Saturday, May 02, 2009
4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
FEAST, PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES
4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER – B
ACTS 4:8-12
Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, answered them, "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 Nazarean 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."
1 JOHN 3:1-2
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.
JOHN 10:11-18
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
The fourth Sunday of Easter is focused on the Good Shepherd. Jesus is
the "good shepherd" par excellence. It is quite difficult for us to
truly appreciate this image of Jesus for the whole idea of shepherd is
quite unfamiliar with many of us. Nonetheless what can be relevant are
certain features or traits of the shepherd.
First, "the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his
sheep." It is equivalent to saying that the shepherd is willing to die
for those entrusted to his care. This implies the capacity of the
shepherd to forget oneself, to die to oneself so that others may live.
Jesus emphasizes that, in giving his life for his sheep, he is doing
so of his own will. It is not just by force of circumstances. His
death is to be the living proof that "the greatest love a person can
show is to give one's life for one's friends". This is the proof that
Jesus truly is a Good Shepherd. This good shepherd contrasts with the
hired one who is mainly concerned with his own welfare. Anything or
any situation that puts him at risk, he will simply leave his flock
for fear that his very life will be sacrificed. This is a "I" or "me
first" mentality.
Secondly, a good shepherd, he knows his sheep and they know him. There
is a mutual bond of love and intimacy. That love is compared to the
deep mutual relationship that exists between Jesus and his Father.
Again the hired man or the self-interested leader will not have such a
relationship with his charges.
Finally, the good shepherd desires for universality as seen in this:
"There are other sheep I have that are not of this fold and these I
have to lead as well. There will be only one flock, and one shepherd".
The good shepherd deeply aims that many other sheep should come to
identify themselves with him. The ultimate goal is that "there will be
only one flock, and one shepherd", that the whole world will be united
together with its God and Lord.
This is the meaning of the Kingdom which is at the heart of the Gospel
message. This is a goal which preoccupies us still today. There are
still so many millions of people who have not yet heard the message of
a loving God, a God who sent his only Son to die for them. They seek
meaning and happiness in their lives by pursuing all kinds of other
goals which inevitably turn to ashes: material abundance, status in
the eyes of others, power over others, mistaking pleasure and hedonism
for happiness.
This clearly shows an outright rejection of what Jesus has to offer.
We are then not to be surprised if we, ourselves, who are earnest in
sharing Jesus will likewise not be welcomed.
No matter how closely we follow in the footsteps of our Shepherd, in
fact, the more closely we follow him, the more likely it is that we
will be rejected and even attacked. More tragic still, however, there
are so many people who claim Christ as Lord, many of them very good
and sincere people, who are often divided, even bitterly divided among
themselves.
In this regard, there is all the more the need to follow one Shepherd
and form one flock. Otherwise how can we give witness to the love of
Christ if that love is lacking among those who claim to be companions
of Jesus?
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the healing and strength of Sophia Gonzalez
… for the personal intentions of Margie R. Ponce de Leon
… for the safety of Johnson Cuiting
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Dennis Cham
- Birthday: Helen Yao
- Birthday: Elizabeth Khu
- Birthday: John Ortiz
- Birthday: Jorge Ting
- Thanksgiving: Katherine & Lee Comer
- Wedding Anniversary: Johannson & Marge Tee
- Wedding Anniversary: Noel & Sophie Bate
- In Memoriam (+): Marcelo Tansengco
… for the healing and peace of all families
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers
and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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SATURDAY 3RD WEEK OF EASTER
MEMORIAL, ST ATHANASIUS, BISHOP
SATURDAY 3RD WEEK OF EASTER – YEAR I
ACTS 9:31-42
The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It
was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the
consolation of the holy Spirit it grew in numbers. As Peter was
passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in
Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed
for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, "Aeneas,
Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed." He got up at once.
And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned
to the Lord. Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which
translated means Dorcas). She was completely occupied with good deeds
and almsgiving. Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after
washing her, they laid (her) out in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was
near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men
to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay." So Peter
got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the room
upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the
tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter
sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her
body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and
sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called
the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive. This became
known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord.
JOHN 6:60-69
Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is
hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were
murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if
you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is
the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words
I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you
who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would
not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this
reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted
him by my Father." As a result of this, many (of) his disciples
returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon
Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words
of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you
are the Holy One of God."
REFLECTION
The break-off point is the faith in Jesus. Either one accepts his
words which are spirit and life or one doesn't believe and goes back
home. But for one to come to him it must be given by the Father. It is
the mystery of faith which is not confined by our understanding of our
analyses and our categories because it is first of all a gift from
God. We have always to affirm today perhaps more than ever before this
essential characteristic of our faith before we start speculating how
and to whom God gives it. The essential point is to discover that it
is God who gives himself.
The whole discourse climaxes in the question that Jesus asks them — it
is not "Do you want to stay?" but "Do you want to go away?" The answer
of Peter, in the name of the apostles, shows that he has accepted and
understood Jesus' words. To whom could they go? There is no other way
than that of the "Holy One of God", the Messiah "who has the words of
eternal life." Placed before the choice between the road of return
back home and the uncertain way opened by Jesus, they choose the
second. The choice every Christian has to face is: "Am I with Jesus or
not?"
Scripture warns with a strong voice: there are many gods, but there is
only one true God. Only one is worthy of service, that is, to give
your life to. To opt for God is no blind choice. True, not everything
is clear as yet. Making a choice will always ask of you some share of
trusting self-surrender.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the healing and strength of:
- Sophia Gonzalez
- Francis Torres
- Mylene Lingad
- Shiappee
- Mimi Chua
- Jebson Joyosa
… for the safety of Johnson Cuiting
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Daily Prayer Diary.
- Birthday: Adeline S. Lim
- Birthday: Vicky Ganal
- Birthday: Minette Marquez
- In Memoriam (+): Felicisimo. R. Rosete, Sr.
- In Memoriam (+): Francisco Dee
… for the healing and peace of all families
… for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers
and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To subscribe email: dailyhomily@gmail.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to:
daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
© 2009 Daily-Homily
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