Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

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THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP GATE

The sheep pen metaphorically indicates the holy place of Israel, the Temple of Jerusalem, or its vestibule, which represents and symbolizes theocratic Judaism; while the shepherd of the sheep, he who enters through the door, it is Jesus, new Shepherd of Israel, that, effectively, he presented himself at the Temple in Jerusalem, to reveal himself to the Jews during the Feast of Tabernacles.

Author
Hermit Monk

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The liturgy reserves a privileged place for the figure of the Good Shepherd on the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The whole Tradition conveys the fundamental idea that Christ is the savior of the sheep, since Jesus leads his followers beyond death, towards heavenly pastures, in the Father's house. The passage reported below expresses this tension which is both soteriological and Christological.

"In truth, verily I tell you: whoever does not enter the sheepfold through the door, but it comes up from another side, he is a thief and a brigand. Who instead enters the door, he is a shepherd of the sheep. The guardian opens the door and the sheep listen to his voice: he calls his sheep, each by name, and leads them out. And when he drove out all his sheep, walk before being, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. However, they will not follow a stranger, but they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers". Jesus told them this simile, but they did not understand what he was talking to them about. Then Jesus said to them again: "In truth, verily I tell you: I am the door of the sheep. All those who came before me, they are thieves and brigands; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door: Whoever enters through me, will be saved; He will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance" (GV 10,1-10).

To better grasp the scope of the text, it is necessary to insert it into the large section of the fourth Gospel to which it belongs, that goes from GV 7,1 until Gv l0.42. These four chapters constitute the center of Jesus' public life, the culmination of his revelation to the world, in the Temple of Jerusalem. The thematic unity of this section is evident: Jesus reveals himself to the world (cf.. 7,4), but he is continually in controversy with "the Jews". A theme from the prologue returns that reaches here, regarding the public life of Jesus, its discriminating point: «He came to his own and his own did not welcome him» (GV 1,11).

First of all, what is this "sheep pen"?. In the Greek Bible it is often metaphorically associated with areas involving the Temple. Let's also add that, already in the AT, the term "sheep", it is often used in a simply allegorical sense to designate the people of Israel (This 34,31; Gives 23,1). The words in our verse would therefore evoke a situation similar to that of Shall 100,3-4 (LXX):

«Recognize that only the Lord is God: he made us and we are his, his people and flock of his pasture. Enter its doors with hymns of thanks, its halls with songs of praise, praise him, bless his name".

In Gv l0.1 the sheep enclosure metaphorically indicates the holy place of Israel, the Temple of Jerusalem, or its vestibule, which represents and symbolizes theocratic Judaism; while the shepherd of the sheep, he who enters through the door, it is Jesus, new Shepherd of Israel, that, effectively, he presented himself at the Temple in Jerusalem, to reveal himself to the Jews during the Feast of Tabernacles (GV 7,14).

They are veiled allusions, ma precise, that Jesus, according to St. John, he is doing regarding his mission and they mix both figurative elements together, and references to historical situations, with the aim of making people understand the value and quality of his messiahship. He is not a thief or a brigand — the same Greek term will be used to identify Barabbas in the passion story, defined by Matteo as a "famous" prisoner (Mt 27,16) — Jesus is not a rioter or rebel interested in violent liberation from Roman domination, in order to establish a Jewish power that was both political and religious. Instead he entered the Temple the normal way, during the Feast of Tabernacles; he presented himself legitimately to the Jewish people to reveal himself to them as their Shepherd, like the true Messiah. In the chapter. 10 of Saint John Jesus adopts figurative language, enigmatic, yet the teaching remains essentially the same: still always has as its object the messianic mission of Jesus.

The second verse of the passage is even more theologically relevant: "He (the Shepherd) calls his sheep, each by name, and leads them out". All the sheep in the pen, the Jews, they were able to know the word of Jesus (cf.. GV 18,20), but only some of them became "his sheep", that is, those that were given to him by the Father (v. 29; cf.. 6,37.39). By virtue of this gift, Jesus will be able to say that I am "in his hand" (v.28); for the same reason again, at the Last Supper, he will be able to consider the disciples as "his own" (GV 13,1). This predisposition on the part of the Father corresponds to a call on the part of Jesus: «He calls his sheep, each by name". It is the first act of the constitution of a new flock by Jesus.

His sheep, the Shepherd "lets them out" of the enclosure. The verb used here by the evangelist is the technical term from the vocabulary of Exodus: God "brought his people out of Egypt"., the children of Israel (It is 3.10; 6,27); the same way later, at the time of the second Exodus, he will "bring them out" from among the peoples (This 34,13). The idea evoked by this word is clear: «let out», it means freeing from slavery. It is considerable and at the same time tragic, that this term, a time used to indicate the end of captivity, must now be used against Israel itself; since his eyes have not been opened to the true light of the messianic times and therefore the Messiah Jesus himself must now "bring out" his sheep, as once from Egypt.

But to grasp all the implications of this idea in the general economy of the life of Jesus, it must be connected to the previous story, that of the man born blind, in which it had already been formulated. For this man of the people, Jesus at the beginning was just a stranger (GV 9,11). Ma, after healing, during the controversy with the Jews, he progressively discovers a prophet in him (v. 17), a messenger of God (v.33), the Son of man (vv. 35-37), thus becoming the very type of the believer. The Jews, instead, who believed themselves to be so clairvoyant in religious matters, they have become totally blind to the light of the world (vv. 39-4l). Now, noting the former blind man's attachment to Jesus, "they threw him out" (GV 9,34). This is when discrimination takes place (pity) which Jesus will talk about at the end of the controversy (GV 9,39), discrimination that prefigures and announces the rupture between Church and Synagogue (synagogue dis GV 9,22). In today's passage the behavior of the Jews themselves is thus taken up and sanctioned, who had excluded from the synagogue the man born blind who was healed by Jesus and became his disciple. The call that the Shepherd addresses to his sheep in the Jewish enclosure thus becomes the first act of a separation, the one that will contrast the ancient flock Israel and the new, Judaism and the Church. And it is likely that John is writing at this particular moment in which the separation is taking place, which in any case does not authorize anyone to make anti-Jewish revenge or justify anti-Semitism.

The relationships between the Shepherd and his sheep are described in these terms: “He walks before them and the sheep follow him”. As he already did, the evangelist again uses the typical vocabulary of the Exodus cycle: "The Sir, your God, that precedes you, he himself will fight for you, as he did with you, before your eyes, in Egypt" (Deut 1,30; Mich 2,13). In the fourth gospel, the verb «to walk (journey)» is almost always referred to Jesus in relation to his mission, which is a new Exodus (cf.. GV 14,2.3.12.28; 16,7.28). Thus the Shepherd, who walks before his sheep, he presents himself as the new leader of God's people. The sheep "follow" him, expressing that essential docility of the disciple towards the Master (cf.. GV 1,37.38.41.43), based on the fact that they know his voice. These themes, then, they will be taken up with greater insistence in the second part of the speech (vv. 14-16) and then in the final declarations of Jesus at the feast of the Dedication (v. 27).

As necessary, at last, interpret the formula «the sheep gate»? If the old fence has ceased its function, it is no longer necessary to mention it, in fact logically Jesus could have said: «I am the door of the enclosure». But instead he uses a new expression because He is now the door for the sheep themselves. Between Jesus and his, new relationships are outlined from now on; once you leave the enclosure, the sheep must now "enter" through the door that is Jesus. Here we move from the historical level to the typological and spiritual level. It is no longer about the enclosure of Judaism: entering through the "door" that is Jesus, the sheep enter a new environment, of a completely different nature. In this regard, the exegetes recall the Shall 118,19-20: «Open the doors of justice to me: I will enter to thank the Lord. This is the door of the Lord: the righteous enter through it". That the background of our verse is constituted by this psalm is likely as Ps 118 it was used in the liturgy of the Feast of Tabernacles and we remember that the speech on the Good Shepherd was given, according to John, near the Temple, at the final moment of that great solemnity. The whole context therefore favored the use of this metaphor of the door. But the insistence with which Jesus applies it to himself - "I am the door of the sheep" - clearly demonstrates that this can no longer be a question of the Temple of the ancient economy. Jesus, taking inspiration from the realities that surround him, he wants to talk about the new Temple that he himself inaugurates. In figurative speech, the gate and the enclosure still designated historical realities: the Temple of Jerusalem and theocratic Judaism; but starting from the moment in which these realities are metaphorically referred to Jesus, they are transposed from the plane onto another plane, which is spiritual.

Even the use of the terminology of our verse in the pre-John Christian tradition it is very enlightening. The Synoptics speak several times about the door that gives access to the Kingdom (Mt 7,13-14; 25,10-12; LC 13,24-26); it was a metaphor for the eschatological vocabulary. The same goes for the verb «to enter», which was commonly used to designate entry into the Kingdom of God (Mt 7,21; At 14,22). Giovanni takes up this usage again (GV 3,5), but in the current context, everything focuses on Jesus: it is through him that we must "enter" to be saved.

This necessarily brief analysis of the vocabulary of our passage highlights the theological significance of Jesus' phrase: "I am the door of the sheep". The first idea he expresses is that of mediation, therefore of the possibility of access to salvation. It is explicitly said in the text of v. 9: "I am the door: whoever enters only through me will be saved". The other part, Jesus is not just a mediator. The door is not just a place of passage through which one "enters", it already belongs to the enclosure itself. Indeed, in the Old Testament, the "gate" of the city or of the Temple often metonymically indicates the whole of the city or the Temple in its entirety: cf.. Shall 122,2; 87,1-2; 118,20. Referring to Jesus, the image of the door therefore does not only mean that salvation and life are accessed through him; it also indicates that the sheep find these goods in him. In other words, Jesus is not just a way of access; it is also the new fence, the new Temple, in which his people can obtain messianic goods. Here we find the theme of Jesus the new Temple, stated by S. John from the beginning of his gospel (2,13-22). But if so, we may perhaps wonder why the metaphor of the door was preferred to that of the enclosure or temple. Probably, the image of the door, with everything its biblical background suggested, it was better suited to expressing two related ideas simultaneously: one part, the entrance one, of mediation; on the other, that of a vital environment and communion. These are the two ideas that will reappear in the very suggestive text of GV 14,6: «I am the Way, the Truth and the Life"; Jesus is the Way to the Father, the perfect mediator who gives us access to the life of the Father; but at the same time it is Life: in Jesus himself we find the life of the Father, because he, the Only Begotten Son "now returned to the bosom of the Father" (GV 1,18), he possesses it fully within himself.

The patristic tradition will highlight the future aspect more, specifically eschatological, of the door theme: through Jesus we have access to eternal life, to the kingdom of heaven. But here as elsewhere, John anticipates eschatological themes in the very person and historical work of Jesus: at the same time through him and in communion with him, end of ora, we can obtain the goods of salvation, divine life. The idea expressed here was commented magnificently in an anonymous text that circulated under the name of Augustine in various anthologies of patristic quotations: «Jesus is the door, the door in which is the house, the house in which the weary rests». See also Ignatius of Antioch: «He is the door of the Father, through which Abraham enters, Isaac and Jacob and the prophets and the apostles and the Church"; Erma: «The door is the Son of God. It is the only entrance that leads to the Lord. Therefore no one will bring us to him except his Son."; St. Augustine: «For Christ is that door, and through Christ we enter into eternal life».

from the Hermitage, 26 April 2026

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THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND THE GATE OF THE SHEEP

The sheepfold metaphorically indicates the holy place of Israel, the Temple of Jerusalem, or its vestibule, which represents and symbolizes the theocratic Judaism; while the shepherd of the sheep, the one who enters through the gate, is Jesus, the new Shepherd of Israel, who, in fact, presented himself in the Temple of Jerusalem to reveal himself to the Jews during the feast of Tabernacles.

