Fifth Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 52

Reading 1

Acts 6:1-7

As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
"It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word."
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 

Reading 2

1 Peter 2:4-9

Beloved:
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it says in Scripture:
Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.
Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone, and
A stone that will make people stumble,
and a rock that will make them fall.
They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises" of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
 

Alleluia

John 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father, except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
 

Gospel

John 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way."
Thomas said to him,
"Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to him,
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father."

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”

 

Jesus was speaking to His disciples at the Laster supper, giving them final instructions and preparing them for His crucifixion and death. Through His words we have a window into the relationship of the Trinity and an invitation into what our relationship with God could be like. It is through Jesus that we  encounter the Father, drawn by the Holy Spirit, (the Love of God), into that same relationship that Jesus is talking about: The Father being in Him while being seen through him, while experiencing what they have by being a part of it. Confusing that it may be, it can be simplified by stating that the Father loves and is with the Son and through them the Holy Spirit reveals itself.

 

There truly is nothing to fear. Whatever threatens us in this life can be overcome through the relationship we have with God, if that relationship is central and Jesus is at work within us. We cannot take this for granted. Whatever is predominant in our mind will take precedent, for all action is perpetuated first by thought. If God is on our mind, then He will have influence over our actions and the outcome of them. We will be able to think clearly and make decisions based on what God wants for us, for we have made an effort to remove obstacles that could be impeding a fulfilling relationship with Him.

 

It is natural for us to be uncomfortable turning our lives and will over to God. This is part of our fallen nature through Original Sin. It is natural for us to try to control things through our self- will, instead of surrendering everything over to God. That is when things go wrong in our lives and we get frustrated, possibly disheartened with God himself. We blame Him instead of ourselves, thus alienating Him further. Jesus cuts through the self-created confusion that we find ourselves in, telling us not to worry and to remain in Him.

 

“Whatever you ask for in my name I will do.”

 

These words come from Jesus, but oftentimes fall upon deaf ears including our own. If the key to true joy and happiness in this life is through a loving relationship with our God, why do we find it hard to pursue exactly that? Why do we continuously choose to put Him aside, making choices and decisions without His advice and counsel, even though He is always here readily offering that which we routinely reject. Regardless of the answer we can provide, the question is rhetorical. We are the problem while Jesus is the solution. To solve the problem, we must reject what the problem offers in favor of the solution. This means a distrust of ourselves and a complete trust in God.

 

The process of disentangling ourselves from the self and entering into a relationship with Jesus can be a slow process. It takes a lot of trust, patience, and an understanding that Jesus must be the center, which an elevated importance in comparison to everything else including relationships, goals, needs, and wants. Just last week, through the Gospel Reading on Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus claimed He was the gate to which all must pass through to get to the Father. Coming to Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit, brings us directly to the Father and into the relationship of the Trinity. Here, we are completely emersed into a relationship with our God. Here, we are guided, protected, and above all loved. Experiencing the perfect good means that there is no room for evil actions or thoughts. These things naturally dissipate and disappear. There is no room for them or no wanting for them on our part. There is just us and our God.

 

The Apostle Peter tells us that we are,

 

 “… rejected by human beings

but chosen and precious in the sight of God”

 

I feel the need to encourage all of us to take a moment to contemplate: “WE WERE CHOSEN BY OUR GOD.” We did not choose Him, He chose us by creating us and first loving us. To return that love is key to us being healed and built into something better: what God intended us to be in the first place. That is the best possible version of ourselves through the work of His hands, not ours. As scripture tells us, “He is the potter and we are the clay.” To be the clay, we have to be pliable and let God do the necessary work within us to promote change. Let Him do the work and let us be benefactors of all the rewards and gifts that will follow.

 

As Psalm 62 says,

 

“My soul, be at rest in God alone, from whom comes my hope. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not fall.  “

 

We are invited to stop fighting and to stop resisting. Instead, we are offered respite and comfort. This takes a commitment, a step forward, and an act of surrender. We are invited to stop fighting and rest instead. It is through the accepting of this invitation that a new life can be revealed to us filled with joy through out eternity.

