In the passage from the Book of Revelation, something on the outside—the washing white of robes—symbolizes something on the inside—the faith of a person.

At the anniversary of a priest’s ordination, the homilist said something surprising: “The mystery of the Christian priesthood is this: A priest is a fallible, ordinary man. A man of dust who remembers he will return to dust, even though he presently wears a chasuble.”

Jesus said: “My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life.

No known image of Jesus was ever carved or painted in his lifetime, and the earliest image we do have is not the crucifix or even the cross, but a shepherd with a lamb draped over his shoulders.

As our Easter celebration of new life continues, we look to God’s mercy and ask for God’s pardon.

The Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them. Salvation-wise, the readings describe a move from smaller to larger.

Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. —William James (1842-1910)