Author
Hermit Monk

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The liturgy assigns a privileged place to the figure of the Good Shepherd on the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The whole Tradition conveys the fundamental idea that Christ is the savior of the sheep, since Jesus leads his own beyond death, toward the heavenly pastures, into the house of the Father. The passage reported below expresses this tension, which is at once soteriological and Christological.

«Amen, amen, I say to you: whoever does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens to him and the sheep listen to his voice: he calls his own sheep, each one by name, and leads them out. And when he has brought out all his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger, however, they will not follow, but they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers». Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus said to them again: «Amen, amen, I say to you: I am the gate of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate: if anyone enters through me, he will be saved; he will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly» (Jn 10:1–10).

In order to grasp more fully the scope of the text, it is necessary to situate it within the great section of the Fourth Gospel to which it belongs, which extends from Jn 7:1 to Jn 10:42. These four chapters constitute the center of the public life of Jesus, the culminating point of his revelation to the world, in the Temple of Jerusalem. The thematic unity of this section is evident: Jesus reveals himself to the world (cf. 7:4), but he is continually in controversy with «the Jews». A theme from the Prologue returns here and reaches, with regard to the public life of Jesus, its decisive point: «He came to his own, and his own did not receive him» (Jn 1:11).

First of all, what is this «sheepfold»? In the Greek Bible it is often metaphorically associated with areas concerning the Temple. We must also add that, already in the Old Testament, the term «sheep» is frequently used in a purely allegorical sense to designate the people of Israel (This 34:31; Because 23:1). The vocabulary of our verse would therefore evoke a situation analogous to that of Ps 100:3–4 (LXX):

«Know that the Lord alone is God: he made us and we are his, his people and the flock of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; give thanks to him, bless his name».

In Jn 10:1 the sheepfold metaphorically indicates the holy place of Israel, the Temple of Jerusalem, or its vestibule, which represents and symbolizes the theocratic Judaism; while the shepherd of the sheep, the one who enters through the gate, is Jesus, the new Shepherd of Israel, who indeed presented himself in the Temple of Jerusalem to reveal himself to the Jews during the feast of Tabernacles (Jn 7:14).

These are veiled yet precise allusions that Jesus, according to Saint John, is making regarding his mission; they combine both figurative elements and references to historical situations, in order to make understood the value and the nature of his messianic identity. He is not a thief or a robber — the same Greek term will be used to identify Barabbas in the Passion narrative, described by Matthew as a «notorious» prisoner (Mt 27:16) — Jesus is not a revolutionary or a rebel interested in violent liberation from Roman domination, in order to establish a Jewish power that is at once political and religious. Rather, he entered the Temple by the proper way, during the feast of Tabernacles; he presented himself legitimately to the Jewish people in order to reveal himself as their Shepherd, as the true Messiah. In chapter 10 of Saint John, Jesus adopts a figurative, enigmatic language, yet the teaching remains essentially the same: it always concerns his messianic mission.

The second verse of the passage is even more theologically significant: «He calls his own sheep, each one by name, and leads them out». All the sheep of the fold, the Jews, were able to hear the word of Jesus (cf. Jn 18:20), but only some of them became «his sheep», that is, those who were given to him by the Father (v. 29; cf. 6:37,39). By virtue of this gift, Jesus can say that they are «in his hand» (v. 28); for the same reason, during the Last Supper, he will consider the disciples as «his own» (Jn 13:1). To this disposition on the part of the Father corresponds a call on the part of Jesus: «He calls his own sheep, each one by name». This is the first act in the constitution of a new flock brought about by Jesus.

His sheep, the Shepherd «leads out» from the fold. The verb used here by the evangelist is the technical term of the vocabulary of the Exodus: God «brought out» his people, the children of Israel, from Egypt (Ex 3:10; 6:27); likewise later, at the time of the second Exodus, he will «bring them out» from among the peoples (This 34:13). The idea evoked by this word is clear: «to lead out» means to liberate from slavery. It is striking, and at the same time tragic, that this term, once used to indicate the end of captivity, must now be used against Israel itself; for its eyes did not open to the true light of the messianic times, and therefore the Messiah Jesus must now «lead out» his sheep, as once from Egypt.

But in order to grasp all the implications of this idea within the overall economy of Jesus’ life, it must be connected to the preceding account, that of the man born blind, where it had already been formulated. For this man, Jesus was at first only an unknown figure (Jn 9:11). But after the healing, in the course of the controversy with the Jews, he progressively discovers in him a prophet (v. 17), one sent by God (v. 33), the Son of Man (vv. 35–37), thus becoming the very type of the believer. The Jews, on the other hand, who considered themselves so clear-sighted in religious matters, became completely blind before the light of the world (vv. 39–41). Now, seeing the attachment of the former blind man to Jesus, «they cast him out» (Jn 9:34). At this moment the κρίμα is fulfilled, the judgment of which Jesus speaks at the end of the controversy (Jn 9:39), a judgment that foreshadows and announces the rupture between Church and Synagogue (Synagogue of Jn 9:22). In the present passage, the behavior of those same Jews is thus taken up again and ratified: they had excluded from the synagogue the man born blind, healed by Jesus and become his disciple. The call that the Shepherd addresses to his sheep within the Jewish fold thus becomes the first act of a separation: that which will oppose the old flock, Israel, and the new one, the Church. It is probable that John is writing precisely in this moment when this separation is taking place, which nevertheless does not authorize any anti-Jewish retaliation or justification of antisemitism.

The relationship between the Shepherd and his sheep is described in these terms: «He goes before them, and the sheep follow him». As he has already done, the evangelist once again uses the vocabulary typical of the Exodus cycle: «The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes» (Deut 1:30; Mic 2:13). In the Fourth Gospel, the verb «to go» (journey) almost always refers to Jesus in relation to his mission, which is a new Exodus (cf. Jn 14:2,3,12,28; 16:7,28). In this way, the Shepherd who walks ahead of his sheep presents himself as the new leader of the people of God. The sheep «follow» him, expressing that essential docility of the disciple toward the Master (cf. Jn 1:37,38,41,43), founded on the fact that they know his voice. These themes will then be taken up more insistently in the second part of the discourse (vv. 14–16) and later in Jesus’ final declarations at the feast of Dedication (v. 27).

How, finally, must the expression «the gate of the sheep» be interpreted? If the old fold has completed its function, it is no longer necessary to mention it; logically, Jesus could have said: «I am the gate of the fold». But instead he uses a new expression, because now he himself is the gate for the sheep. New relationships are henceforth outlined between Jesus and his own; once they have gone out of the fold, the sheep must now «enter» through the gate which is Jesus. Here we pass from the historical level to the typological and spiritual level. It is no longer a matter of the fold of Judaism: by entering through the «gate» that is Jesus, the sheep enter into a new environment of a completely different nature. The exegetes refer in this regard to Ps 118:19–20: «Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it». It is likely that the background of our verse is this psalm, since Ps 118 was used in the liturgy of the feast of Tabernacles, and we recall that the discourse on the Good Shepherd was delivered, according to John, in the vicinity of the Temple, at the concluding moment of that great solemnity. The whole context therefore favored the use of this metaphor of the gate. But the insistence with which Jesus applies it to himself — «I am the gate of the sheep» — clearly shows that it can no longer refer to the Temple of the old economy. Jesus, drawing inspiration from the realities that surround him, intends to speak of the new Temple that he himself inaugurates. In the figurative discourse, the gate and the fold still designated historical realities: the Temple of Jerusalem and the theocratic Judaism; but from the moment in which these realities are referred metaphorically to Jesus, they are transposed to another level, which is spiritual.

The use of the terminology of our verse in the pre-Johannine Christian tradition is also very illuminating. The Synoptics speak several times of the gate that gives access to the Kingdom (Mt 7:13–14; 25:10–12; Page 13:24–26); it was a metaphor belonging to the eschatological vocabulary. The same applies to the verb «to enter», which was commonly used to designate entry into the Kingdom of God (Mt 7:21; Acts 14:22). John takes up this usage (Jn 3:5), but in the present context everything is centered on Jesus: it is through him that one must «enter» in order to be saved.

This necessarily brief analysis of the vocabulary of our passage highlights the theological significance of Jesus’ statement: «I am the gate of the sheep». The first idea it expresses is that of mediation, and therefore of the possibility of access to salvation. This is explicitly stated in v. 9: «I am the gate: whoever enters only through me will be saved». On the other hand, Jesus is not only mediator. The gate is not merely a place of passage through which one «enters»; it already belongs to the fold itself. Indeed, in the Old Testament, the «gate» of the city or of the Temple often metonymically indicates the entire city or the Temple in its totality: cf. Ps 122:2; 87:1–2; 118:20. Applied to Jesus, the image of the gate therefore does not only mean that through him one has access to salvation and to life; it also indicates that the sheep find these goods in him. In other words, Jesus is not only a way of access; he is also the new fold, the new Temple, in which his own can obtain the messianic goods. Here we find again the theme of Jesus as the new Temple, proclaimed by Saint John from the very beginning of his Gospel (2:13–22). But if this is so, one might ask why the metaphor of the gate has been preferred to that of the fold or of the Temple. Probably the image of the gate, with all that its biblical background suggested, was better suited to express simultaneously two connected ideas: on the one hand, that of entrance, of mediation; on the other, that of a vital environment and of communion. These are the two ideas that will reappear in the very evocative text of Jn 14:6: «I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life»; Jesus is the Way to the Father, the perfect mediator who grants us access to the life of the Father; but he is at the same time the Life: in Jesus himself we find the life of the Father, because he, the Only-Begotten Son «who is in the bosom of the Father» (Jn 1:18), possesses it in himself in fullness.

The patristic tradition will place greater emphasis on the future, specifically eschatological aspect of the theme of the gate: through Jesus we have access to eternal life, to the kingdom of heaven. But here, as elsewhere, John anticipates the eschatological themes in the very person and historical work of Jesus: at the same time, through him and in communion with him, already now we can obtain the goods of salvation, the divine life. The idea expressed here has been magnificently commented upon in an anonymous text that circulated under the name of Augustine in various florilegia of patristic citations: «Jesus is the door, the door in which is the house, the house in which the weary rests». See also Ignatius of Antioch: «He is the door of the Father, through which enter Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the prophets and the apostles and the Church»; Hermas: «The gate is the Son of God. It is the only entrance that leads to the Lord. No one will therefore be introduced to him except through his Son»; Saint Augustine: «For Christ is that door, and through Christ we enter into eternal life».

From the Hermitage, 26 April 2026

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THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP GATE

The sheepfold metaphorically indicates the holy place of Israel, the Jerusalem Temple, or your hallway, which represents and symbolizes theocratic Judaism; while the shepherd of the sheep, the one who enters through the door, It's Jesus, the new Shepherd of Israel, what, indeed, He appeared in the Temple of Jerusalem to reveal himself to the Jews during the Feast of Tabernacles.

