giving water.)

In this Sunday reading, Jesus has just finished a hard discussion with ‘the Jews’ as John calls them, in which they refuse to believe in Jesus because they are blind to what he does and says. Unlike the blind man who is healed and comes to faith, ‘the Jews’ cannot see.

Faith is a mysterious movement of the heart towards God, which starts in the heart of God and reaches out to us through the person of Jesus and his words.

Jesus described himself as the gate of the sheep-fold. It allows the sheep to come in and to go out. They go out to pasture in the morning through the gate, this is the purpose of their life and return home in the evening passing through the gate for protection.

Obviously we are invited to identify, not with the sheep, but with the dynamic of the actions taking place. The gate will not prevent us from responding to the call of the shepherd, but it will protect us from going astray.

This is what God wants for us and has revealed to us through the person of Jesus.

It means we are in a relationship, a dependent relationship with Jesus who can’t prevent us falling down a cliff or getting lost but who will seek us and bind our injuries or find us even if it takes a long time.

‘Our God is actively concerned for us’, is a thought and image to hold onto; it might get through to our hearts eventually.

Columban Fr Gary Walker is currently living at the Columban house in Sandgate, Brisbane.

2023 Columban Christmas Appeal

Support the Columban Christmas Appeal, providing comfort to the lonely, hope to the despairing, and assistance to those facing challenging circumstances through our various ministries and outreach programs in the many countries where we serve.