Fourth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 50
Reading 1
Acts 4:8-12
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
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
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 2
1 John 3:1-2
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
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 10:11-18
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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Instruments of the Good Shepherd
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.” John 10:11–13
Today, on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a day when we reflect upon the tender image of Jesus as the Shepherd of us all. It is also a day set aside to pray for more shepherds within our Church who will shepherd God’s flock with the Heart of Christ.
Our Gospel passage comes from John 10 which, in part, is a commentary on the previous chapter that includes the long and detailed story of the healing of the blind man. Recall that Jesus healed this man who was blind from birth. He did this healing “so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” As a result of this man’s healing, the Pharisees cast the blind man out of the synagogue, not believing that Jesus’ healing was from God. After the man was cast out of the synagogue, Jesus spoke with him again and he professed his deep faith in Jesus, the true Shepherd. The healed blind man said, “I do believe, Lord.” Then he worshiped Jesus. Thus, the greater healing of this man was that he became a member of God’s flock, accepting Jesus as his true Shepherd.
Our Gospel today is Jesus’ commentary upon the actions of the Pharisees in contrast to His own. The Pharisees, as religious leaders, were not shepherds. They were “thieves and robbers” who came to “steal and slaughter and destroy.” Jesus, however, came so that those who listened to His voice “might have life and have it more abundantly.”
The Gospel passage quoted above explains why the Pharisees were not true shepherds. It was because they “work for pay” and have “no concern for the sheep.” Think about that statement as it applies to the Pharisees and their treatment of this man who was blind from birth. First of all, the “pay” that these Pharisees worked for was their own self importance—a fleeting and worldly reward. They saw themselves as the true teachers and interpreters of the Law and saw anyone who did not follow them as a threat. The Pharisees clearly perceived Jesus as such a threat to them. For that reason, they took their envy out on this humble and simple blind man. They were not shepherds to him. They did not encourage him, support him, point him to God or act in any way as an instrument of God’s grace. Instead, they condemned this innocent and holy man out of their pride.
Though God shepherds us today through His sacred pastors, we are all called to participate in this shepherding of the Good Shepherd in our own unique way. We are called to lead those within our families, at work, at school, within our neighborhoods, social circles and in every other societal context. But too often we imitate these Pharisees by allowing our own selfishness and desire for self importance to interfere with our ability to put others first and love them with the Shepherd’s heart.
Reflect, today, upon the calling you have received to lay down your life for others in imitation of the Good Shepherd. In order to imitate this love in the Heart of Christ, we must love without seeking love in return. Laying our lives down is an act of sacrificial love that enables us to look only at the needs of those around us. Pride and selfishness must disappear, and the good of the other must become our only goal. Reflect upon how well you do this, and pray that the Good Shepherd will use you to shepherd those in your life who need it the most.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
THE LIFE OF A SHEEP
“I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” —John 10:11 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.” —John 10:14
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. To be called a sheep is not a compliment. Sheep are sheepish, that is, backward and timid. Sheep can’t even eat grass without destroying the field where the grass grows. That’s one of the reasons they need shepherds to move them elsewhere. When Jesus called us “sheep,” He implied that we weren’t just weak but helpless. Apart from Him we can do nothing (Jn 15:5).
We sheep, who are so helpless, have a hard time living under the easiest circumstances. What will we do in difficult and dangerous circumstances? Thieves are coming “only to steal and slaughter and destroy” us (Jn 10:10). Wolves are trying to snatch, scatter, and kill us (Jn 10:12). Some of these wolves are in sheep’s clothing (Mt 7:15), so some of those we consider our friends are actually our enemies. Furthermore, some of our shepherds upon whom we are counting to protect us are merely hired hands who will abandon us and leave us to be slaughtered (Jn 10:12).
We sheep are simple, weak, and in a “heap of trouble.” Our only Hope is Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Follow Jesus.
Prayer: Jesus, Good Shepherd, lead me through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps 23:4, RSV-CE).
Promise: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called children of God! Yet that is what we are.” —1 Jn 3:1
Praise: Praise Jesus, Who holds “the keys of death and the nether world” (Rv 1:18). Praise You, Good Shepherd, that no one can snatch us out of Your hand (Jn 10:28). Alleluia forever!
Reflection 3
By Mons. José Ángel SAIZ Meneses, Archbishop of Seville
(Sevilla, Spain)
“I am the good shepherd”
Today we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. First and foremost, the attitude of the sheep must be to listen to the shepherd’s voice and follow him. To listen carefully, to be docile to his word, to follow him with a decision that engages the whole existence: understanding, heart, all strength and all action, following in His footsteps.
For his part, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows his sheep and gives them eternal life, in such a way that they will never be lost and, furthermore, no one will take them from his hand. Christ is the true Good Shepherd who gave his life for the sheep (cf. Jn 10:11), for us, sacrificing himself on the cross. He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him, just as the Father knows Him and He knows the Father. It is not about a superficial and external knowledge, nor just an intellectual knowledge. It is about a deep personal relationship, an integral knowledge of the heart, which ends up becoming friendship, because this is the logical consequence of a relationship between one who loves and one who is loved; in whom you know you can fully trust.
It is God the Father who has entrusted him with the care of his sheep. Everything is the fruit of the love of God the Father given to his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfills the mission that his Father has entrusted to him, which is the care of his sheep, with a fidelity that will not allow anyone to take them from his hand, with a love that leads him to give his life for them, in communion with the Father because "The Father and I are one" (Jn 10:30).
This is precisely where the source of our hope lies: in Christ the Good Shepherd whom we want to follow and whose voice we listen to for we know that eternal life is found only in Him. Here we find strength in the face of life's difficulties, we who are a weak flock and who are subjected to various tribulations.
Prayers
Divine Shepherd, You came to lay down Your life for us all so that we might have life and have it to the fullest. Like the blind man You cured, I profess my belief in You and worship You. Help me to receive and imitate Your love so that I will lay my life down for others, leading them to You, their holy Shepherd. Jesus, my Good Shepherd, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who keeps watch over our lives. May I be ever attentive to your voice and submit fully to your wise rule for my life. Draw me near to you that I may always find peace and joy in your presence.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 111: The Lies of the Evil One
The devil will tempt us in many ways. One common way the devil likes to attack us is to remind us of our sins, including those we have confessed. He loves to try to convince us that we are on the wrong path, that we are not pleasing to God, that we are liars and sinners. And while it’s true that we are sinners, the evil one always fails to see our sin through the lens of God’s Mercy. To overcome his deceptive temptations, while he reminds us of our sins, we need only to remind ourselves of the Mercy of the Heart of Jesus. As we gaze upon His Heart, we will have no fear about admitting our sin. This act of honesty will not produce anxiety, despair and doubt as the evil one desires. Instead, facing our sin in the light of the Mercy of God, will refresh us and lift our spirits, filling them with an abundance of hope (See Diary #520).
Think about the ways that the evil one may tempt you to despair over your sins. To mourn for your sins is a good and healthy act, but never in despair. Christian mourning leads to the Mercy of God, and the contrition you feel in this holy act lifts your burden and fills you with joy.
Precious Lord, free me from the deceit and attacks of the evil one. Keep me safe, oh God, and help me to never forget the abundance of Your Mercy. As I see that Mercy, help me to daily repent of my sin so as to rob from the evil one all weapons of his malice. Jesus, I trust in You.
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