Author
Hermit Monk

.

The liturgy reserves the figure of the Good Shepherd a privileged place on the Fourth Sunday of Easter. All Tradition transmits the fundamental idea that Christ is the savior of the sheep, because Jesus leads his people beyond death, towards the heavenly pastures, in the Father's house. The passage presented below expresses this tension that is at the same time soteriological and christological..

"Actually, truly I tell you: he who does not enter the sheepfold through the door, but it goes up on the other hand, that is a thief and robber. But he who enters through the door is a shepherd of the sheep. The guardian opens it and the sheep hear his voice: he calls his sheep, to each one by name, and takes them out. And when he has taken out all his sheep, walk in front of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. to a stranger, instead, they won't follow, but they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers". Jesus told them this parable, but they didn't understand what he was talking about. Then Jesus told them again: "Actually, truly I tell you: I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door: if one enters for me, will be saved; will come and go and find grass. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; "I have come so that they may have life and have it abundantly." (Jn 10,1-10).

To better understand the scope of the text, it is necessary to place it within the great section of the fourth Gospel to which it belongs, which goes from Jn 7,1 until Jn 10,42. These four chapters constitute the center of Jesus' public life, the climax of his revelation to the world, in the Temple of Jerusalem. The thematic unity of this section is evident: Jesus reveals himself to the world (cf. 7,4), but he finds himself continually in controversy with "the Jews". Here we return to a theme from the prologue that reaches its decisive point with regard to the public life of Jesus.: "He came to his own and his own did not receive him" (Jn 1,11).

First of all, What is this "sheep fold"? In the Greek Bible it is frequently associated, in a metaphorical way, to spaces related to the Temple. Let us also add that, already in the Old Testament, The term "sheep" is often used in an allegorical sense to designate the people of Israel. (This 34,31; Because 23,1). The vocabulary of our verse would evoke, therefore, a situation analogous to that of Sal 100,3-4 (LXX):

«Recognize that the Lord is God: he made us and we are his, his people and the flock of his pasture. Enter its doors with thanksgiving, through its courts with hymns of praise; thank him, bless his name".

And Jn 10,1 the sheepfold metaphorically indicates the holy place of Israel, the Temple of Jerusalem or its vestibule, which represents and symbolizes theocratic Judaism; while the shepherd of the sheep, the one who enters through the door, It's Jesus, the new Shepherd of Israel, who in fact appeared in the Temple of Jerusalem to reveal himself to the Jews during the Feast of Tabernacles (Jn 7,14).

These are veiled but precise allusions that Jesus, according to Saint John, is doing about your mission; They mix figurative elements and references to historical situations., in order to make understand the value and nature of his messiahship. He is neither a thief nor a robber — the same Greek term will be used to identify Barabbas in the passion story., described by Mateo as a "famous" prisoner (Mt 27,16) — Jesus is neither a revolutionary nor a rebel interested in a violent liberation from Roman rule to establish a Jewish power that is both political and religious.. On the contrary, He entered the Temple by the legitimate path, during the Feast of Tabernacles; He legitimately presented himself to the Jewish people to reveal himself as their Shepherd, like the true messiah. In the chapter 10 of Saint John, Jesus adopts figurative and enigmatic language, but the teaching remains essentially the same: always has as its object its messianic mission.

The second verse of the passage It is even more relevant from a theological point of view: "He calls his sheep, to each one by name, and takes them out". All the sheep of the fold, the jews, they were able to know the word of Jesus (cf. Jn 18,20), but only some became "his sheep", that is to say, those that were given to him by the Father (v. 29; cf. 6,37.39). By virtue of this gift, Jesus can say that they are "in his hand" (v. 28); for the same reason, during the last supper, will be able to consider the disciples as "his own" (Jn 13,1). This disposition on the part of the Father corresponds to a call from Jesus: "He calls his sheep, to each one by name. This is the first act of the constitution of a new flock carried out by Jesus.

The Shepherd "takes" his sheep out of the fold. The verb used here by the evangelist is the technical term of the vocabulary of the Exodus: God “brought” his people out of Egypt, the children of Israel (Ex 3,10; 6,27); in the same way, later, at the time of the second Exodus, He will "take them out" from among the peoples (This 34,13). The idea evoked by this word is clear: "take out" means to free from bondage. It is notable and at the same time tragic that this term, once used to indicate the end of captivity, must now be applied against Israel itself; because their eyes were not opened to the true light of the messianic times, and therefore the Messiah Jesus must now "take out" his sheep, as in another time of Egypt.

But to understand the full implications of this idea in the whole life of Jesus, It is necessary to relate it to the preceding story, that of the man blind from birth, where it had already been formulated. for this man, Jesus at first was nothing more than a stranger (Jn 9,11). But, after healing, in the course of the controversy with the Jews, progressively discovers in him a prophet (v. 17), to a messenger from God (v. 33), to the Son of man (vv. 35-37), thus becoming the very type of the believer. The Jews, instead, who believed themselves to be so clairvoyant in religious matters, They became completely blind to the light of the world (vv. 39-41). Now, seeing the former blind man's attachment to Jesus, "they expelled him" (Jn 9,34). At that moment the κρίμα is fulfilled, the judgment that Jesus will speak about at the end of the controversy (Jn 9,39), judgment that prefigures and announces the break between Church and Synagogue (synagogue de Jn 9,22). In today's passage the behavior of those same Jews is taken up and sanctioned., that they had excluded from the synagogue the man born blind who was cured by Jesus and became his disciple. The call that the Shepherd addresses to his sheep within the Jewish fold thus becomes the first act of a separation: the one that the old flock will oppose, Israel, and the new, the Church. It is likely that John is writing precisely at this moment when the separation is taking place, which, however, absolutely does not authorize anti-Jewish reprisals or justifications of anti-Semitism.

The links between the Shepherd and his sheep are described in these terms: "He walks before them and the sheep follow him". As you have already done, the evangelist uses again the vocabulary typical of the Exodus cycle: "The Lord your God, that marches before you, will fight for you, as he did to you in Egypt before your eyes." (Dt 1,30; friends 2,13). In the fourth Gospel, the verb "walk" (journey) almost always refers to Jesus in relation to his mission, what is a new Exodus (cf. Jn 14,2.3.12.28; 16,7.28). Thus, The Shepherd who walks before his sheep presents himself as the new leader of God's people. The sheep "follow" him, expressing the essential docility of the disciple towards the Master (cf. Jn 1,37.38.41.43), founded on the fact that they know their voice. These topics will be taken up with greater insistence in the second part of the speech. (vv. 14-16) and later in the final statements of Jesus on the feast of the Dedication (v. 27).

How should it be interpreted, Finally, the expression "the sheep gate"? If the old fold has finished its function, no need to mention it anymore; logically, Jesus could have said: «I am the door of the sheepfold». But use a new expression, because now he himself is the door for the sheep. New relationships are now being outlined between Jesus and his people.; once out of the fold, the sheep must "enter" through the door that is Jesus. Here we move from the historical level to the typological and spiritual level.. It is no longer about the fold of Judaism: entering through the "door" that is Jesus, the sheep enter a new realm of a completely different nature. For this purpose, exegetes refer to Ps. 118,19-20: «Open the doors of justice for me: I will enter through them to give thanks to the Lord. This is the door of the Lord: through it the righteous enter. It is likely that the background of our verse is this psalm, since the Salt 118 It was used in the liturgy of the Feast of Tabernacles, and let us remember that the Good Shepherd speech was given, according to John, in the vicinity of the Temple, at the concluding moment of that great solemnity. The entire context favored, therefore, using this door metaphor. But the insistence with which Jesus applies it to himself – “I am the gate of the sheep” – clearly shows that it can no longer be the Temple of the old economy.. Jesus, inspired by the realities that surround him, He wants to talk about the new Temple that he himself inaugurates. In figurative speech, the door and the sheepfold still designated historical realities: the Temple of Jerusalem and theocratic Judaism; but from the moment in which these realities refer metaphorically to Jesus, they move to another plane, what is the spiritual.

Also the use of terminology of our verse in the pre-Johannic Christian tradition is very illuminating. The synoptics speak several times of the door that gives access to the Kingdom (Mt 7,13-14; 25,10-12; LC 13,24-26); It was a metaphor for eschatological vocabulary. The same thing happens with the verb "enter.", which was commonly used to designate entry into the Kingdom of God (Mt 7,21; Hch 14,22). Juan takes up this use (Jn 3,5), but in the current context everything focuses on Jesus: It is through him that we must "enter" to be saved..

This necessarily brief analysis of the vocabulary of our passage highlights the theological scope of Jesus' statement: "I am the door of the sheep". The first idea he expresses is that of mediation, and therefore the possibility of access to salvation. It is explicitly stated in v. 9: «I am the door: "Whoever enters only through me will be saved.". Besides, Jesus is not just a mediator. The door is not only a place of passage through which one "enters"; already belongs to the same fold. Indeed, in the Old Testament, The "gate" of the city or the Temple frequently indicates, by metonymy, the entire city or the Temple in its entirety: cf. Shall 122,2; 87,1-2; 118,20. Applied to Jesus, the image of the door does not mean, therefore, only that through it you access salvation and life; It also indicates that the sheep find these goods in it. In other words, Jesus is not just an access; It is also the new fold, the new temple, in which his own can obtain messianic goods. Here the theme of Jesus as a new Temple reappears, stated by Saint John from the beginning of his Gospel (2,13-22). But, if this is so, One may wonder why the metaphor of the door has been preferred to that of the sheepfold or the Temple.. Probably, the image of the door, with everything that its biblical background suggested, was better suited to simultaneously express two related ideas: on the one hand, the entrance, mediation; on the other, that of a vital atmosphere and communion. These are the two ideas that will reappear in the suggestive text of Jn 14,6: «I am the Way, "Truth and Life"; Jesus is the Way to the Father, the perfect mediator who introduces us into the life of the Father; but it is at the same time life: In Jesus himself we find the life of the Father, because he, the Only Begotten Son “who is in the bosom of the Father” (Jn 1,18), he possesses it in himself in fullness.

The patristic tradition will emphasize the future aspect more, specifically eschatological, of the door theme: through Jesus we have access to eternal life, to the kingdom of heaven. but here, like in other places, John anticipates eschatological themes in the same person and in the historical work of Jesus: at the same time, through him and in communion with him, From now on we can obtain the goods of salvation, divine life. The idea expressed here has been magnificently commented on in an anonymous text that circulated under the name of Augustine in various florilegiums of patristic quotations.: «Jesus is the door, the door in which is the house, the house in which the weary rests». See also Ignatius of Antioch: «He is the door of the Father, through which Abraham enters, Isaac and Jacob and the prophets and the apostles and the Church"; Hermas: «The door is the Son of God. It is the only entrance that leads to the Lord. "No one will be brought before him except by his Son."; Saint Augustine: «For Christ is that door, and through Christ we enter into eternal life».

From the Hermitage, 26 April 2026

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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The Fathers of the Island of Patmos

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Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

Italian, english, español

EVERY MAN SHOULD SEARCH FOR HIS DESERT

John the Baptist lives in an essential way, simple and without any form of narcissism, he is completely focused on those he doesn't yet know, but who he already recognizes as stronger than him. So from the Baptist we learn not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and to the Other and above all we learn to search, maybe even where we live, a little "desert" of ours where not only our voice resonates, but that of the only Word that saves.

