Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” (John 10)

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave his life for the sheep. In this Easter season we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus and the new life he gave us through his dying and rising. We hear his voice through the Word of God which is proclaimed at Mass, and when we read the Bible at home or in small groups. In prayer, we also hear his voice speaking to our hearts, and we can talk to him, too: we can ask him to protect us, to stay close to our hearts, and to guide our choices each day. By staying close to him, we allow him to continue to care for us. If we wander away from him, he can no longer protect us. That’s why it is important to stay close to him.

If we do wander away through sin or through abandoning our faith, we endanger ourselves spiritually. However, we can always repent and return to him. Jesus promises that we will never perish if we stay close to him! We may suffer or go through hardships or temptations, but if we stay close to him, he will stay close to us and protect us from spiritual harm and from spiritual death.