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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The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament

Categorizing the 150 Psalms

What are the Psalms?

The Psalms are the prayers of the Hebrew tribes, whose writers gathered all the important elements of their prayer traditions, and recorded in written form the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament.

Author Bernhard W. Anderson's book Understanding the Old Testament, says that the present form of the Psalms is a product of the post-exilic community of Israel. It reflects the liturgical practice of the Hebrews after they had settled down again after their exile.

When you look at the bible and scan over the whole book of Psalms, you can see that they number exactly 150, with each of the individual psalms comprising one chapter.

In modern Bible translations, some "chapters" of the Psalms are shown with two numbers. This discrepancy in "numbering" acknowledges that there are two sources from which the Psalms were translated into English. The first number belongs to one source tradition of numbering (from the Hebrew) and the other to a second tradition of numbering (from the Greek). The Greek translation, the Septuagint, has its system of numbering the psalms.

An example of the difference in this numbering: in the Hebrew tradition, one psalm is a combination of two psalms in the Greek - for instance, Psalm 116 combines Psalm 114 and 115 in the Greek translation (see table below). The same is seen when numbering is made from the Greek tradition; one psalm combines two psalms in the Hebrew tradition. An example is Psalm 113. Psalm 113 combines Psalm 114 and 115, which are separated into two psalms in the Hebrew tradition.

Here is the numbering of both the Hebrew and Greek traditions in tabular form:

Hebrew	Greek (LXX)
1 to 8	1 to 8
9 and 10	9
11 to 113	10 to 112
114 and 115	113
116	114 and 115
117 to 146	116 to 145
147	146 and 147
148 to 150	148 to 150

Categorization of the Psalms according to themes

There are many ways by which these Old Testament psalms are categorized. However, post-Vatican II research has led many bible scholars to categorize them according to their themes. This categorization is according to the book Journey, Volume III- Writings by Msgr. Marcel Gervais:

• Psalms on the Law
• Liturgical psalms
• Prophetic psalms
• Historical psalms
• Wisdom psalms
• Royal psalms (on the king)
• Laments
• Confidence psalms
• Thanksgiving psalms
• Hymns
• hymns (general)
• hymns on the reign of the Lord
• hymns on Zion

Psalms on the Law

Psalms on the Law usually exalt the love of the law of God as loving God. Many psalms fall under this category. Psalm 1 is a good example. Psalm 119 is another psalm of the Law. It is a song praising the Law and is the longest of all the psalms (176 verses).

Liturgical psalms

Liturgical psalms present an "entrance ritual", where pilgrims coming to worship in the Temple are reminded of the way of life the Lord demands of them when they gather to worship in His presence. Examples which represent this category of liturgical psalms are Psalm 15, Psalm 24, and Psalm 134.

Prophetic psalms

Prophetic psalms usually reflect the concerns and prayers of the prophets of Israel. These psalms are represented by Psalm 95, Psalm 14, Psalm 50, Psalm 52, Psalm 53, Psalm 75, and Psalm 81.

Historical psalms

Historical psalms usually tell the story of the prayers and experiences of the people of Israel as they wandered for many years in the wilderness and the desert. These psalms also contain references to events and persons in history, like the Exodus and covenant in Psalm 114; Abraham in Psalm 47; and Moses in Psalm 103. Other examples of historical psalms are seen in Psalm 68, Psalm 78, and Psalm 106.

Wisdom psalms

The tradition of wisdom of the people of Israel was also expressed in the Psalms. Psalms to note that belong to this category are Psalm 8, Psalm 104, Psalm 1, Psalm 37, Psalm 49, Psalm 111, Psalm 112, Psalm 119, Psalm 127, Psalm 128, Psalm 133, Psalm 91, Psalm 139, and Psalm 73.

Royal psalms

Some psalms describe the role of the kings in the history of the People of Israel. These are grouped in a category of psalms called the royal psalms. Examples of these psalms are Psalm 72, Psalm 2, Psalm 89, Psalm 110, and Psalm 132.

Laments

At least 50 of the 150 psalms are laments. These psalms beseech God for help and mercy. In a way, laments are the prayers of the poor and the oppressed. Examples of psalms in this category are Psalm 22, Psalm 42, and Psalm 43.

Confidence psalms

This group of psalms is characterized by an extraordinary spirit of trust in God. Six psalms can be said to belong to this category: Psalm 4, Psalm 11, Psalm 16, Psalm 23, Psalm 62, and Psalm 131. Other authors also include Psalm 127 and Psalm 121 in this category.

Thanksgiving psalms

Thanksgiving psalms are expressions of gratitude, often concerning celebration with friends or the assembly. An example is Psalm 30. Other Thanksgiving psalms are: Psalm 32, Psalm 9, Psalm 10, Psalm 34, Psalm 40, Psalm 41, Psalm 92, Psalm 107, Psalm 116, and Psalm 138. These are Thanksgiving psalms sung by an individual. The communal thanksgiving psalms are found in Psalm 65, Psalm 66, Psalm 67, Psalm 118, and Psalm 124.

Hymns

Hymns are psalms in which the center of attention is the Lord himself; little or no reference is made to the ones singing the psalms. The hymns are of three kinds: Songs of Zion, Songs of the Reign of the Lord, and hymns in general.

Songs of Zion

Examples of Songs of Zion are: Psalm 46, Psalm 122, Psalm 132, Psalm 84, Psalm 87, Psalm 48, Psalm 76

Songs of the Reign of the Lord

Examples of Songs of the Reign of the Lord are: Psalm 93,
Psalm 96, Psalm 47, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, and Psalm 99

General Hymns

This last category of psalms covers at least 19 psalms. Classic examples which belong to this category are: Psalm 146 and Psalm 148

Where are the psalms mostly used?