Author
Hermit Monk

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PDF print format article – PDF Article print format – PDF Article in printed format

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Not only the Gospels tell us about John the Baptist, but also historians, for example the Jew Flavius ​​Josephus who defined it in his work Jewish Antiquities as a "good man"., who exhorted the Jews to lead a virtuous life and to practice mutual justice and piety towards God, inviting them to approach the baptism together".

The Baptist imagines the figure of the Messiah as a ruthless judge, who would not come to save, but to settle the score by proposing the simplest solution, capable of remedying the spread of sin: the death of the sinner. But Jesus will never exercise his messianic role in this way and he will take up some of the Baptist's words, like the one on conversion (cf.. Mt 4,17: «Convert»), he will say that he came not for ruin, but for the salvation of sinners. This is the Gospel passage for the second Sunday of Advent:

"In those days, John the Baptist came and preached in the Judean desert saying: «Be converted, because the kingdom of heaven is near!». In fact, he is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said: «Voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, his paths straight!». And he, Giovanni, he wore a camel hair dress and a leather belt around his hips; his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea and the whole area along the Jordan flocked to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Seeing many Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he told them: "You brood of vipers!! Who made you believe you could escape the impending wrath? Therefore produce a fruit worthy of conversion, and don't think you can say it within yourselves: «We have Abraham as our father!». For I tell you that from these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already placed at the roots of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you in the water for conversion; but he who comes after me is stronger than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He holds the shovel in his hand and will clean his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but he will burn the straw with unquenchable fire" (Mt 3,1-12).

In the words of John the Baptist we understand his urgent call for conversion, which distinguishes the season of Advent. The word used is metanoia, which we could literally break down into two concepts, "beyond" (meta) the "mind" (We), to indicate a "change of opinion". Especially Jesus, more than the Baptist, who called for a revision of customs and the correction of injustices, will ask for a conversion of the way of thinking to welcome the kingdom and its newness.

Giovanni al Giordano must have aroused considerable amazement at the time, finding themselves in a rather particular situation and condition, if not anomalous; so long as, we know from the Evangelist Luke (cf.. LC 1,5) who was the son of a priest, nevertheless he lives in the Judean desert. This fact must have impressed the memory of his contemporaries, the fact, that is, that Giovanni had distanced himself from his father's profession. A commentator writes: «The only son of a priest of Jerusalem had in fact the solemn obligation to take over from his father in his function and to guarantee, through marriage and children, the continuity of his priestly lineage. If this was the real historical situation, at a certain point John must have turned his back and must have scandalously - for Jewish eyes - refused his obligation to be a priest in his father's footsteps". A sensational gesture therefore takes place at the beginning of Giovanni's story, that Matthew's Gospel passage presents to us today. He goes near the place from which Elijah ascended to heaven, the fiery prophet of the Old Testament who attempted to bring Israel back to God and whose return would precede the Messiah. Perhaps for this reason John dresses like Elijah (2Re 1,8), but because his diet was based on Jewish rules of purity, locusts being insects that we can feed on (Lv 11,22), and bee honey as well kasher — that is, respectful of the laws of Kasherut, the suitability of a food to be consumed by the Jewish people - it is however possible that the Forerunner also had other concerns. Because impurity prevented one from approaching God, John does not only perform ascetic gestures, but avoid dressing in fabrics touched by women or eating foods elaborated by others, for fear of contamination.

As we wrote at the beginning John did not clearly see the face of the Messiah, yet he consistently lived his wait to the end, in the desert and near the Jordan, where he baptized. Looking at him, Christians experience the time of Advent as an opportunity not to be wasted and to be, Also today, in our desert, returning to ourselves, changing mentality and life, to open ourselves to Him, Jesus the Christ, that is to come.

Furthermore, the words spoken by John are still relevant today, not only because they announce conversion for forgiveness of sins, but also because they invite us to be credible by leading an authentic life. John the Baptist lives in an essential way, simple and without any form of narcissism, he is completely focused on those he doesn't yet know, but who he already recognizes as stronger than him. So from the Baptist we learn not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and to the Other and above all we learn to search, maybe even where we live, a little "desert" of ours where not only our voice resonates, but that of the only Word that saves.

In fact all the readings for the second Sunday of Advent converge in delivering a message centered on the Messiah. He is the one on whom the Spirit of God rests with his gifts (Is 11,1-10); Jesus is that Messiah who, according to the word of Scripture, he fulfilled the promises of God made to the fathers (RM 15,4-9); finally he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire: it is the strongest announced by the Baptist (Mt 3,1-12). It is revealed by the Spirit (first reading), prophesied by the Scriptures (second reading), indicated by a man, Giovanni, the prophet and precursor (Gospel). Therefore this second Sunday of Advent has at its center the biblical message of preparation for the coming of the Lord. This happens with the help of the Spirit to be invoked and to whose dynamism one submits, with the help of Scripture to listen to and meditate on, so that he transforms our hearts so that they are inclined towards conversion. Which is what Giovanni asks for by experiencing it firsthand. While exhorting others by saying: «Prepare the way of the Lord» (Mt 3,3), Giovanni is already preparing it, he makes himself the path that the Lord will follow. He is the forerunner, he who precedes the Messiah with his life anticipating in himself much of what the Messiah will then do.

from the Hermitage, 7 December 2025

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EVERY MAN SHOULD SEEK HIS OWN DESERT

John the Baptist lives in an essential, simple way and without any form of narcissism; he is wholly oriented toward the One whom he does not yet know, but whom he already recognises as stronger than himself. Thus from the Baptist we learn not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and to the Other; and above all we learn to seek — perhaps precisely where we live — our own small “desert”, where not only our own voice resounds, but the voice of the one Word that saves.

Author
Hermit Monk

.

Not only the Gospels speak to us about John the Baptist, but also historians — for example the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who in his work Jewish Antiquities described him as “a good man, who exhorted the Jews to lead a virtuous life, to practice justice toward one another and piety toward God, inviting them to approach baptism together.” The Baptist imagined the figure of the Messiah as a ruthless judge who would come not to save but to settle accounts, proposing the simplest solution to remedy the spread of sin: the death of the sinner. But Jesus would never exercise His messianic role in such a manner, and even if He would take up some of the Baptist’s words — such as the call to conversion (cf. Mt 4:17: “Repent”) — He would declare that He had come not for the ruin but for the salvation of sinners. This is the Gospel passage of the Second Sunday of Advent:

«In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: “A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”» (Mt 3:1–12).

In the words of John the Baptist we perceive his urgent appeal to conversion, which characterises the season of Advent. The word used is metanoia, which we could literally break into two concepts: “beyond” (meta) the “mind” (We), indicating a “change of mind” or “change of understanding”. Above all Jesus — more than the Baptist, who invited to a revision of customs and to the correction of injustices — will ask for a conversion of the way of thinking in order to welcome the kingdom and its newness.

John at the Jordan must have aroused considerable astonishment in his own time, finding himself in a situation and condition rather unusual, if not anomalous; for we know from the Evangelist Luke (cf. Page 1:5) that he was the son of a priest, and yet he lives in the desert of Judea. This fact must have impressed the memory of his contemporaries — that John had distanced himself from his father’s profession. A commentator writes: “The only son of a priest of Jerusalem had, in fact, the solemn obligation to take his father’s place in his function and to guarantee, through marriage and children, the continuity of his own priestly lineage. If this was the real historical situation, at a certain point John must have turned his back and — scandalously, to Jewish eyes — refused his obligation to be a priest in his father’s footsteps.”

Thus, a striking gesture stands at the beginning of John’s story, which today’s Gospel passage from Matthew presents to us. He goes near the place from which Elijah had been taken up into heaven, the fiery prophet of the Old Testament who had attempted to bring Israel back to God, and whose return was expected to precede the Messiah. Perhaps for this reason John dresses like Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8), but since his diet was based on Jewish purity rules — locusts being insects permitted for consumption (Lev 11:22), and wild honey likewise kasher, that is, in accordance with the laws of kashrut which determine whether a food is suitable for the Jewish people — it is possible that the Forerunner had other concerns as well. Since impurity prevented a person from approaching God, John not only performs ascetical acts, but avoids wearing fabrics touched by women or eating foods prepared by others, for fear of becoming ritually defiled.

As we wrote at the beginning, John did not clearly see the face of the Messiah, yet he lived his expectation coherently and to the full, in the desert and by the Jordan, where he was baptising. Looking at him, Christians live the season of Advent as an opportunity not to be wasted, and as a call to dwell, even today, in our own desert, returning within ourselves, changing our mindset and our lives, opening ourselves to Him — Jesus the Christ — who is to come.

Moreover, the words spoken by John today are still timely, not only because they proclaim conversion for the forgiveness of sins, but also because they invite us to be credible by leading an authentic life. John the Baptist lives in an essential, simple way and without any form of narcissism; he is wholly oriented toward the One whom he does not yet know, but whom he already recognises as stronger than himself. Thus from the Baptist we learn not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and to the Other; and above all we learn to seek — perhaps precisely where we live — our own small “desert”, where not only our own voice resounds, but the voice of the one Word that saves.

Indeed all the readings of the Second Sunday of Advent converge in delivering a message centred upon the Messiah. He is the one upon whom the Spirit of the Lord rests with His gifts (Is 11:1–10); Jesus is that Messiah who, according to Scripture, has fulfilled the promises of God made to the fathers (Rom 15:4–9); finally, He is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire: He is the Mighty One announced by the Baptist (Mt 3:1–12). He is revealed by the Spirit (first reading), prophesied by the Scriptures (second reading), pointed out by a man — John — the prophet and forerunner (Gospel). Therefore this Second Sunday of Advent has at its centre the biblical message of preparation for the coming of the Lord. This takes place with the aid of the Spirit — to be invoked and to whose dynamism we must submit — and with the help of Scripture — to be heard and meditated — so that it may transform our heart and incline it toward conversion. This is what John asks, living it himself in the first person. While he exhorts others saying, “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Mt 3:3), John is already preparing it; he makes of himself the way that the Lord will follow. He is the forerunner, the one who precedes the Messiah with his life, anticipating in himself much of what the Messiah will later accomplish.

From the Hermitage, 7 December 2025

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______________________________

EVERY MAN SHOULD LOOK FOR HIS OWN DESERT

John the Baptist lives in an essential way, simple and without any form of narcissism; is totally oriented towards Him whom he does not yet know, but who he already recognizes as stronger than him. This is how we learn from the Baptist not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and the Other; and above all we learn to look for — perhaps precisely where we live — a small “desert” of our own., where only our voice does not resonate, but the voice of the only Word that saves.

Author
Hermit Monk

.

