4^th Sunday of Easter Year C.

“We are All Called by the Good Shepherd to Ensure Salvation for All.”

Readings: Acts 13:14,43-52, Rev. 7:9,14-17, and Jn. 10:27-30.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

1.     In the first reading, we meet Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey. They are at Antioch in Pisidia on a Saturday and according to their custom, entered the Synagogue of the Jews where they began proclaiming the Good News of our Lord and Master Jesus. A week later, they were impressed by the crowd that got enlarged thus adding to the assembly, to listen to them. The popularity and the success of Paul and Barnabas disturbed the Jews who became jealous. Making use of influential people in their community they expulsed Paul and Barnabas from the city.

2.     The Traditional Jew had held that Salvation was meant only and only for the Jews. If anybody outside of the Jewish race were to be saved, s/he was first to be a proselyte, that is, circumcised, admitted to Judaism and maybe God would have mercy on him for even with this conversion it wasn’t very clear that salvation was guaranteed to a non-Jew. Here, were Paul and Barnabas announcing the Good News seemingly to all, stating that Jesus died for all and we are all called to conversion, and many were baptized both Jews and Greeks alike. This angered many Jews who immediately ordered for their arrest or expulsion. Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from their feet and turned to preaching to the Gentiles, who received their word with delight. They started anew and were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Even with this expulsion, the converts were filled with joy and happiness.

3.     As if to justify the teaching of the apostles of the Universal Salvation, the second reading gives an account of what will happen when the sixth seal is broken as revealed to John the Evangelist – a great multitude of the people, impossible to count will appear, people from all races, languages and nations. They will all stand in front of the throne of the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palms in their hands. The White robe is the symbol of joy and innocence, and the palms are the symbol of victory. Who are these people? They are those in this world who went through sufferings, persecutions and gave their lives for their brothers and sisters like the Lamb, the Christ. others looked on them as losers, but for God they are the Winners. Who are these, Winners? Like many in the past, now and will still be in the future, they are the people who have and will totally surrender to Christ, the Good Shepherd.

4.     Today, the 4^th Sunday of Easter is also referred to as the Good Shepherd’s Sunday – the day we look up to Christ as an example for all of us and above all, as a teacher.

-         We must listen to the Good Shepherd and be able to make distinction between His voice and those of deceivers.

-         To know the voice of the person, you need to listen to that person often. So, to know Christ the Good Shepherd, we must listen to Him often – in the Gospels, to his preachers, spiritual readings etc.

We may have some preachers we trust and rely on them and their messages. One thing must be clear, any preacher who draws attention to himself has missed the point. All preachers must point to Christ and all of us must adhere to the one voice, that of Christ – the Good Shepherd. Being the sheep that we all are in Christ’s fold involves three things: hearing his voice, being known by him, and following him. There is a relational exchange implied in each of these: he calls, we listen; he knows us, we know him; he leads, we follow. His attentive love flows from the love of the Father, who made us and gave us Jesus’ care. And his love sustains us, providing not just for the immediate needs of this life but for our aim of eternal life with him.

Jesus is our guardian, the Good Shepherd, the one who herds the sheep. But he does more than simply watch them; he has laid down his life for their defense. He has fed them with his very body. He understands what it means to be vulnerable; he himself is the Lamb that was slain. As a community of believers, we are called to be like sheep, living in community with one another and listening to Jesus who calls us by name.

5.     Today, also and again, is referred to as Vocation Sunday. We are encouraged to pray for vocations into the Sacred Priesthood and Religious Life. Our Local Church of Portland Maine is in desperate need of more young people to offer their lives for the services as priests and Religious Men and Women. I once had a conversation with one of the indigenous priests of this Diocese, and he told me that this Diocese at one moment in history had over 120 Diocesan Priests. Presently we have just about close to 70 priests in active service, close to 40 of them are missionaries. In the words of Fulton Sheen, I am convinced that ‘God will never allow his Church to die for lack of Pastors.’ As a believing community, there are several things we need to do:

-         Pray fervently, as individuals, family and as the Church for more vocations.

-         Encourage our children and grandchildren to take up the challenge of being missionaries to themselves, for us and for the entire world. We are here thanks to the missionaries that left from Europe and America and had us evangelized.

-         We need to help our children to know that earthly goods and riches are good but above all, living for Christ, radically living our baptismal promises in the evangelical counsels of Poverty, Obedience and Chastity, surpasses everything for in them, we reflect on earth, the life we will live in glory; life here is not permanent and life here after, life with God is.

-         Pray for your priests and support them materially. Be charitable towards us especially in what you say about us. It may serve as an encouraging or discouraging factor for the young person considering answering the call to this way of life. I personally testify to your kindness and generosity towards me in both words and deeds.

-         Finally, please love the Church and its ministers. They may not be the best of persons, but they remain channels of God’s grace for us. We, the priests are called to represent Christ who is Divine and yet we are human. Always pray for your priests. May God grant us more vocations and sustain the priests and the Religious in their everyday endeavors to do His will and so, guarantee salvation for all. To God be the glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.