Sunday, May 11, 2014
Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 11, 2014
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 2: 14a, 36-41 / Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (1) / 1 Pt 2: 20b-25 / Jn 10: 1-10
First Reading: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice, addressed them: "Let Israel then know for sure that God has made Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified." When they heard this, they were deeply troubled. And they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What shall we do, brothers?" Peter answered: "Each of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise of God was made to you and your children, and to all those from afar whom our God may call." With many other words Peter gave the message and appealed to them saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who accepted his word were baptized; some three thousand persons were added to their number that day.
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2: 20b-25
Endure punishment when you have done well, that is a grace before God. This is your calling: remember Christ who suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you may follow in his way. He did no wrong and there was no deceit in his mouth. He did not return insult for insult and, when suffering, he did not curse but put himself in the hands of God who judges justly. He went to the cross bearing our sins on his own body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live an upright life. For by his wounds you have been healed. You were like stray sheep, but you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Gospel: Jn 10: 1-10
Truly, I say to you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But the shepherd of the sheep enters by the gate. The keeper opens the gate to him and the sheep hear his voice; he calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, rather they will run away from him because they don't recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this comparison, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep. All who came were thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not hear them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved; he will go in and out freely and find food. The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.
Reflection:
The fourth Sunday of Easter is always considered as Good Shepherd Sunday. Today's passage speaks of voices. From experience, when we hear someone saying that he/she hears voices, we tend to suspect that there might be something strange with this person. There might be some who would comment that this person must be going crazy or nuts. Of course, we try to clarify as to what they hear and if ever, any significant message/s.
In my early years in religious life, I was brought to someone who mimicked the sound of a baby and claimed that it is the Sto.Niño speaking through him which did not turn out to be authentic. Yet, we cannot readily dismiss such experiences for we know that even Sacred Scriptures have events where listening to voices is highlighted. We can readily cite the Transfiguration experience of Jesus in the presence of his three closest apostles Peter, James, and John as well as that of Moses representing the Law, and Elijah standing in for the Prophets thereby showing continuity from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Jesus is then the fulfillment of the prophecies of the past. This truth is then affirmed in this religious experience where a voice attributed to the Father was heard: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
In a similar manner, the theme of voices is highlighted in this chapter of the gospel of John regarding the Good Shepherd. There is familiarity between the Shepherd and the sheep as the voice of the Shepherd is readily recognized. Of course, the problem lies in that there are many competing voices that lead us astray. What becomes important then is to discern well to be able to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd and more importantly, to accept what is being told and asked from us as the Shepherd does not have any agenda except the welfare of his sheep. It ends with the promise of the Good Shepherd that he offers life in abundance, that is, one with meaning and purpose.
In this regard, there is this story that captures it all. There is the story of a farmer walking down the lane carrying a half-grown sheep who greeted his neighbor "Have to look after the stray." His neighbor, then, asked him "How do they get lost with a fence around them?" "They just nibble themselves lost," he answered. "They just keep their heads down and just wander from one green patch to another. Sometimes, they come to a hole in the fence, but they never find the hole to get back again."
The parable repeats itself in our lives. We eat ourselves lost; we work ourselves lost. We do not look up. We wander from one wish to another. We get our heads in the pits. We cannot see the way back again. Thank God for the Good Shepherd who always comes to seek and save the lost.
We then pray to be alert to the voice of the Shepherd and be courageous and faithful to heed him for we are bound for something good for us and for all.
Prayer Requests:
We pray ...
... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn
... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary
... for families who are in need of healing
... 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!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
-- Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 2: 14a, 36-41 / Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (1) / 1 Pt 2: 20b-25 / Jn 10: 1-10
First Reading: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice, addressed them: "Let Israel then know for sure that God has made Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified." When they heard this, they were deeply troubled. And they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What shall we do, brothers?" Peter answered: "Each of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise of God was made to you and your children, and to all those from afar whom our God may call." With many other words Peter gave the message and appealed to them saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who accepted his word were baptized; some three thousand persons were added to their number that day.
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2: 20b-25
Endure punishment when you have done well, that is a grace before God. This is your calling: remember Christ who suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you may follow in his way. He did no wrong and there was no deceit in his mouth. He did not return insult for insult and, when suffering, he did not curse but put himself in the hands of God who judges justly. He went to the cross bearing our sins on his own body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live an upright life. For by his wounds you have been healed. You were like stray sheep, but you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Gospel: Jn 10: 1-10
Truly, I say to you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But the shepherd of the sheep enters by the gate. The keeper opens the gate to him and the sheep hear his voice; he calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, rather they will run away from him because they don't recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this comparison, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep. All who came were thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not hear them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved; he will go in and out freely and find food. The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.
Reflection:
The fourth Sunday of Easter is always considered as Good Shepherd Sunday. Today's passage speaks of voices. From experience, when we hear someone saying that he/she hears voices, we tend to suspect that there might be something strange with this person. There might be some who would comment that this person must be going crazy or nuts. Of course, we try to clarify as to what they hear and if ever, any significant message/s.
In my early years in religious life, I was brought to someone who mimicked the sound of a baby and claimed that it is the Sto.Niño speaking through him which did not turn out to be authentic. Yet, we cannot readily dismiss such experiences for we know that even Sacred Scriptures have events where listening to voices is highlighted. We can readily cite the Transfiguration experience of Jesus in the presence of his three closest apostles Peter, James, and John as well as that of Moses representing the Law, and Elijah standing in for the Prophets thereby showing continuity from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Jesus is then the fulfillment of the prophecies of the past. This truth is then affirmed in this religious experience where a voice attributed to the Father was heard: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
In a similar manner, the theme of voices is highlighted in this chapter of the gospel of John regarding the Good Shepherd. There is familiarity between the Shepherd and the sheep as the voice of the Shepherd is readily recognized. Of course, the problem lies in that there are many competing voices that lead us astray. What becomes important then is to discern well to be able to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd and more importantly, to accept what is being told and asked from us as the Shepherd does not have any agenda except the welfare of his sheep. It ends with the promise of the Good Shepherd that he offers life in abundance, that is, one with meaning and purpose.
In this regard, there is this story that captures it all. There is the story of a farmer walking down the lane carrying a half-grown sheep who greeted his neighbor "Have to look after the stray." His neighbor, then, asked him "How do they get lost with a fence around them?" "They just nibble themselves lost," he answered. "They just keep their heads down and just wander from one green patch to another. Sometimes, they come to a hole in the fence, but they never find the hole to get back again."
The parable repeats itself in our lives. We eat ourselves lost; we work ourselves lost. We do not look up. We wander from one wish to another. We get our heads in the pits. We cannot see the way back again. Thank God for the Good Shepherd who always comes to seek and save the lost.
We then pray to be alert to the voice of the Shepherd and be courageous and faithful to heed him for we are bound for something good for us and for all.
Prayer Requests:
We pray ...
... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn
... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary
... for families who are in need of healing
... 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!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
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# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 11:53 PM 