Not only the Gospels tell us about John the Baptist; so do historians — for example the Jew Flavius ​​Josephus, who in his work Jewish antiquities He described him as “a good man.”, who exhorted Jews to lead a virtuous life, to practice mutual justice and piety towards God, inviting them to approach baptism together.”. The Baptist imagined the figure of the Messiah as an implacable judge who would come not to save, but to settle accounts, proposing the simplest solution to remedy the spread of sin: the death of the sinner. But Jesus would never exercise his messianic mission in this way.; and although he will take up some words of the Baptist - such as that of conversion (cf. Mt 4,17: «Convert») - will say that he has come not for perdition, but for the salvation of sinners. This is the Gospel passage from the second Sunday of Advent:

«In those days John the Baptist appeared preaching in the desert of Judea: “Become, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”. He is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said: “Voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight their paths!”. Juan wore a camel hair dress and a leather belt around his waist.; and their food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem came out to him, all Judea and all the region of the Jordan; and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing your sins. Seeing that many Pharisees and Sadducees came to his baptism, he told them: “Breed of vipers! Who has taught you to flee from the impending wrath? Dad, well, fruit worthy of conversion; and don't think that you can tell each other: 'We have Abraham as our father'. For I tell you that from these stones God is able to raise children to Abraham.. The ax is already placed at the root of the trees: and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for conversion; but he who comes after me is stronger than me, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He has the fork in his hand: He will clean his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn.; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.". (Mt 3,1–12).

In the words of John the Baptist we perceive his urgent call to conversion, that characterizes the season of Advent. The word used is metanoia, which we could literally decompose into two concepts: "beyond" (meta) of the “mind” (We), to indicate a “change of mind” or “change of mentality”. Above all Jesus — more than the Baptist, who invited us to review customs and correct injustices - will ask for a conversion of the way of thinking to welcome the Kingdom and its novelty.

Juan, next to the Jordan, must have aroused great astonishment in its time, finding yourself in a very particular situation and condition, if not abnormal; because we know from the evangelist Luke (cf. LC 1,5) who was the son of a priest, and yet he lives in the Judean desert. This fact must have impressed the memory of his contemporaries.: that Juan had distanced himself from his father's profession. A commentator writes: "The only son of a priest in Jerusalem had, indeed, the solemn obligation to succeed his father in his office and to guarantee, through marriage and children, the continuity of his priestly lineage. If this was the real historical situation, At one point Juan must have turned his back and — scandalously —, for Jewish eyes — rejecting his obligation to be a priest following in his father's footsteps.". a gesture, therefore, clamorous is at the beginning of the story of Juan, that the Gospel passage of Matthew presents to us today. He goes to the place from where Elijah had been taken to heaven., the fiery prophet of the Old Testament who had tried to lead Israel back to God, and whose return would precede the Messiah. Maybe this is why Juan dresses like Elijah. (2 Re 1,8), but since their diet was based on the standards of Jewish purity—locusts being insects permitted for consumption (Lv 11,22), and wild honey likewise kasher, that is to say, in accordance with the laws of the kashrut about the nutritional suitability of the Jewish people — it is possible that the Precursor had other concerns as well. Since impurity prevented us from approaching God, Juan not only performs ascetic gestures, but avoids wearing fabrics touched by women or eating foods prepared by others., for fear of ritual contamination.

As we wrote at the beginning, John did not see the face of the Messiah clearly, and yet he lived coherently and to the bottom his expectation, in the desert and by the Jordan, where he baptized. looking at it, Christians live the season of Advent as an occasion that should not be wasted and as a call to remain, also today, in our own desert, returning to ourselves, changing mentality and life, to open ourselves to Him — Jesus the Christ — who is to come.

Besides, the words spoken today by Juan they are still current, not only because they announce conversion for the forgiveness of sins, but also because they invite us to be credible by leading an authentic life. John the Baptist lives in an essential way, simple and without any form of narcissism; is totally oriented towards Him whom he does not yet know, but who he already recognizes as stronger than him. This is how we learn from the Baptist not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and the Other; Above all, we learn to look for — perhaps precisely where we live — a small “desert” of our own., where only our voice does not resonate, but the voice of the only Word that saves.

Indeed, All the readings of the second Sunday of Advent converge to transmit a message centered on the Messiah. He is the one on whom the Spirit of the Lord rests with his gifts (Is 11,1-10); Jesus is that Messiah who, according to the scripture, has fulfilled the promises made by God to the parents (RM 15,4-9); Finally, is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire: is the strongest announced by the Baptist (Mt 3,1-12). It is revealed by the Spirit (first reading), prophesied by the scriptures (second reading), pointed out by a man — John — the prophet and forerunner (Gospel). That is why this second Sunday of Advent has at its center the biblical message of preparation for the coming of the Lord.. This is done with the help of the Spirit — who we must invoke and whose dynamism we must welcome — and with the help of Scripture — which we must listen to and meditate on — so that it transforms our hearts and inclines our lives toward conversion.. That's what Juan asks, living it himself in first person. While exhorting others saying: "Prepare the way of the Lord" (Mt 3,3), Juan is already preparing it; makes himself the path that the Lord will follow. He is the forerunner, the one who precedes the Messiah with his life, anticipating in itself much of what the Messiah will later do.

From the wasteland, 7 December 2025

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.

Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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Visit the pages of our book shop WHO and support our editions by purchasing and distributing our books.

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______________________

Dear Readers,
this magazine requires management costs that we have always faced only with your free offers. Those who wish to support our apostolic work can send us their contribution through the convenient and safe way PayPal by clicking below:

Or if you prefer you can use our
Bank account in the name of:
Editions The island of Patmos

n Agency. 59 From Rome – Vatican
Iban code:
IT74R0503403259000000301118
For international bank transfers:
Codice SWIFT:
BAPPIT21D21

If you make a bank transfer, send an email to the editorial staff, the bank does not provide your email and we will not be able to send you a thank you message:
isoladipatmos@gmail.com

We thank you for the support you wish to offer to our apostolic service.

The Fathers of the Island of Patmos

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Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

Italian, english, español

MAKE WAY FOR US TO PASS PHARISEES PERFECT CHAMPIONS OF PURITY

"Hate, I thank you because I am not like other men, thieves, unrighteous, adultery, nor even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of everything I own.".

Author
Hermit Monk

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Like last Sunday's Gospel, this one from the XXX Sunday of Ordinary Time also contains a teaching on prayer. It is entrusted to the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple, a text present only in the third gospel.

If Luca had specified the purpose for which Jesus had told the parable of the insistent widow and the unjust judge, or the need for persevering prayer (LC 18,1); this instead is narrated with specific recipients in mind: «He also spoke this parable for some who had the inner presumption of being righteous and despised others» (LC 18,9). In light of LC 16,15 where Jesus qualifies the Pharisees as those who "consider themselves righteous before men", one might think that the target of the story is precisely them alone, but the attitude targeted in the parable is a religious distortion that occurs everywhere and also affects Christian communities, and it is certainly these recipients that Luke is thinking of when writing his gospel. It is important to clarify this to avoid caricatural readings of the Pharisees, which unfortunately have not been lacking in Christianity precisely starting from the reading of this parable. And here is the evangelical text:

«Two men went up to the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, while standing, he prayed like this to himself: "Hate, I thank you because I am not like other men, thieves, unrighteous, adultery, nor even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of everything I own.". The publican instead, stopped at a distance, he didn't even dare roll his eyes, but he beat his chest saying: "Hate, be merciful to me a sinner! '. I tell you: these, unlike the other, He went down to his house justified, For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, those who humble themselves will be exalted " (LC 18,9-14).

The piece can easily be divided into three parts: An introduction, of a verse; a parable of four verses (vv. 10-13); and the conclusion, of Jesus: «I tell you». The protagonists of the parable are two men, who ascend to the holiest place in Israel, the temple. The verb ascend not only says that the temple was located high up, its a mountain, but also that to go to Jerusalem one ascends, almost as if to indicate the way, also physical, how to get closer to God. In this regard we can recall the "Psalms of the Ascensions", starting from Ps 120, but also, in the Gospel, the good Samaritan who worried about the man who fell into the hands of bandits while "going down from Jerusalem to Jericho" (LC 10,30). St. Luke here describes two opposing polarities in first-century Judaism, thus showing that the characters are not chosen at random. The Pharisees were the most pious and devout people, while tax collectors were often considered thieves, a category of professionals in the pay of Rome, as Zacchaeus of Jericho could have been (LC 19,1). It also emerges that prayer at the temple could be private, while the public one was held in the morning and in the evening, and was regulated by the Templar liturgy.

So we have two men who go to the temple to pray. Their movement is identical, their purpose is the same and the place to which they go is the same, yet a great distance separates them. They are close and at the same time far away, so much so that their co-presence in the place of prayer still raises the question today, to Christians, of what it means to pray together, side by side, next to each other in the same place. It is in fact possible to pray alongside and be separated from the comparison, from comparison and even contempt: "I'm not like this tax collector" (v. 11). The differences between the two characters are also relevant for the gestures and postures of their bodies and in their positioning in the sacred space. The publican remains at the back, «stops at a distance» (v. 13), he does not dare advance, it is inhabited by the fear of those who are not used to the liturgical place, he bows his head to the ground and beats his chest saying very few words. The Pharisee, instead, expresses his confidence, his being a accustomed of the sacred place and pray while standing with your forehead high, pronouncing many refined words in his articulated thanks. This self-awareness has nothing to do with the right self-esteem, ma, marrying with contempt for others, turns out to be ostentatious arrogance, from someone who is perhaps not so sure of himself, so much so that it does not harbor any doubt in itself. And the presence of others serves to corroborate his consciousness of superiority. The verb used by Luke, exoutheneine, translated as «despise», literally means "to retain nothing", and it will be Herod's attitude towards Jesus in the story of the passion (LC 23,11). The Pharisee's confidence in condemning others is necessary to sustain the confidence of his own being better and right.

In the words of the Pharisee it also emerges what image of God he has. He prays "within himself", that is, "turned to himself" (cf.. automatic process Of LC 18,11) and his prayer seems dominated by the ego. Formally he gives thanks, but in truth he thanks God not for what he has done for him, but rather for what he does for God. The sense of thanksgiving is thus distorted since his ego replaces God and his prayer ends up being a list of pious services and a satisfaction with his not being "like other men" (v. 11). The lofty image of himself clouds that of God so much that it prevents him from seeing as a brother the one who prays in the same place and feels so at ease that God only has to confirm what he is and does.: It does not require conversion or change. Thus Jesus reveals that God's gaze does not welcome his prayer: «the publican returned to his house justified, unlike the other" (v. 14). Revealing to the reader the quiet prayer of the two characters in the parable, Luke makes an incursion into their interiority and into the soul of those who pray, showing that background of prayer that can be one with it, or conflict with it. It opens like this, in this song, a glimpse of light on the heart and depths of those who pray, on the thoughts that inhabit him while he is collected in prayer. This is a bold but important operation, because behind the words that are pronounced in liturgical or personal prayer there are often images, thoughts, feelings that can also be in sensational contradiction with the words that are spoken and with the meaning of the gestures that are made.

It is the relationship between prayer and authenticity. The Pharisee's prayer is sincere, but not truthful. It is that of the publican, while that of the Pharisee remains only sincere, as it expresses what this man believes and feels, however, bringing to light the pathology hidden in his words. They, that is, truly believing what he says, at the same time he shows that what moves him to prayer is the intimate conviction that what he does is enough to justify him. Therefore his conviction is granitic and unshakable. His personal sincerity is consistent with the image of God that moves him.