 

Deacon Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 49

Reading 1

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
"What are we to do, my brothers?"
Peter said to them,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call."
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
"Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. 
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 

Reading 2

1 Peter 2:20b-25

Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted, he returned no insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
 

Alleluia

John 10:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
 

Gospel

John 10:1-10

Jesus said:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, a day to reflect on how Jesus Christ is leading us in our lives, while also reflecting on our responsibilities and expectations as Children of the Resurrection as we continue to celebrate the Easter Joy in this season. Jesus constantly calls us to follow Him and listen to Him. This is one of the many gifts that we are given from Him. Our God wants to enter into a personal relationship with us and become as intimidate with us if we will allow it. He demonstrated His willingness to do this through His crucifixion and then emphasized His dedication through His words of encouragement:

 

“Remain in me and I will remain in you.”

“No, I will not abandon you as orphans-I will come to see you.”

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

These words were used to comfort His Apostles and disciples. They have also been spoken to comfort us. As a shepherd calls his sheep, so does Jesus call to us to follow Him and pass through the gate to the Father. He is the one true gate and the one true shepherd. As sheep are familiar with the shepherd’s voice, we too must familiarize ourselves with the voice of Jesus if we are to recognize His influence within our lives and if we are going to be able to hear Him when He speaks. This does take effort and dedication on our part; a commitment beyond just periodic worship and prayer. When we familiarize ourselves with something (a person, relationship, place, or object) we naturally assign a value to it. During this Easter Season, we can challenge ourselves and ask a question:

 

“How much importance do we assign to our Lord Jesus Christ, and how important is our relationship with Him?”

 

We can easily say that Jesus Christ is important to us, but how important is He really? What sacrifices have we made and what are we willing to give up in the future to become closer to Him? It is very easy to just claim our intentions regarding our relationship, but to do the hard work and make the sacrifices demanded is another thing altogether. This can take a lot of dedication and work, but it is definitely worth it.

 

Unfortunately, society has developed in us a demand for immediate results and immediate stimulation when things are sought after. Research has revealed to us that, as a society, our attention span has lessened greatly over the past decades. The introduction of television, the home computer, the internet, cellphones, and an increased importance placed on self-indulgence has all chipped away at our fortitude and determination when pursuing something worthwhile, especially when the benefits may not be revealed until a much later date. One recent study has shown that our attention span has decreased more than 66% over the past 20 years. This means that, as a society, we are more resistant to working on something that does not offer immediate gratification in comparison to something that increases the dopamine levels in our brain. Regardless of this, we are individuals who can voluntarily commit to something that needs to be worked on, if it feels like it is the right thing to do. Wouldn’t it be good for us to fully understand Jesus and the Incarnation (the word becoming flesh), then spread the Good News, while letting this knowledge influence our decision-making process? That is what Jesus is telling us to do: To follow Him as the shepherd’s voice, and to listen to what He has to say.

 

Many of us carry “self-inflicted wounds” which have made parts of our lives very challenging. These wounds can include alcoholism, drug addiction, incarceration, or just simply a focus on the material instead of the spiritual. The Apostle Paul tells us today that,

 

 “He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,

so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed.

For you had gone astray like sheep.”

 

Those of us who may have gone just a little bit deeper and darker, in comparison to other people, may find ourselves suffering immensely with this guilt and regret. Knowing that we have already been forgiven and healed for those times can offer us relief where we thought there was none. If our God has already did the heavy lifting, why do we still beat ourselves up over these things? It truly is time to move on, going forward as new creations and Children of the Resurrection.

 

It is true that, as Christians, we are destined to suffer for some time, just because of who we are. Embracing that suffering and asking Jesus to alleviate these things will always render positive results.

 

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. Knowing something means that we will not be able to forget it. Once we have that understanding, then we will be able to embrace our brokenness and hand it over to Jesus, who will make us whole again.

 

Deacon Tom