Good Shepherd Sunday: Fourth Sunday of Easter
Sermon by Emmanuel Suntheni OSB – Fourth Sunday of Easter – Good Shepherd Sunday
Sermon And Christian Act In The Word
Theme: Good Shepherd Sunday! I am the door of Salvation-Jesus Christ-the Good Shepherd! Jesus Christ is the gate for his sheep!
Point of Reflection: Do we recognise that Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who laid His life for us (sheep)? Though the Good Shepherd was a stone rejected by builders, He became the cornerstone of our salvation: in our families, religious communities, societies, countries, how many people have we rejected? Or are we not the rejected ones? Am I the child of God? Today God is calling us His children because He sent His only Son to redeem us, He is the Good Shepherd.
Good Shepherd Sunday is also called Vocations Sunday. As children of God, we are all called to serve the Lord in four different ways of life: Married life, Priestly life, Religious life (brother or sister), and Individual life. Each and every Christian belongs to one of the four different ways of living life here on Earth.
Let us pray for all those people who have not yet chosen their vocations to choose wisely and we pray also for all those who have chosen their vocations to live faithfully to their chosen vocations.
First Reading: Acts 2:14, 36–41
Psalm: Psalm 16:1–2, 5, 7–11
Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:20–25
Gospel: John 10:1–10
Sermon (Reflection): The Scriptural readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter invites us to reflect on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who cares for his flock. ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of all the sheep!’ These words and images remind us that Jesus is intimately involved in our lives, and that he knows us and loves us individually. It also reminds us that we are called to follow him and to trust in his guidance and protection.
Today, as we reflect on this image of the Good Shepherd, we are invited to consider the quality of our own relationship with Jesus. Do we recognize his voice and follow him? Do we trust in his care and protection, even in the face of difficulty or uncertainty? Are we willing to let him guide us on the path he has set for us?
The gospel of today actually falls between the stories of Jesus’ healing of the man born blind and the raising of Lazarus. Both of these stories were proclaimed in the Gospels found in this year’s season of Lent.
Following the controversy that ensued when Jesus healed the man born blind, Jesus directs his allegory about the sheep and the shepherd toward the Jewish religious leaders of his time, the Pharisees. Are our leaders good shepherds?
Today’s Gospel gives us the opportunity to reflect on Christian leadership. Jesus’ words suggest to us that those who will lead the Christian community will be known by their faithfulness to Jesus. The leaders will recognise that Jesus is the gate for all of the sheep and that having a good relationship with Jesus is the primary characteristic of a Christian leader. Jesus’ allegory also suggests that faithful Christian leadership requires a good relationship with the community: the shepherd knows his sheep, and they know him. Christian leaders follow the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, by being faithful to him and by being a good Shepherd.
Let us pray today for both civil and religious leaders to be good shepherds and foster unity and love among the people of God.
The first reading of today emphasises the centrality of Jesus’ resurrection and Pentecost, and sets the true meaning of Jesus that he is both the Lord and Christ. Hence, people must repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Christ simply means anointed one, and we are all called Christians because of the word Christ, this means that, we also share in the anointment of God by virtue of our baptism. Then, we are all obliged to follow Christ the good shepherd because he is the door of salvation.
This is also well reflected in the second reading of today where Saint Peter is encouraging the Christians of that time to return to the shepherd of their souls as himself died for them.
This is also a reminder to us today, to always remember that Jesus died for us so that we may be saved. He is the good shepherd. Then, as Christians, we must be good sheep as he is the good shepherd.
No matter how much or far we stray, Jesus will always come looking for us and inviting us back to Him. Just like the Good Shepherd would leave 99 sheep and go look for 1 strayed sheep, Jesus will never forsake us, even if we commit the gravest of sins. He is merciful and a Good Shepherd. Therefore, we must never shy away from seeking him and turning back to him as much as we need to, always, because as a Good Shepherd, he will always welcome us back to His flock. He will always welcome us back the same way He did the 2 disciplines in last week’s gospel – He didn’t get rid of them or punish them when they didn’t recognise Him and had lost hope. Rather, he spoke to them, taught them, and even shared a meal with them. He welcomed them back and restored their hope, because He is the Good Shepherd. To us to, He will restore our hope and welcome us back into His stable.
Christian Act in Word of God “As Christians, we are called to be good Christians as Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd”
Three points we can learn from the biblical readings of today for us Christians. First, we need to recognise and accept that as Christians we are children of God and He loves us. Hence, we need to emulate the same love to our family members, our friends, our enemies and our neighbours.
Second, Jesus was rejected, it is normal to be rejected and the graces of God will protect you until the mission is accomplished, are we not rejecting other people today ourselves? Or are we not the rejected-ones ourselves? In life, we need to accept rejection with hope and love because God will restore us to higher heights than those who reject us.
Third, Jesus Christ is calling us to be good Christians. Jesus Christ Himself is the Good Shepherd and we as Christians who are followers of Christ, are we good sheep? In today’s celebration of Good Shepherd Sunday, all Christians, we are invited to be good Christians not just mere Christians as Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd not just a shepherd.
Today’s Scriptural readings highlight the theme of the Good Shepherd and that God’s love for humanity has been given by the laying down of His Son’s life for us. His mission was to save humanity. God’s intention was to bring the faithful to eternal union with Himself so that we can “see God as God truly is”. As the good shepherd He laid down His life for His followers in order to defeat death.
As the faithful, we need to be aware that God through Jesus Christ drew us into this salvific union, we can rightfully utter the prayer of thanksgiving with the words of the Psalmist, “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
Action: I want to be a good Christian as I follow the Good Shepherd. I will establish a mutual bond with the Good Shepherd and listen to the Words of the Shepherd all time. As a Vocation Sunday, I will make a good choice for the way of life I want to live either in married life or priestly life or religious life (brother or sister) or individual life. If I have already chosen the way of life, then, I will faithfully commit fully myself to the life I have chosen.
Prayer: Almighty Father, we thank You for the gift of life and vocation. You sent Your only begotten Son who is the Good Shepherd to redeem us. Help us to be better Christians as we follow the Good Shepherd. Loving God open our hearts to have a mutual bond with the Good Shepherd as He laid His life for us. We ask for physical and spiritual healing in our lives from the Good Shepherd who was rejected by the builders but became a cornerstone of our salvation, help us Lord not to reject others in our life, we ask this through the Risen Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, Amen.
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