Let us underline the verse again 13, that is, the posture and prayer of the publican which contrasts with that of the Pharisee. He stays behind, perhaps in the most remote space compared to the temple building, he doesn't roll his eyes, but he recognizes himself as a sinner by beating his chest, the way David said: "I have sinned against the Lord" (2Sam 12,13); like the "prodigal son" he says: «I have sinned against heaven and against you» (LC 15,21). The publican's prayer is not centered on himself, but he asks for only one thing - mercy - with the expression: «Have mercy», inexorably, what does it mean: propitiate, make benevolent, atone for sins. The publican makes no comparison, he considers himself the only sinner, a real sinner. In the end, al v.14, we encounter Jesus' comment, which highlights who is justified and who is not. The answer begins with the expression: «I tell you» (lego smile), as if to signal a significant conclusion, a request for solemn attention. Then Jesus says that of the two who had gone up to the temple, only the publican came away justified. The verb used by Jesus means to descend home (the CEI: "went home"). The sinner's prayer is accepted by God, that of the Pharisee, however, was not because he had nothing to ask. God, on the other hand, always welcomes requests for forgiveness when they are authentic and this parable therefore turns out to be a further teaching on prayer, like the one just above, of the judge and the widow.

The Christian reader through this parable understands that the authenticity of prayer passes through the good quality of relationships with others who pray with me and who with me form the body of Christ. And in the Christian space, in which Jesus Christ is "the image of the invisible God" (With the 1,15), prayer is a process of continuous purification of the images of God starting from the image revealed in Christ and him crucified (cf.. 1Color 2,2), image that contests all the counterfeit images of God. We can say that the Pharisee's attitude is emblematic of a religious type that replaces the relationship with the Lord with quantifiable performances, he fasts twice a week and pays tithes of everything he buys, also performing supererogatory works. To the relationship with the Lord under the sign of the Spirit and the gratuitousness of love, it replaces a form of seeking sanctification through control, which requires detachment from others. The prayer, instead, suggests Luca, requires humility. And humility is adherence to reality, to the poverty and smallness of the human condition, all’humus of which we are made. It is courageous self-knowledge in the face of the God who manifested himself in the humility and abasement of the Son. Where there is humility, there is openness to grace and there is charity and mercy is found.

From the Hermitage, 26 October 2025

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STAND ASIDE, FOR WE PHARISEES, CHAMPIONS OF PURITY, ARE COMING THROUGH

“Oh God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men — thieves, unjust, adulterers — nor even like this publican. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on all I possess».

Author
Hermit Monk

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As in last Sunday’s Gospel, so too in that of this Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time we find a teaching on prayer. It is conveyed through the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple — a text found only in the third Gospel. If Saint Luke had specified the purpose for which Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge, namely the necessity of persevering prayer (Page 18:1), this one, on the other hand, is told with certain hearers clearly in mind: “He also told this parable to some who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised others” (Page 18:9). In the light of Luke 16:15, where Jesus describes the Pharisees as those “who justify themselves in the sight of men”, one might suppose that they alone are the intended target of the narrative. Yet the attitude denounced in the parable is a religious distortion that can arise anywhere — it inhabits even Christian communities — and it is surely to such as these that Luke directs his Gospel. It is important to make this clarification so as to avoid caricatured readings of the Pharisees, which unfortunately have not been lacking within Christianity, often beginning precisely from this parable. And here is the Gospel text itself:

“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'Oh God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on all I possess.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'Oh God, be merciful to me a sinner ’. I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”. (Page 18:9–14).

The passage can easily be divided into three parts: an introduction of one verse; a parable of four verses (vv. 10–13); and the conclusion spoken by Jesus: “I tell you.”The protagonists of the parable are two men who go up to the holiest place in Israel, the Temple. The verb to go up indicates not only that the Temple stood on high, upon a mountain, but also that one ascends when going to Jerusalem — almost as though to suggest, even in bodily movement, the manner in which one draws near to God. In this regard we may recall the Psalms of Ascent, beginning with Psalm 120, and likewise, in the Gospel, the Good Samaritan who took care of the man fallen among robbers while “going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” (Page 10:30). Saint Luke here depicts two opposing poles within first-century Judaism, showing that the characters were not chosen at random. The Pharisees were regarded as the most pious and devout, while the tax collectors were often seen as thieves — a class of professionals in the service of Rome, as Zacchaeus of Jericho may have been (Page 19:1). It also becomes clear that prayer in the Temple could be private, while public prayer was held in the morning and in the evening and was governed by the Temple liturgy.

We thus have two men who go to the Temple to pray. Their movement is identical, their purpose the same, and the place to which they go is one and the same; yet a great distance separates them. They are close to each other and yet far apart, so that their being together in the place of prayer raises, even for us Christians today, the question of what it truly means to pray together — side by side, one beside another, in the same sacred space. It is indeed possible to pray next to someone and yet be separated by comparison, by rivalry, or even by contempt: “I am not like this tax collector” (v. 11). The differences between the two characters are also evident in their gestures, in the posture of their bodies, and in the way they situate themselves within the sacred space. The tax collector remains at the back, “standing at a distance” (v. 13); he does not dare to come forward, he is filled with the awe of one unaccustomed to the liturgical place; he bows his head to the ground and beats his breast, uttering but a few words. The Pharisee, on the other hand, displays his assurance, his familiarity with the holy place; he prays standing upright, head held high, pronouncing many carefully chosen words in his elaborate thanksgiving. This self-awareness has nothing to do with proper self-respect; joined with contempt for others, it becomes a form of ostentatious arrogance — perhaps the posture of one who, in truth, is not so sure of himself, and who harbours no doubt within. The presence of others serves only to confirm his sense of superiority. The verb used by Luke, exoutheneine, translated as “to despise”, literally means “to regard as nothing”, and it will describe the attitude of Herod toward Jesus in the Passion narrative (Page 23:11). The Pharisee’s certainty in condemning others is the very means by which he sustains the illusion of his own righteousness and superiority.

In the words of the Pharisee there also emerges the image of God that he bears within himself. He prays “to himself” — that is, “turned toward himself” (pros heauton, Page 18:11) — and his prayer appears to be ruled entirely by the ego. Formally, he performs an act of thanksgiving, yet in truth he thanks God not for what God has done for him, but for what he does for God. The very meaning of thanksgiving is thus distorted, for his self takes the place of God, and his prayer becomes a catalogue of pious achievements and a self-satisfaction at not being “like other men” (v. 11). His exalted image of himself obscures that of God, to the point of preventing him from seeing as a brother the man who prays in the same holy place. He feels himself so perfectly righteous that God has nothing left to do but to confirm what he already is and does: he has no need of conversion, no need of change. Thus Jesus reveals that God’s gaze does not look with favour upon his prayer: “the tax collector went home justified, rather than the other” (v. 14). By unveiling for the reader the subdued prayer of the two figures in the parable, Luke ventures into their inner world — into the soul of the one who prays — showing that hidden background of prayer which may either be one with it or at odds with it. This passage thus opens a window of light upon the heart and the depths of the one who prays, upon the thoughts that dwell within him even as he stands in prayer. It is a bold but essential insight, for behind the words uttered in prayer — whether liturgical or personal — there often lie images, thoughts, and feelings that may stand in striking contradiction to the very words we speak and to the gestures we perform.

It is the relationship between prayer and authenticity. The prayer of the Pharisee is sincere, but not truthful. That of the tax collector is truthful, whereas the Pharisee’s remains merely sincere — in that it expresses what this man believes and feels, yet at the same time reveals the hidden pathology within his words. Believing truly what he says, he also shows that what moves him to pray is the inner conviction that what he does is sufficient to justify him. Hence his conviction is granite-like and unshakable. His personal sincerity is wholly consistent with the image of God that animates him.

Let us pause once more upon verse 13 — upon the posture and the prayer of the tax collector, which stands in direct contrast to that of the Pharisee. He remains at the back, perhaps in the most distant space of the Temple precincts; he does not lift his eyes to heaven but acknowledges himself as a sinner, beating his breast as David once said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam 12:13); and as the prodigal son confessed, “I have sinned against heaven and against you” (Page 15:21). The prayer of the tax collector is not centred upon himself; he asks only one thing — mercy — with the expression “Be merciful” (hilaskomai), which means to propitiate, to make favourable, to atone for sins. The tax collector makes no comparison; he considers himself the only sinner, a true sinner. Finally, in verse 14, we find the comment of Jesus, who indicates who is justified and who is not. His response begins with the expression “I tell you” (lego smile), signalling a solemn conclusion, a call for attentive listening. Then Jesus declares that of the two who went up to the Temple, only the tax collector went down to his house justified. The verb used by Jesus means to go down to one’s house. The sinner’s prayer is received by God; the Pharisee’s is not, for he had nothing to ask. God, however, always welcomes the plea for forgiveness when it is sincere. This parable thus becomes yet another teaching on prayer — like the one just above, of the judge and the widow.

Through this parable, the Christian reader understands that the authenticity of prayer passes through the goodness and integrity of one’s relationships with others who pray alongside us and who, together with us, form the Body of Christ. In the Christian sphere, where Jesus Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (With the 1:15), prayer becomes a process of continual purification of our images of God, beginning from the image revealed in Christ — and in Him crucified (cf. 1 Color 2:2) — the image that contests and unmasks all false and distorted representations of God. The attitude of the Pharisee may be seen as emblematic of a religious type that replaces relationship with the Lord by measurable performance. He fasts twice a week and pays tithes on all he acquires, even undertaking works of supererogation. In place of a relationship with the Lord marked by the Spirit and by the gratuity of love, there arises a pursuit of sanctification through control — a striving that demands separation from others. Prayer, on the contrary, as Luke suggests, requires humility. And humility is an adhesion to reality — to the poverty and smallness of the human condition, to the humus from which we are made. It is the courageous knowledge of oneself before the God who has revealed Himself in the humility and self-emptying of the Son. Where there is humility, there is openness to grace, and there is charity, and mercy is found.

From the Hermitage October 26, 2025

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STAY AWAY, WHAT WE HAPPENED, THE PHARISEES, PERFECT CHAMPIONS OF PURITY!

«Oh God, I thank you because I am not like other men, thieves, unfair, adulterers, nor like this publican. "I fast twice a week and pay tithes of everything I own.".

Author
Hermit Monk

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Just like in last Sunday's Gospel, Also in that of this thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time we find a teaching on prayer. It is expressed through the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple, a text present only in the third Gospel. If Saint Luke had specified the purpose for which Jesus told the parable of the persevering widow and the wicked judge—viz., the need to always pray without fainting (LC 18,1) —, in this other, instead, is narrated with specific recipients in mind: "He also told this parable for some who trusted in themselves because they considered themselves righteous and despised others." (LC 18,9). In the light of Lk 16,15, where Jesus describes the Pharisees as those "who consider themselves righteous before men", It could be thought that they are the only recipients of the story. However, The attitude denounced in the parable is a religious distortion that can manifest itself anywhere; also lives in Christian communities, and it is surely to these recipients that Luke addresses his Gospel.. It is important to specify this to avoid caricatured readings of the Pharisees, what, unfortunately, have not been lacking in Christianity, born precisely from the interpretation of this parable. And here is the evangelical text:

«Two men went up to the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee, erected, He prayed inside saying: “Oh God, I thank you because I am not like other men, thieves, unfair, adulterers, nor like this publican. “I fast twice a week and pay tithes of everything I own.”. But the publican, staying at a distance, He didn't even dare to raise his eyes to the sky., but he beat his chest saying: “Oh God, have mercy on me, that I am a sinner. I tell you that this one went home justified and that one did not.; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (LC 18,9-14).

