"I Know My Sheep, and Mine Know Me"

“I know My sheep, and Mine know Me” (John 10:14). This past Sunday was Good Shepherd Sunday in the Novus Ordo rite (in the traditional rite it was on April 14th) and this verse is prevalent in reminding us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, that He knows each of His sheep by name, and that they know Him in return. And we find elsewhere in Scripture the definitive way to know whether we know Jesus: “Whoever says ‘I know Him’ but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). The commandments are the foundation for knowing God and knowing whether something is from Him or not.

We are all familiar with the Ten Commandments and “love one another as I have loved you,” the “new commandment” as Jesus called it in John 13:34. However, we are all called to go deeper and really delve into the extent of all of these commands. For example, “Thou shalt not kill” doesn’t just refer to physical killing. We can also kill the reputation and even the self-confidence of others by slander or gossip. Keeping holy the Sabbath day doesn’t just mean going to Mass, but taking time out in the day to meditate on the readings and spend time with the Lord on His day. And loving each other as Jesus loved us means laying down our lives for each other, not necessarily physically but in acts of self-denial, putting aside our own interests and comfort in order to help those in need. Later on in the Good Shepherd discourse, Jesus would also say that “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27). In order to know Him and know how to follow His commands in our lives, we need to listen and tune our hearts to His voice.

Cultivating inward silence is the only way that we will get to know Jesus’s voice and distinguish it from other voices that try to distract and disturb us. Seeking out solitude and silence daily in order to pray and meditate on Jesus’s words in Scripture and what He is saying specifically to us through them will help us grow closer to Him and get to know Him and His will for us better. Sitting and reflecting on His love for us and asking Him to help us better understand its depths will also aid in helping us know Him.

Do you really know Jesus? Sitting with the Ten Commandments and doing an examination of conscience based on them will help you gauge the answer to this question and if you don’t normally set aside time daily for silent prayer and getting to know Jesus’s voice, it’s never too late to start. He is waiting for you.