Fourth Sunday of Easter – The Good Shepherd Sunday
Readings:
Acts 2:14, 36-41
Psalm 23
1 Peter 2:20-25
John 10:1-10
Theme: Christ the Good Shepherd
This is the Sunday when we pray to the Lord of the harvest to send many more laborers to His Vine yard. We pray for vocations to Priestly and Religious life. We also pray for vocations to Married love so that we can have good families where religious vocations can be nurtured.
We have heard that on the day of Pentecost how Peter speaks to the whole of the house of Israel: “Jesus who was crucified has resurrected and God has made Him both Lord and Christ.” He is a witness the resurrection of Jesus. He teaches and admonishes the people to join the new way of life. Today we also being welcomed by Peter. But what should be our response? Just like the congregation of Peter, we are being told;
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus. Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” We will save ourselves by leaving/abandoning our old ways: bearing false witness, corruption, fornication & adultery, slander, sloth, stealing, disobedience, ignoring the plight of the poor, sick & needy.
The next step is believing and being baptized in the name of Jesus. After listening to Peter 3,000 people believed and were baptized. During the baptismal vows, we denounce satan and believe in the Triune God before approaching the baptism font.
In his first letter Peter tells us how Christ has suffered for us, by even dying on the Cross. In fact he says; “By His wounds you have been healed.” (namely -the scourging, the prickings from the crown of thorns, the weight of cross, the nails in his hands & feet, the piercing with the lance, without forgetting the humiliation). You, who had sinned and had become like strayed sheep, have now been returned to the shepherd and guardian of our souls.
Psalm 23 encourages us ‘The Lord is my shepherd there is nothing I shall want, my head you have anointed with oil and my cup is overflowing’.
Jesus in John’s gospel tells us ‘I am the door of the sheep. To reach our destination we must enter through the door. ‘Ask and you will be given, search and you will find, knock the door will be opened for you’ (Mathew 7:7.) We are reminded many times that this door is narrow meaning that we need to sacrifice, denounce many things to enter. He is the door and He is the shepherd standing at the door calling His sheep. His sheep know his voice and follow him. A stranger they will not follow. If we enter by the door = JESUS; we will be saved and led to the pasture. Ps. 23 – Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose.
Thieves – false prophets come (through or over the wall) only to steal, kill and destroy the sheep. But Jesus has come that we may have life and have it in abundance. Yes, even in these dark Covid 19 days – with sickness, isolations, quarantine, lockdowns, etc. ‘near restful waters he leads me, he revives my soul. Though I should walk in the valley of death no evil would I fear for you are with me. Your crook and your staff will give me comfort. Should I be sick, homeless (floods & landslides), jobless, hungry, … ‘surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
So when I repent, I am saved through believing & baptism in the name of Jesus who is the DOOR of the sheep.
When I am silent enough to listen to his voice calling me, I follow him ‘green pastures will be mine. And indeed in the Lord’s own house (church) shall I dwell forever. Through prayer and the proper interventions, the Covid 19 pandemic will be defeated and we will go back normalcy – worshiping in truth and spirit in our churches once again.
May is the month of Mother Mary, we ask her assist us to listen, to follow her son so as to be SAVED here on earth and eternally, Amen.
Fr. Boniface
3rd May 2020.