The passage can easily be divided into three parts: a verse introduction; a four verse parable (vv. 10-13); and the conclusion pronounced by Jesus: “I tell them”. The protagonists of the parable are two men who climb to the holiest place in Israel, the temple. The verb rise indicates not only that the temple was on top, on a mountain, but also that to go to Jerusalem one ascends, almost as if to suggest—even in physical movement—the way in which one approaches God. For this purpose we can remember the Psalms of the climbs, starting with the Psalm 120, and also, in the Gospel, the figure of the good Samaritan who took pity on the man who fell into the hands of bandits while "going down from Jerusalem to Jericho" (LC 10,30). Saint Luke presents here two opposite poles within 1st century Judaism, thus showing that the characters were not chosen at random. The Pharisees were considered the most pious and devout people, while tax collectors were often seen as thieves: a class of professionals at the service of Rome, What Zacchaeus of Jericho could have been like (LC 19,1). In this passage it is also made present that prayer in the temple could be private., while public prayer was held in the morning and afternoon, and was regulated by the temple liturgy.

Have, well, to two men who go up to the temple to pray. Their movement is identical, their purpose is the same and the place they are going is the same.; however, a great distance separates them. They are close and at the same time distant, so that their joint presence in the place of prayer also raises today, to Christians, the question of what it truly means to pray together, side by side, in the same sacred space. Indeed, it is possible to pray together with another and, however, be separated by comparison, rivalry or even contempt: "I am not like this publican" (v. 11).

The differences between the two characters They are also notable in the gestures, in the posture of their bodies and in the way they are situated within the sacred space. The publican remains in the background, "keeping at a distance" (v. 13); does not dare to move forward, is inhabited by the fear of those who are not accustomed to the liturgical place; He bows his head to the ground and beats his chest, saying just a few words.. The Pharisee, instead, expresses his security, his condition of habituation to the holy place; now raised, with your head held high, uttering many carefully chosen words in his elaborate thanks. This self-awareness has nothing to do with fair self-esteem.; linked to contempt for others, is revealed in a form of ostentatious arrogance perhaps on the part of someone who actually, he's not so sure of himself, to the point that he has no doubt inside. The presence of others only serves to reinforce his consciousness of superiority.. The verb used by Luke, exoutheneín, translated as "despise", literally means “to consider as nothing”, and describes Herod's attitude toward Jesus in the Passion story (LC 23,11). The Pharisee's confidence in condemning others is the means by which he sustains the illusion of his own righteousness and superiority..

In the words of the Pharisee the image of God that he carries within himself is also revealed. Pray “with yourself”, that is to say, "directed toward oneself" (Pros haughton, LC 18,11), and his prayer seems dominated by ego. Formally performs a thanksgiving, but in reality he thanks God not for what God has done for him, but for what he does for God. The sense of gratitude is thus denatured, for his own self takes the place of God, and his prayer becomes a catalog of pious practices and a self-congratulation for not being "like other men." (v. 11). The magnified image of himself obscures that of God to the point of preventing him from seeing the one who prays in the same holy place as a brother.. He feels so righteous that God has nothing to do but confirm what he already is and does.: does not need any conversion or change. So, Jesus reveals that God's gaze does not take pleasure in his prayer: «The publican went home justified, and the other doesn't" (v. 14). By revealing to the reader the silent prayer of the two characters in the parable, Luke penetrates into his inner world — into the soul of the one who prays — showing that undercurrent of the prayer that may coincide with it or conflict with it.. This passage opens, therefore, a slit of light on the heart and depths of those who pray, about the thoughts that inhabit him even while he is collected in prayer.
This is a bold observation, but necessary, because behind the words spoken in prayer - whether liturgical or personal - images are usually hidden, thoughts and feelings that may be in flagrant contradiction with the words that are said and with the meaning of the gestures that are made.

It's about the relationship between prayer and authenticity. The Pharisee's prayer is sincere, but not true. That of the publican on the other hand, it's true, while that of the Pharisee remains merely sincere, to the extent that it expresses what this man believes and feels, but at the same time it reveals the hidden pathology in his words. Truly believing in what he says, It also shows that what drives him to pray is the intimate conviction that what he does is enough to justify it.. That is why his conviction is granite and unbreakable.. His personal sincerity is fully consistent with the image of God that moves him..

Let's stop once again at the verse 13, in the posture and prayer of the publican, that serve as a counterweight to those of the Pharisee. Stay behind, perhaps in the space furthest from the temple precinct; does not raise his eyes to the sky, but he recognizes himself as a sinner by beating his chest, the way David said: "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Sam 12,13); and as the prodigal son confessed: "I have sinned against heaven and against you" (LC 15,21). The Publican's Prayer Is Not Self-Centered; He asks for one thing—mercy—with the expression “Have compassion.” (hilaskomai), What does it mean to encourage?, become favorable, atone for sins. The publican makes no comparisons; he considers himself the only sinner, a true sinner. Finally, in the verse 14, we find Jesus' comment, that highlights who is justified and who is not. His response begins with the expression "I tell you." (lego smile), as to point out a significant conclusion, an invitation to listen attentively. After, Jesus declares that of the two who went up to the temple, only the publican went home justified. The verb used by Jesus means to descend home. The sinner's prayer is accepted by God; that of the Pharisee, instead, no, because he had nothing to ask for. God, however, always welcome pleas for forgiveness when they are authentic. This parable thus becomes a new teaching on prayer, just like the previous one, that of the judge and the widow.

Through this parable, The Christian reader understands that the authenticity of prayer depends on the quality and goodness of the relationships with others who pray with me and who, together with me, they form the Body of Christ. In the Christian sphere, where Jesus Christ is "the image of the invisible God" (With the 1,15), Prayer becomes a process of continuous purification of our images of God, from the image revealed in Christ — and in Him crucified (cf. 1 Color 2,2) —, image that questions and unmasks all false and distorted representations of God. The attitude of the Pharisee can be considered emblematic of a religious type that replaces the relationship with the Lord with quantifiable returns.. He fasts twice a week and pays tithes on everything he acquires., even performing supererogatory works. Instead of a relationship with the Lord under the sign of the Spirit and the gratuitousness of love, a form of search for sanctification appears through control, that requires distancing from others. The prayer, Instead—as Luke suggests—, requires humility. And humility is adherence to reality, to the poverty and smallness of the human condition, al humus what we are made of. It is the courageous knowledge of oneself before God that has manifested itself in the humility and self-emptying of the Son.. Where there is humility, there is openness to grace, there is charity and mercy is found.

From the Hermitage, 26 October 2025

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

Italian, english, español

THE SAVING JOY OF BEING ONLY USELESS SERVANTS

The authentic disciple of the Lord, after having done his service well, he must however recognize himself as useless because his work does not necessarily guarantee him salvation, as grace will always be a gift and not a boast for having done something.

Author
Hermit Monk

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PDF print format article – PDF article print format – PDF article in printed format

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The Gospel of Luke today reports two sayings of Jesus. The first concerns faith, in response to a question from the apostles.

The second which is presented in extended form, almost a small parable, refers to the service that "useless servants" provide. The context is still that of Jesus' great journey to Jerusalem which began in LC 9,51 and will end in LC 19,45. Today's Gospel closes the second section of this pilgrimage of Jesus which is characterized by the invitation to enter the Kingdom by following certain conditions. What follows is the Gospel text:

"During that time, the apostles said to the Lord: «Increase our faith!». The Lord replied: «If you had faith as much as a mustard seed, you might say to this mulberry tree: «Uproot yourself and go and plant yourself in the sea, and it would obey you. Who among you, if he has a servant to plow or graze the flock, he will tell him, when he returns from the field: «Come quickly and sit at the table?» He won't tell him instead: «Prepare something to eat, stringiti le vesti ai fianchi e sérvimi, until I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink?» Perhaps he will be grateful to that servant, because he followed the orders he received? So do you, when you have done everything you were told to do, said: «We are useless servants. We did what we had to do" (LC 17,5-10).

After having discussed the use of material goods, of relationships with others and of the Church with community instructions, for the first time in the Gospel of Luke the Lord speaks on the theme of faith in response to an intervention by the apostles: «Increase our faith» (LC 17,5). The question of the latter refers to a similar situation recalled by the Gospel of Mark. There, after the story of the transfiguration, the father of a possessed boy turns to Jesus to ask for his son's liberation, and tells him: «Credo; help my unbelief" (MC 9,24). The Lord answers him not in words, but with a gesture of power, exorcising the impure spirit. The gospel of Matthew tells the same episode but amplifies it, adding the reaction of the disciples not handed down by Saint Mark and recording however the same words of Jesus that we hear today: «Then the disciples approached Jesus, on the sidelines, and they asked him: «Because we couldn't drive him away?». And he answered them: «For your little faith. Verily I say unto you: if you have faith equal to a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: «Move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you" (Mt 17,19-20).

Actually Marco too preserves the same saying of Jesus in Luke, but in a different context, that of the fruitless fig tree: «Jesus answered them: «Have faith in God! Verily I say unto you: if one were to say to this mountain: Get up and throw yourself into the sea, without doubting in his heart, but believing that what he says happens, this will happen to him" (MC 11,22-23).

Are, as Archimedes said, to lift the world you need a point of support, this is undoubtedly faith for Jesus. Jesus has just spoken of the inevitability of scandals occurring in the Christian community and invited those who sin to be corrected and those who repent and openly recognize their sin to be infinitely forgiven. (LC 17,1-4). In this context we understand the prayer of the disciples to see their faith increased. How to hold up, indeed, the weight of scandals, of obstacles to the life of communion, of the stumbling block placed on the smallest or simplest in the ecclesial space? How to exercise fraternal correction that does not crush the brother but frees him? How to forgive again and always those who repent every time? Only through faith. Let it be, by way of example, to move a mulberry tree as in today's page of Luke or a mountain, as in the gospels of Mark and Matthew, the aforementioned "lever" to do this is faith, as big as a mustard seed, in fact what matters is quality and not quantity. In the evangelical miracles it is presupposed in the needy that Jesus encounters, allows us to avoid spectacularisation or idolatry, Jesus normally asks for faith before his intervention, since after that it is no longer guaranteed, as in the case of the ten healed lepers in next Sunday's Gospel: only one returned to say thank you (cf.. LC 17,11-19).

In the second part of the song a similarity is reported, almost a parable, which presents a situation that, Fortunately, today it is very difficult to trace, since slavery has been abolished and those who perform a service do so because they are competent and gratified and not simply because they are qualified as servants. However in the Bible these terms, net of social situations different from ours, are used to define a religious condition, often positive. For instance, in the Gospel of Luke, Mary herself proclaims herself the "servant" of the Lord (cf.. LC 1,38). How typical of Jesus, the parable places us before a paradoxical situation, as an invitation to look at reality from another point of view, which is that of God. In this case the paradox corresponds to the fact that the servant, having done his duty, it was necessary to his master. But the authentic disciple of the Lord, after having done his service well, he must however recognize himself as useless because his work does not necessarily guarantee him salvation, as grace will always be a gift and not a boast for having done something. The Greek term, used by Luca, acreios (achreioi), which has the original meaning of "worthless", applied to the people mentioned by Jesus it indicates any servants, to whom nothing is owed. It's a strong feeling, which could offend modern sensibilities, yet it hides a religious and salvific meaning that, eg, the apostle Paul captures it when speaking about faith in the Letter to the Romans: «Where then is the boasting?? He was excluded! By what law? From that of the works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that man is justified by faith, independently of the works of the Law" (Rom 3,27-28). And again in the Letter to the Ephesians: “For by grace you are saved through faith; and that doesn't come from you, but it is a gift from God; nor does it come from works, so that no one can boast about it" (Ef 2,8-9).

