4th Sunday of Easter (Cycle A, Year II)
Community Word: The Holy Spirit empowers us to build God’s Kingdom and live an abundant life.
Theme: We build God’s Kingdom when we heed the voice of the Good Shepherd.
Promise: “Whoever enters through me will be saved…” (Jn 10:9a)
Reflection:
Our theme for the 4th Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday) exhorts us to be part in building the Kingdom of God by following the voice of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. We are made for Heaven; God in His infinite mercy created us for Himself so that one day we may enjoy the fullness of His Divine Love forever. He desires for us to inherit His Kingdom thru the Person of Jesus.
As Christians, we are called to bring the Lord into our hearts, into our homes, workplaces and community. We are called to build up His Church, which exists as a sign and instrument of intimate union with God. We labor for and with the Lord that His Kingdom may be made known to all men while we wait for the glory of Heaven. God desires that His Kingdom be in us and invites us to work with Him so that His loving reign may be established first in ourselves, then to others, our family and community.
How do we build God’s Kingdom in our hearts? We begin by being familiar with the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. We recognize His voice because He speaks only the Truth to us. John describes us like the sheep who only listens to the calling of their shepherd, “…the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them…” (cf. Jn 10:3-5). Just like the sheep in the parable, we will follow the voice that is familiar to us, the voice that we are accustomed to hearing. If we spend time in knowing God’s word, studying and reflecting on it, listening and obeying the teaching of the Church, dedicating time in silent contemplation of God, we can build a habit of hearing Him speak and become comforted by His voice.
In this way, listening to God becomes a habit and a way of life. We become used to hearing God in our hearts whenever He chooses to speak to us. As God’s word grows in our being, we can readily say that the foundation of God’s Kingdom is laid down and we are then ready to share His Kingdom with our family and community members. Sharing God’s word is sowing the “seeds” of the Kingdom in others so that in turn, they can nourish and grow it on their own. Recognizing and listening to the voice of Jesus will bear fruit in order for God’s Kingdom to flourish.
As we continue to be in our “sheep pen” during this pandemic, there are many voices that we are hearing. There are those that make us feel depressed, fearful and discouraged, but there are those that touch us and bring us encouragement and hope. Above the confusing voices, we must be familiar only with the true voice of our Good Shepherd. His voice is the Truth, the Way and the Life. Yes, we can build God’s Kingdom in the midst of the present crisis. The Shepherd’s voice is clearly telling us to ‘Stay Home’ and make our ‘Home’ the Kingdom of God through prayers and penance.
With complete trust in the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can truly be transformed and be saved. Jesus is our gate towards eternal life and He is unfolding this promise before our very eyes, “Whoever enters through me will be saved…” (Jn 10:9a). Jesus has risen and He came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly, (cf Jn 10:10b).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we thank you for your gentle voice throughout this pandemic and lockdown. You continue to guide and strengthen us. You continue to inspire us to build the Kingdom of God no matter what. Truly Lord, nothing can separate us from Your love or hinder us from doing what Your voice is telling us to do, because You are always by our side. Amen.
Reflection Guide Questions:
1. What voice do you hear the loudest during this time of the pandemic? Do you find true peace in that voice?
2. During the quarantine period, how much time do you spend in the reading of the word of God, meditation and prayers?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
May 3, 2020 (Sun) – Acts 2:14, 34-41/ Ps 23:1-6/ 1Pt 2:20-25/ Jn 10:1-10
May 4, 2020 (Mon) – Acts 11:1-18/ Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4/ Jn 10:11-18
May 5, 2020 (Tues) – Act 11; 19-26/ PS 87:1-7/ Jn 10:22-30
May 6, 2020 (Wed) – Acts 12:24-13:5/ Ps 67:2, 3, 5, 6, 8/ Jn 12:44-50
May 7, 2020 (Thur) – Acts 13:13-25/ Ps 89:2, 3, 21, 22, 25-27/ Jn 13:16-20
May 8, 2020 (Fri) – Acts 13:26-33/ Ps 2:6-7, 8, 9, 10, 11/ Jn 14:1-6
May 9, 2020 (Sat) – Acts 13:44-52/ Ps 98:1-4/ Jn 14:7-14
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
