Readings: Acts 13:14, 43-52; Rv. 7:9, 14-17; Jn. 10:27-30
We Will Now Turn to The Gentiles
1. Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter. Christ tells us that he is our good Shepherd who looks after his sheep. David praises the qualities of the good Shepherd thus: “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures, you let me graze; to safe waters, you lead me; you restore my strength; You guide me along the right path for your name's sake. Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm, for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage.” (Ps. 23:1-4). By calling himself a good Shepherd, Jesus contrasts himself with other shepherds who are not good. Ezekiel said of the bad shepherds, “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds rather pasture sheep? You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured. I will claim my sheep from them and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep so that they may no longer pasture themselves. I will look after and tend my sheep.” (34:2-10).
2. The leaders of Israel did not look after those entrusted to them after the heart of God. He snatched the sheep from their hands and appointed his son to look after his people. As a good shepherd, Jesus loves his sheep; he fed them, “When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” (Jn. 21:9,12). He gave them the bread of life, his body, and blood and promised, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." (Jn. 6:54). He protected them from danger, “They came and woke him saying, "Master, master, we are perishing!” “He awakened, rebuked the wind and the waves, and they subsided, and there was a calm” (Lk. 8:24). And He laid down his life for his sheep: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn. 10:11). But Christ warns that the sheep must know the Shepherd, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father." (Jn 10:14-15). Christ is always with the sheep of his flock. He will not allow anyone to snatch them from his hands.
3. The first reading this morning demonstrates a turning point in the mission to the gentiles. St Paul, who, before now, was all out to destroy the followers of Christ, was struck down his horse and forced into a mission by Christ. Here is what Christ told Ananias shortly before his conversion: “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” (Acts. 9:15-16). During Paul's first missionary journey in present-day Turkey, he spoke to pockets of Jews and converted them. The leadership was infuriated, and Paul was rejected and forced out of the city. To this, Paul and Barnabas said: “The word of God needed to be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles for so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:46-47). Paul turned his attention to spreading the good news to the gentiles, in fulfillment of the instruction Jesus gave His apostles before his ascension. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). We are the beneficiaries of that mission. We must carry this same message of forgiveness, repentance, and salvation to the ends of the earth.
4. But we must know the Shepherd, hear his voice, and allow him to lead us. Many conflicting voices are calling for our attention. The airwaves, billboards on our highways, politicians, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, Twitter, etc. We must listen to the good Shepherd. He knows his sheep, personally, intimately, and spiritually. St Paul, the Holy Mother, the Church, the Magisterium, and other credible preachers of the Word direct us to the Shepherd. We must follow them, so that they may lead us to the Shepherd. We should not choose what teaching we want to follow and which one to abandon. Following the master and heeding his voice may not always be easy. It may lead us to wash our robes white with the lamb's blood (Second reading), or we may suffer in trying to proclaim him to the ends of the world (first reading). We know, and we believe that the good Shepherd will always be with us. He laid down his life for us; therefore, nothing will separate us from his hands.
5. That is why we celebrate Vocations Sunday today, to remind ourselves of the word of the master, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matt. 9:37-38). A laborer must be with the Lord, learn from him, so that he might send him forth to preach and have authority to drive out demons. (Mark 3:14). And so, we pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Without prayer and intentional listening to the voice of the Shepherd, young men and women will not hear and follow the voice of the one who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for sinners.
6. Today also, we celebrate Mother's Day. We think of our mothers who remind us of Jesus the Good Shepherd. As good Shepherd, our mothers know their children by name and always think of their welfare. The children who listen to their mothers will enjoy prosperity and long life. We thank those who have played motherly roles in our lives. Without them, the world would be a scary and challenging place for us. May God bless our mothers, and may He grant eternal life to those who have died in the peace of Christ. Amen
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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