Therefore for the disciple and in the Christian community, faith is required for service and they walk together; this is the link that we can trace between the simile that Jesus makes and the exhortation to faith, although the size of a mustard seed. Jesus is instructing those who follow him and great faith is required of the disciple, which can only be continually asked of God. The effort and commitment that Christians must have to do what they do, often at the risk of their lives in some situations and parts of the world, he must also be able to recognize that one is saved not because one was good or achieved results, but because it is God who saves. All credit, even those legitimately obtained, they must be brought back to the merciful and savior God.

From the Hermitage, 5 October 2025

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THE SAVING JOY OF BEING ONLY UNWORTHY SERVANTS

The disciple of the Lord, after having carried out his service well, must still recognise himself as unprofitable, because his work does not of itself guarantee salvation; grace will always be a gift and never a boast for having done something.

Author
Hermit Monk

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The Gospel of Luke today reports two sayings of Jesus. The first concerns faith, in response to a request from the apostles.

The second, presented at greater length as a short parable, refers to the service rendered by the «unprofitable servants». The setting is still that of the great journey of Jesus to Jerusalem which began at Page 9:51 and will end at Page 19:45. With today’s Gospel we come to the close of the second section of this pilgrimage of Jesus, which is marked by the invitation to enter the Kingdom by following certain conditions. What follows is the Gospel text:

«And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to [this] mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” (Luke 17:5–10)».

After speaking about the use of material goods, relations with one’s neighbour and the life of the Church with her communal instructions, for the first time in Luke’s Gospel the Lord speaks about the theme of faith in response to a request from the apostles: «Increase our faith» (Page 17:5). Their plea recalls a similar situation noted by Mark. There, after the account of the Transfiguration, the father of a possessed boy turns to Jesus to ask for his son’s liberation and says to him: «I do believe, help my unbelief!» (Mk 9:24). The Lord answers him not with words but with a deed of power, by casting out the unclean spirit. Matthew recounts the same episode but expands it, adding the disciples’ reaction (which Mark does not record) and preserving the same words of Jesus that we hear today: «Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you”» (Mt 17:19–20).

Mark also preserves the same saying of Jesus as Luke, but in a different context, that of the barren fig tree: «Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him”» (Mk 11:22–23).

If, as Archimedes said, to lift the world one needs a fixed point, for Jesus that point is undoubtedly faith. He has just spoken about the inevitability that scandals occur within the Christian community and has urged that the sinner be corrected and that the one who repents be forgiven without limit (Page 17:1-4). In this context one understands the disciples’ prayer to have their faith increased. How, indeed, can one bear the weight of scandals, of obstacles to communion, of stumbling blocks placed before the little ones in the Church’s life? How can one exercise fraternal correction that does not crush a brother but frees him? How can one forgive again and again those who repent each time? Only by means of faith. Whether, by way of example, it is a matter of moving a mulberry tree as in Luke, or a mountain as in Mark and Matthew, the “lever” to do so is faith — great even if only like a mustard seed — for what counts is its quality rather than its quantity. In the Gospel miracles faith is presupposed in those in need whom Jesus meets; it allows one to avoid spectacle or idolatry. Jesus normally asks for faith before he intervenes, because afterwards it is no longer guaranteed, as in the case of the ten lepers of next Sunday’s Gospel: only one returned to give thanks (cf. Page 17:11–19).

In the second part of the passage a comparison is reported, almost a parable, presenting a situation which, thankfully, is very hard to find today, since slavery has been abolished and those who perform a service do so because they are competent and fulfilled, not simply because they are labelled as servants. Nevertheless, in the Bible such terms, quite apart from social situations different from our own, are used to define a religious condition, often a positive one. For example, in Luke’s Gospel Mary herself proclaims herself the «handmaid» of the Lord (cf. Page 1:38). As is typical of Jesus, the parable sets before us a paradoxical situation that invites us to look at reality from another point of view, that of God. The paradox here is that the servant, having done his duty, has in fact been necessary to his master. But the true disciple of the Lord, after having carried out his service well, must still recognise himself as unprofitable, because his work does not of itself guarantee salvation; grace will always be a gift and never a boast for having done something. The Greek word used by Luke, acreios (achreioi), whose primary sense is “without claim,” applied to the persons in Jesus’ example indicates ordinary servants to whom nothing is owed. It is a strong expression that can jar modern sensibilities, yet it conceals a religious and saving meaning which, for example, the Apostle Paul brings out when he speaks about faith in the Letter to the Romans: «What occasion is there then for boasting? It is ruled out. On what principle, that of works? No, rather on the principle of faith. For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law» (Rom 3:27–28). And again in the Letter to the Ephesians: «For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast» (Eph 2:8–9).

For the disciple, then, and within the Christian community, faith is required for service and the two walk together. This is the link we can trace between the comparison that Jesus makes and the exhortation to a faith even the size of a mustard seed. Jesus is instructing those who follow him, and the disciple is asked for a great faith which can only be continually begged from God. The hard work and commitment Christians must put into what they do — often at the risk of their very lives in certain situations and parts of the world — must also be joined to the recognition that we are saved not because we have been good or have achieved results, but because it is God who saves. All merits, even those legitimately obtained, must be referred back to the merciful and saving God.

From the Hermitage October 5, 2025

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THE SALVIFIC JOY OF BEING ONLY USELESS SERVANTS

The true disciple of the Lord, after having performed your service well, must also be recognized as useless, because his work does not by itself guarantee his salvation; grace will always be a gift and not a reason to boast for having done something.

Author
Hermit Monk

.

The Gospel of Luke today collects two sayings of Jesus. The first refers to faith, in response to a request from the apostles.

The second, presented more extensively as a small parable, refers to the service provided by "useless servants". The context remains that of Jesus' great journey to Jerusalem that began in LC 9,51 and will conclude in LC 19,45. With today's Gospel the second section of this pilgrimage of Jesus closes., which is characterized by the invitation to enter the Kingdom following certain conditions. Next, the evangelical text:

«At that time, the apostles said to the Lord: “Increase our faith!”. The Lord responded: “If you had faith like a mustard seed, would you say to this mulberry tree: 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea', and I would obey you. Which of you, If you have a servant plowing or shepherding the flock, will tell you, when he comes back from the field: 'Come right away and sit at the table'? Won't you rather tell him: 'Prepare me to eat; Gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink, and then you will eat and drink? Do you thank the servant because he did what he was told?? So do you, when you have done everything that has been ordered of you, DECIDED: 'We are useless servants. “We have done what we had to do.” (LC 17,5–10).

After having tried of the use of material goods, of relationships with neighbors and the life of the Church with its community instructions, For the first time in the Gospel of Luke the Lord speaks on the topic of faith in response to a request from the apostles: «Increase our faith!» (LC 17,5). The plea refers to a similar situation remembered by the Gospel of Mark. Over there, after the story of the Transfiguration, The father of a possessed boy goes to Jesus to ask for his son's release and tells him: "Believe; help my disbelief!» (MC 9,24). The Lord answers him not with words, but with a gesture of power, expelling the impure spirit. Mateo narrates the same episode but expands it, adding the reaction of the disciples (that Marcos does not register) and preserving the same words of Jesus that we hear today: "Then the disciples came to Jesus apart and said to him: “Why couldn't we expel him??”. He told them: “Because of your little faith. Truly I tell you: If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: 'Move from here to there', and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Mt 17,19–20).

Actually, Mark also preserves the same saying of Jesus as Luke, but in a different context, the one with the barren fig tree: «Jesus answered them: “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you: whoever says to this mountain: 'Take off and throw yourself into the sea', without doubt in the heart, but believing that what he says will happen, It will happen to him." (Mc 11,22–23).

And, as Archimedes said, To move the world you need a support point, For Jesus that point is undoubtedly faith. He has just spoken about the inevitability of scandals in the Christian community and has invited people to correct those who sin and forgive without limit those who repent. (Lc 17,1–4). In this context the prayer of the disciples to increase their faith is understood.. How to endure, indeed, the weight of the scandals, of obstacles to communion, of the stumbling block placed on the little ones in ecclesial life? How to exercise a fraternal correction that does not crush the brother but rather frees him? How to forgive again and again someone who repents every time? Only through faith. Whether it is, as an example, to move a mulberry tree, like on today's page of Lucas, or a mountain, as in Mark and Matthew, the aforementioned “lever” to do so is faith, large even if it is the size of a mustard seed: quality matters, not the amount. Faith in the needy that Jesus encounters is presupposed in evangelical miracles.; allows you to escape from spectacle or idolatry. Jesus usually asks for faith before intervening, because after that it is no longer guaranteed, as in the case of the ten lepers of next Sunday's Gospel: only one returned to give thanks (cf. Lc 17,11–19).

In the second part The passage contains a comparison, almost a parable, which presents a situation that, fortunately, today it is very difficult to find, because slavery has been abolished and whoever provides a service does so because he is competent and performs, not simply by being qualified as a servant. However, In the Bible these terms—regardless of social situations different from ours—are used to define a religious condition., often positive. For example, in the Gospel of Luke, Mary herself proclaims herself a “servant” of the Lord (cf. LC 1,38). As is typical of Jesus, The parable places us before a paradoxical situation that invites us to look at reality from another point of view.: God's. The paradox here is that the servant, having fulfilled his duty, has been necessary to his lord. But the true disciple of the Lord, after having performed your service well, must also be recognized as useless, because his work does not by itself guarantee his salvation; grace will always be a gift and not a reason to boast for having done something. The Greek term used by Luke, acreios (achreioi), whose primary meaning is "without right", applied to the people of Jesus' example indicates ordinary servants to whom nothing is owed. It's a strong expression, that can shock modern sensibilities, but it contains a religious and salvific meaning that, For example, the apostle Paul captures when speaking about faith in the Letter to the Romans: "Where is, well, the reason to glory? is excluded. why law? For the works? No, by the law of faith. For we hold that man is justified by faith, without the works of the law" (Rom 3,27–28). And also in the Letter to the Ephesians: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this does not come from you, but it is a gift from God; It doesn't come from the works, so that no one can boast." (Ef 2,8–9).

For the disciple, well, and within the Christian community, faith is required for service and both walk together; This is the link that we can trace between the comparison that Jesus makes and the exhortation to a faith, even if it's the size of a mustard seed. Jesus is instructing those who follow him, and great faith is asked of the disciple, that can only be asked of God continually. The effort and commitment that Christians must put into what they do—many times at the risk of their own lives in certain situations and places in the world—must be linked to the recognition that we are saved not because we have been good or achieved results., but because it is God who saves. All the merits, even those legitimately obtained, They must refer to the merciful and savior God.

From the Hermitage, 5 October 2025

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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