4th Sunday of Easter (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

4th Sunday of Easter (C), April 21, 2013

Liturgical readings
Acts 13:14, 43-52
Psalm 100
Revelation 7:9, 14-17
John 10:27-30

"Jesus said: My sheep hear my voice."

Today's gospel is part of the Good Shepherd theme developed in chapter 10 of St. John the Evangelist's gospel. That is the context in which we are to derive the meaning of John 10:27-30. In the NRSV Catholic edition of the bible, the 10th chapter of John is divided into two parts:

• "Jesus the Good Shepherd" (verses 1-21),
• and "Jesus is Rejected by the Jews" (verses 22-42).

The theme of Jesus as Good Shepherd is more developed in the first part of the chapter. Verses 27-30 (this Sunday's gospel), which is found in the second part of chapter 10, presents the Lord in defense of His mission as Good Shepherd. He makes it plain to those who do not believe in Him that by their lack of faith, they exclude themselves from His sheepfold.

The image of the Lord as Good Shepherd is an ancient image still familiar to present-day Catholics who live in very urban or industrial environments. It is still familiar to them because of holy cards or stained glass windows in parishes they attend Mass where the image of Jesus pasturing a flock of sheep or carrying a lamb on His shoulders is highly visible. Aside from these visual reminders, there are also many prayers that have this theme. These prayers to Jesus as the Good Shepherd are powerful intercessory prayers that ask and seek guidance from God in the journey of life. An example of one prayer is given below:

"Lead me to pastures, Lord, and graze there with me. Do not let
my heart lean either to the right or to the left, but let your good
Spirit guide me along the straight paths. Whatever I do, let it be
in accordance with your will, now until the end." (prayer of St. John
Damascene, Syria, 675-749 A.D.)

A person's journey from "womb to tomb" is fraught with risk and danger. The risk is not only to one's physical security but to one's soul as well. Many classic writers and passages in the wisdom literature of the Bible (especially Proverbs and Ecclesiasticus) teach that one should guard the wellsprings of one's heart, one's thoughts, and to have custody of one's senses (both external and internal), so as not to be misled and tempted in the wrong path. The ability to be on guard and vigilant is rooted in the depth of one's relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd. This ability can be exercised with self-discipline and self-control. This is possible even in modern culture with its many distractions. The key solution is to focus on Jesus, His Word, and His presence in the Eucharist. He speaks to us through the Church, in the person of the Holy Father and all the clergy.

Scripture quotes

• "My sheep hear my voice...I give them eternal life and they shall not perish."
• "Paul and Barnabas spoke at Antioch in Pisidia and urged the believers to hold fast to the grace of God." (Acts 13)
• "God made us, His we are; His people, the flock He tends." (Psalm 100)
• "These are the ones who have survived the great period of trial; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7)

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