Fourth Sunday of Easter
30th April 2023 (Sunday) Readings and Reflection
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them:36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6
R/. The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want Or: Alleluia.
Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:20b-25
But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Gospel : John 10:1-10
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Good Shepherd!
Indicative: God is our good shepherd. We are all His sheep. We belong to Him and we are fed and led by Him.{alertSuccess}
1. Today we celebrate the Good Shepherd Sunday. We are reminded of our identity and duty. Our identity is being sheep to the supreme shepherd. Our duty is to walk like good sheep and to shepherd over other sheep.
2. First of all, we must always remember that God is our greatest good shepherd. He is not one among many. He is not one of the many alternatives. He is one and unique. He is the best and the highest. He is incomparable and irreplaceable.
3. Therefore, our first and primary loyalty is to the Lord, who alone is our chief shepherd. We need to seriously question whether we are faithful to the one true shepherd or the many false shepherds. How easily many forsake the true shepherd and run behind the false shepherds! How thoughtlessly many sheep are carried away by the false directions, attractions, pulls and pressures of the false shepherds!
4. Good sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and they follow him. But How often we give deaf ear to the direction and leading by the Good Shepherd? How often we resent and resist and reject to follow him? How quickly we allow ourselves to be easily trascinated and misguided by the false shepherds?
5. We are not sure whether there is a deep belonging and bonding between the Good Shepherd and the sheep. How many sheep are shallow and superfical in their intimacy with the Good Shepherd? Allegiance to the fold of the good shepherd is no guarantee of our closeness and faithfulness to him.
6. Another very important note is we should be able to distinguish between our core identity and role identity. Our core identity is being sheep to the supreme shepherd. And our role identity is shepherding others. This may look rather superfluous. But this is crucial. We may do the duty of shepherding others. This means that we protect others, nourish and guide others. This is the role of a faithful shepherd. But just because we shepherd other sheep, we will not become shepherds.
7. Now some may be annoyed about this unnecessary distinction. But I believe this is very important. This can keep us always humble as sheep. Otherwise there are many who act arrogantly as shepherds. This can also remind us strongly about our duty to shepherd others. Otherwise there are many who completely forget about their mission towards others and become self- centred.
Imperative: There are no two categories like shepherds and sheep. There is only one shepherd, the Lord, and all of us are sheep. Let us be true and faithful sheep. Let us hear and follow the one and the only one Good Shepherd. Let us not allow ourselves to be snatched away by the evil and perish{alertSuccess}