I am the door of the sheep

Acts 11:1-18, Jn 10:1-10. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are proactive, reaching into the depths of our heart and bringing us to new life. Leaving Jerusalem for coastal Caesarea to tend the flock of Christ, Peter found a Gentile household in today's first reading. When the Holy Spirit came down upon the pagan Cornelius and his household, Peter realized that God was doing something in the lives of these pagans and insisted that nobody should try to block what God was doing. Although, like Jesus, Peter was an observant Jew, following the laws and the observances of his people, he could not refuse baptism to people he recognised as chosen by God. Far from getting in God’s way, Jesus presents Himself in today's Gospel as the gateway through whom God comes to us and we go to God. Jesus is the open gate into the Kingdom of God. We can go freely in and out through Him and experience God through Him. Jesus, the Good Shepherd knows us by name and calls us by a voice that reaches the depths of our heart. As we approach Pentecost, we must seek to be attuned to what the Spirit wants to change in our life, to make us more effective instruments of the grace of Jesus for all people on earth. We are to be channels of grace, like Peter, just as the Spirit of God entered the lives of Cornelius and his household through Peter’s message. Today, we are challenged not to stand in God’s way, or make faith harder for others to accept. We have a role to play in each others life but we also have to give room for God to work in us. May the Lord rule over our hearts, sanctify our every thought, words and deeds according to His will! Amen!! Good morning, have a productive week!!!