The psalms are mostly used in the Eucharistic service during the liturgy of the word. After the first reading is proclaimed, there is a part of the liturgy of the word called the responsorial psalm. In these prayers, parts of a psalm are taken, and the responses to the prayers of the psalm are often from the psalm itself.

Another tradition where the psalms are used is in the praying of the breviary or the liturgy of the hours. The psalms in the breviary are sung [as in the monastic tradition] or recited in two choirs by religious communities. Many parishes have taken the initiative to pray the liturgy of the hours amongst the lay faithful, with the parish priest leading the prayers.

Reference:

• Journey, Volume III - Writings, by Msgr. Marcel Gervais, Claretian Publications, Librarything.com
• Understanding the Old Testament, by Bernhard W. Anderson, Claretian Publications, Librarything.com

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Theology From Above, Theology From Below

A Paradigm Shift in Catholic Theology Led by Vatican II Proponents

Some definitions

Microsoft Encarta dictionary defines paradigm shift as "a radical change in somebody's basic assumptions or approach" [1].

A search in Google will give this Dictionary result: "a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions" [2].

Wikipedia.org gives another definition: "a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline" [3].

What is common among these 3 definitions is the term change . Two definitions agree that the change is fundamental, while the other definition states that the change is radical. Something fundamental is crucial; something radical is often a significant departure.

Our question therefore is: "Was the paradigm shift in theology since Vatican II from scholastic (theology from above) to human experience-based (theology from below) fundamental or radical?

Judging from the documents produced since Vatican II, popes like St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI veered the direction of the Church's theology to a balanced theology - both rooting it in traditional theology (scholastic), and moving it towards a more human and experience-based understanding of the faith. As to a pope like Pope Francis, his theological approach to the understanding of the Christian faith displays a move that significantly emphasizes human experience as primary ground for seeing the face of Christ in the world.

Examining main differences

Theology from above is a theological approach that begins with God and divine revelation as its primary starting point. It emphasizes God's revelation of His authority found in Scripture and often interpreted through tradition and reason. A main proponent of theology from above was St. Thomas Aquinas . St. Thomas Aquinas stressed dogmatic truths and realities that are spiritual in nature, but rooted in faith and reason. Thus, we understand from this theological school the truths on the Blessed Trinity, the angels and the archangels, the eschatological (in relation to the end times) realities of heaven, purgatory, limbo and hell.

Theology from below is a theological approach that begins with human experience, culture, and the world as its primary starting point. It seeks to understand God and divine realities through the eyes of human existence, history, and social contexts. It is a theological direction that has its emphasis on human experience as the basis for understanding one's faith in a personal God. A good example of this theological direction are the theologians who advocate liberation theology and theologies that see Christ as the emancipator of a people oppressed by authoritian governments. Two well-known proponents for the theology from below are Gustavo Gutierrez, a key figure in liberation theology, and Paulo Freire, whose work on pedagogy emphasizes critical reflection and action [4].

The paradigm shift in Catholic theology

The paradigm shift in Catholic theology happened when those who advocate a theology from below radically departed from the theology from above. Since the theology from below is a contextualized theology, it has produced many schools of theology that are contextualized in specific human experiences or causes such as the liberation of the poor oppressed by corrupt administrations and the preservation of the world's environment. Before, theology has as its assumption and approach the truths and realities abstracted from Scripture and Catholic tradition. This is what many call a "theology from above". After the "paradigm shift" in theology caused theological thinking to shift to a "theology from below", a lot of traditional thinking in the Church was left out. This happened gradually after the Second Vatican Council and its documents were applied to the actual living expression of the Christian faith.

What developed from the "theology from below" is a greater integration of many fields in the social sciences: psychology, sociology, and anthropology. The fields of business, economics, politics and the cultural world of the media was also integrated. Many texts in the document Gaudium et Spes, "The Church in the Modern World", gives the Church's moral stand in relation to all these fields of human endeavour. It is this stress on judging human experience from the point of view of the Scriptures which gives the Church its impetus to involve herself in a world under the ideal of 'solidarity with the suffering' and 'preferential option for the poor'.

So, let us go back to the basic question of this study: is the paradigm shift from a theology from above to a theology from below fundamental or radical?

• Was the theology promoted by St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI a fundamental change from scholastic theology or a radical change?
• How about Pope Francis? Was the theology he promoted a fundamental or a radical shift from traditional theology?
• What should be the direction of theology in the Catholic Church now? Should it follow the theological line of thinking of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, or should it continue with the line of thinking of Pope Francis?
• Should there be some middle ground where a more moderate or integrative theological thinking is called for?
• Were is the Holy Spirit leading the Church in terms of its theological understanding of
• Christ,
• ecclesiology,
• religious life,
• seminary formation,
• the lay apostolate,
• society and culture,
• the realities of poverty,
• the equal distribution of wealth among nations,
• the protection of the environment?
• What kind of theological thinking ought to be followed that is faithful to the teaching of Christ in the gospels and the apostles?

References

• [1] Microsoft Encarta Dictionary: The First Dictionary for the Internet Age, St. Martin's Press 2002
• [2] Search result for search query "paradigm shift", Google.com, April 21, 2025
• [3] Paradigm shift, En.Wikipedia.org
• [4] Search query: "proponents of theology from below in the catholic church", AI Overview, Google.com, May 5, 2025

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