I missed last Friday’s Coffin Break email for Good Shepherd Sunday wherein Jesus refers to himself, before referring to himself as the Good Shepherd, as “the gate.” Let’s bring that into the fold as we look at the Gospel for the upcoming Fifth Sunday of Easter in the Light of the Grave:

The Gospel reading is John 14: 1-12 and can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050326.cfm

Jesus tells us that he is “the Way the Truth and the Life,” and that “no one comes to the Father except through me.” The gate into the protected sheepfold is the Way the Truth and the Life. I used to have a thing gated communities and I guess, rightly or wrongly I still do. At least when they’re man-made, because all sorts of stuff gets fenced in there that we’d do better not to be around -- particularly our sin.

But, if we follow the Way the Truth and the Life through Himself into the perfect gated community, the one with many mansions and a place prepared for us, then that is a different community altogether; that is the Father’s house; that is Heaven. In order for it to be Heaven, no drop of sin can have snuck in. Won’t that be wonderful?

So, on this Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker (patron saint of a happy death) and First Friday, let’s repent of our sins and give to Jesus the joy of freeing us, that we may soon follow (through, with and in) Him into Paradise!