Fourth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 50
Reading I
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
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 II
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
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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: VOCATION SUNDAY
When we hear Jesus saying, "I am the good shepherd," immediately we are led to ask ourselves: "Are there any bad shepherds?" Yes, there are bad shepherds; leaders, rulers and public servants who are driven by selfish motives are examples of bad shepherds. These people are solely focused on accumulating and stealing resources from the poor. On the contrary, Jesus demonstrates how we can be good shepherds. The good shepherd cares for the flock, feeds the sheep and satisfies their needs. He has a special love for the abandoned and lost ones, and he is even ready to lay down his own life for his sheep. In the Bible, "to know' refers to an intimate relationship between two persons. In the Book of Genesis (4:1), for example, we are told that "Adam knew Eve and Eve conceived..." Thus, when Jesus says, "I know my own and my own know me", he refers to a very close bonding between him and his sheep. He assures his flock of his love and care. There is only one Good Shepherd and we are all members of his flock. To be members of his flock implies that we need to listen to his voice, to trust him completely, to remain under his care, and to help bring back other sheep that have strayed from his flock. Further, it is not enough to remain as a flock; we are called to become 'good shepherds' after the heart of Christ. To be a good shepherd is to listen to the voice of the neglected ones, to care for the poor, to fight for the oppressed, and to be willing to even lay down one's own life for the flock. Today, as we commemorate the 'Vocation Sunday', let us reflect on our call to ministry and Christian service. The Christian vocation is to be Christ like shepherds and to be obedient sheep that follow the shepherd.