Fourth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 50
Reading I
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
said:
“Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (22) The stone rejected by
the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his kindness endures forever.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading II
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father.”
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is upon us. This is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. It is where Jesus further defines His relationship with us. All of His actions and all of His deeds are directed towards us individually and as a whole so as to bring us closer to Him. The sheep, as defined, are all of peoples of the world; everyone in God’s creation. We are constantly being called to enter into relationship with Jesus. This call is evident in our consciousness and in our subconscious. Even when we find ourselves questioning who Jesus is and even if there is a higher power it is in reaction to this call. We cannot get away from it. It defines who we are and where we are going in our lives. Those who insist that there is no God are actually in a state of rebellion in reaction to this call while those of us who are actively seeking out Jesus Christ; trying to deepen our relationship with Him are in the same boat. No one is exempt from being affected by Jesus’ call. Just because some are in denial doesn’t mean they are not affected. They are just refusing to acknowledge Him which is a reaction in itself.
We are not puppets. Jesus does not pull our strings and make us do things which we do not want to do. We are given a choice either to accept Him or reject Him. This is a part of what a shepherd does. A shepherd does not scream, beat, or demand those whom he guides. The shepherd cajoles, guides, and gently makes adjustments so the flock goes into the right direction. There is a very intimate relationship between the shepherd and the flock which is based on a trust that can only developed through time and patience. Jesus has infinite patience while many of us need to develop this same patience and understanding. This is an ongoing process; taking time and dedication to achieve a good relationship. In the Gospel Reading today Jesus indicates that He has already made the commitment to us; giving up His life for us and offering everything to us so that we may be afforded every opportunity to achieve salvation and greatness. We have the choice to respond positively to that call and let Jesus in or we can walk away.
Walking away from the shepherd is very much like a sheep that leaves the flock and starts meandering off alone. The sheep is vulnerable; exposed to many dangers which include predators and those who want to do it harm. Sheep cannot defend themselves and are helpless without the shepherd. This is something that we all are encouraged to consider if the choice is to ignore the shepherd and go astray from the flock. In the flock there is protection. Away from the flock there is danger and threats that cannot be dealt with alone. Even though we all enjoy our independence and free will there is a consequence to not staying intimate with Jesus and refusing to let Him guide us. Our past experiences are evidence of this if we analyze them honestly. It can be argued that we all have had experiences with Jesus and without Him. Which ones were better?
It is a guarantee that all of us will find ourselves lost and alone at one point or another in our lives. As God’s Children we naturally tend to stray which is a bi-product of our free will and Original Sin. The wonderful thing is that no matter how far that we wander off our shepherd, Jesus Christ, is always there calling us to come back. He offers us good counsel, encouragement, strength, and above all mercy. He is always here to heal our wounds and make us better people through His presence. Jesus is the one thing we can count on if we only recognize that He is here for us.
The First Letter of John is a powerful testament to our relationship with God. We are indeed His children and this is the way He views us. We are being raised by Him and protected by Him at all times. Even though we may think we are adults, in God’s eyes we will always be His children. When this is recognized we are then separated from society and set aside in a very special way. Accepting our birthright means that we have put God above the earthly temptations that surround us. People will look at us differently because of that but that is only because their eyes have not been opened yet and they are blinded by the materialism which surround them. In this respect we pray for those individuals and constantly invite them to join us. The separation of the sheep and goats has already begun. We are constantly being offered a choice as to which side we are to adjoin ourselves with. It we keep focusing on our relationship with Jesus Christ then the choice will become more and more evident as we proceed forward. The Love of Jesus will envelope us and a true life with Him will be revealed. We are the sheep and He is the Shepherd.
Deacon Tom
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