INTRODUCTION
Ø The central theme of today’s Gospel is Jesus, the good
Shepherd, who is the gate of the sheep and for the sheep.
Ø In the first and second readings Peter reminds us that
Jesus has suffered in the hands of sinners.
Ø He who did not know sin, and in whose mouth no evil
was found, suffered silently.
Ø His wounds have cured us
Ø The theme of Jesus’ suffering is present during the
whole time of Easter.
Ø The Risen Lord has the marks of the nails and of the spear,
so that we do not forget his death even during the joyful time of Easter.
Ø Today the universal Church prays for vocations of
special consacration, let us ask the Lord to send laborers into his field. Let
us ask the Lord that young men and women may follow his call to work in his
vineyard.
FIRST READING – Acts 2: 14a, 36-41
« Peter is with the eleven, this means that Matthias had
already been elected in the place of Judas.
« He stands up
and proclaims the kerygma, the proclamation of Jesus as Lord and Christ.
« Peter announces solemnly that they crucified Jesus
whom the Father has made Lord and Christ,
« On hearing that they were deeply distressed.
« Are we so distressed when we hear these words? We have
also crucified the Lord many times during our life, especially when we have
hurt anyone of our brothers and sisters.
« But we always have hope, Peter invites them to repent,
to be sorry for their sin and to be baptized.
« Many of us are already baptized, but we always have
the opportunity of the “second baptism”, the sacrament of reconciliation.
« The promise of the Holy Spirit made to the people of
Israel is also for his descendants.
« We are the new people of Israel, we also participate
in this promise.
« Peter continues to proclaim, and many accept and are
baptized.
« Those who have been baptized become part of the little
community of believers in Jesus, the Lord and Christ.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 23
The Lord is my
shepherd there is nothing I shall want
The Lord is my
shepherd I shall not want
In verdant
pastures he gives me repose
Besides restful
waters he leads me
He refreshes my
soul.
He guides me in
right paths
For his name’s
sake
Even though I walk
in the dark valley
I fear no evil;
for you are at my side
With your rod and
your staff
That give me
courage
You spread the
table before me
In the sight of my
foes
You anoint my head
with oil
My cup overflows
Only goodness and
kindness follow me
All the days of my
life
And I shall dwell
in the house of the Lord
For years to come.
v Psalm 23 is one of the most beautiful psalms.
v It speaks about unbound and filled with peace trust in
the shepherd.
v The shepherd is always there, with his staff which
give security and trust.
v The shepherd who leads the sheep to peaceful places of
repose, where pasture and water are abundant.
v The shepherd who accompanies the sheep until the end
of its life.
v Do we trust in this same way in our shepherd,
Jesus?
SECOND READING 1Pe 2:20b-25
Ø We continue reading the first letter of Peter.
Ø Peter says to his community that to suffer being
innocent is a grace, is a gift.
Ø Because to this
we have been called in order to be like Christ.
Ø He suffered and has left us and example so that we may
also learn to suffer like him.
Ø He did not insult, or threaten, but he handed himself
over to those who judged him unjustly, and for whom he also offered his
sufferings.
Ø Is this our behavior when we are treated or judged
unjustly?
Ø He carried our sins in his body nailed to the cross,
so that on being liberated from our sin we could serve God faithfully.
Ø If Jesus had not accepted the cross, we would never
had been able to offer our works to God, we would not even had been able to do
good works.
Ø We were going astray as sheep and we have come back to
the shepherd and guardian of our souls, Christ our Lord and Shepherd.
Ø Do we remember to give thanks for all that our
shepherd and king has done for us? And for his continuous care
for us?
GOSPEL – Jn 10:1-10
ü Jesus says that whoever does not enter through the
gate of the sheepfold is a thief and a robber.
ü The shepherd enters through the gate
ü The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep
hear his voice.
ü The shepherd calls them by name, each one is especial
for him. Let us remember that some place else in the Gospel of Luke Jesus tells
the story of the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep and goes in search of the one
that went astray.
ü The shepherd goes before the sheep and leads them,
they know his voice and they follow him.
ü Jesus says clearly
that he is the gate of the sheep.
ü That the sheep do not follow strangers, but they
follow him because they know him.
ü On Reading this it came to my mind the question, those
who leave the church, the community and do not come back, is it because in our
words and actions they do not recognize the shepherd, Jesus?
ü Jesus repeats again that he is the door, that who
enters through him, will be saved and will enter and come back and will find good
and abundant pastures.
ü The image of the door is very eloquent and very
beautiful:
o
The place where
the sheep are kept did not have a gate
o
It was a circular
place with an opening to enter and to leave.
o
The shepherd
allowed the sheep to enter at night and he sleep at the entrance thus being the
gate himself.
o
If a robber or a
wild animal wanted to enter into the sheepfold it would have to be through the
shepherd.
o
This is the image
which Jesus presents to us when he says that he is the gate.
o
We may be at
peace and secure because our shepherd takes care of us, and he has come so that
we may have abundant life.
o
Are we thus at
peace when we are with him?
ü The whole passage has a exceptional beauty, and it
transmit a peace which only the Lord can give.
ü Why do we still fear? Has he not given us enough
proofs that he loves us?
ü The Pope in his short daily message says today “Do not
be afraid, open the doors to Christ.”
My companion and the three young
ladies were firm in this conviction so that they were admired by everybody on
the ship at the moment of saying goodbye to their parents. The latter, full of
pain for the separation, were not able to hide their tears, and the daughters,
with the joyful modesty shown by the smile on their lips more than by the tears
in their eyes, bit them the last farewell. Those who said that they were
handing five doves up to the hands of wild wolves were not wanting. But, O the
infinite power of God who turns wild wolves to mildest lambs. Venerable María Antonia París, Foundress
of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Autobiography 137.
O my Jesus, give me your holy grace so that I may imitate
you perfectly in practicing all the virtues. As you well know, I can do all
things with you and absolutely nothing without you.
Love is the most necessary of all the virtues. Yes, I say
it and will say it a thousand times: the virtue an apostolic missionary needs
most of all is love. He must love God, Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary,
and his neighbors. If he lacks this love, all his talents, however fine in
themselves, are for nothing. But if, together with his natural endowments, he
has much love, he has everything. Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian
Missionary Sisters, Autobiography 437-38.
BIBLIOGRAFÍA
CLARET, Anthony Mary
. Autobiography.
PAPA FRANCISCO, Vatican web page.
PARIS, María Antonia. Autobiography.
STOCK, Klemens. La Liturgia de la
Palabra – Ciclo A
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