SHARING SPIRITUAL FOOD: St. Catherine of Siena, Ripon, WI - Fr. Davies Edassery Sac
EASTER IV SUNDAY (MAY 3) – GOOD SHEPHERD: Acts 2:14a,36-41; Ps 23; 1Pet 2:20b-25. Jn 10: 1-10.
Scripture Summary: The first Reading has a setting of Pentecost. After the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus’ followers, the Apostles left the upper room where they were gathered and started speaking in a variety of languages so that people from all over the world could understand them in their native language. Peter proclaims Jesus is Lord and Christ; Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of God’s people. Second reading is from 1 Peter which proclaims the saving mission of Jesus so that we, like lost sheep could be brought back to God. In St. John’s Gospel today, Jesus tells that the sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd. Sheep will not follow a stranger as they do not recognize the voice of a stranger.
During Easter Season we hear more about resurrection stories. But on this fourth Sunday of Easter we have the beginning of the ‘Good shepherd” discourse. This section might be more called the “Gate” discourse. Jesus is the gate through which sheep enter and are saved.
The risen Jesus is the Good Shepherd who speaks with the voice of God . Those who listen to the Good Shepherd follow the way of love, compassion, peace, understanding, and forgiveness. We know the Shepherd behind the voice protects us and keeps us safe from all harm.
Belief in the risen Jesus says that the quiet voice of the Good Shepherd overpowers the voice of the world; that the voice of life, love, compassion and peace drowns out the voices of death, hatred, selfishness, and violence. We are called to shepherd one another with the voice of God and lead all people to the gate of eternal life.
We recall in this Easter season that Jesus is the gate through which we are saved. Jesus is the means by which we enter the sheepfold, paradise, heaven itself.
It takes time to develop our own voice. Our voice conveys what is hidden in our heart. With our voice we can be in solidarity with others. With our voice we can encourage people to do good for others. We can call them to care for the sick, feed the poor, visit prisoners, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless.
Story: A teacher was once speaking to her students about the Eucharist. She asked the students which was, in their opinion, the most important part of the Mass. Without batting an eyelid, one student replied, "The Dismissal- Go, the Mass is ended!" Initially the teacher thought the student was joking, but he was absolutely serious and meant just what he said. So the teacher asked him to explain, and this is his answer: "The whole purpose of the Mass is to nourish us spiritually -first, with God's Word in the Liturgy of the Word, and second, with God's Life in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, culminating in the Holy Communion. And God nourishes us so that we can go forth and bear witness to Him by our lives, our words and our actions." The teacher was impressed and urged the student to continue. And so he added, "The Eucharist does not end with the Dismissal Rite. On the contrary, it begins there.