Good Shepherd Sunday

The scripture readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/042615.cfm

In our readings for today, we have two images. In our reading from the first letter of John we see the image of us being children of God. In the gospel from St. John, we have the image of us being sheep being led by the Good Shepherd. Which would you rather be? Child of God or Lamb?

Before we answer that question too quickly, let’s look at both images a little more deeply.

In the gospel we hear Jesus say, “I am the Good Shepherd!” These words spoke volumes to those who heard it. Being good and devout Jews, they remembered from the book of Exodus when God told Moses that his name was “I Am!” Throughout the gospel of St. John, there were several times when Jesus would say, “I Am!” “I Am the Alpha and the Omega.” I Am the bread of life.” “I Am the light of the world.” “I Am the resurrection and the life.” “I Am the way, the truth and the life.” “Before Abraham came to be, I AM”. And in today’s gospel, “I Am the good shepherd.” Each time Jesus would say, “I Am” it seemed like blasphemy to the Jews who heard it. This was because Jesus was claiming equality with God – the “I Am.”

The Jews knew that God said he would shepherd his people. The Jews would recall chapter 34 of Ezekiel when God said that he was going to be the Good Shepherd of his sheep. He said the hirelings were caring for themselves instead of the sheep. The Lord said that he would look after and tend his sheep. He would rescue them and bring them home. “The Lost I will seek out… the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal…. Shepherding them rightly.” Then of course there’s Psalm 23 where we read, “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I lack.”

So, when Jesus says I am the Good Shepherd, it was not the pleasant thing for the Jews that it is for us. It was blasphemy. Just as God had spoken to the faithful leaders of the Old Testament, so Jesus was chiding the leaders of his time.

Do I want to be a lamb in Jesus’ flock? I think so! Jesus laid down his life for us. He protects us. When he said, “I am the gate,” he literally meant it.

Regarding being the Child of God, scripture does not say that we are like God’s children. It says we are God’s children now. I can never really be a lamb. That is just a simile. However I can be God’s child. Being a child of God means that I have all the rights of inheritance of the King of kings. Thus I can grow in age and wisdom and grace as Jesus did when he embraced humanity and became man. This means I can expect the love and forgiveness of our heavenly Father.

There are times when I want to be a lamb, cradled, protected, healed, brought back when I stray. But there is nothing to compare with the realty of being a child of God!

When we receive Christ in the Eucharist, we are not only receiving the Good Shepherd who literally gave his life for us, who healed us, who brought us home when we lost our way. We are receiving our brother Jesus, the one who because of his humanity, made us adopted sons and daughters of God. Because of Jesus, we are heirs of the kingdom, recipients of the gifts of the Spirit, eternally united with the Father. How amazing is our God!

Peace Be With You!

The scripture readings for the Third Sunday of Easter can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/041915.cfm.

In today's gospel of St. Luke we have another Resurrection story of Jesus. The disciples are trying to make sense of the story of the Risen Lord being told to them by the disciples that were on the road to Emmaus. This is hard news to believe. How can someone that they know to be dead be still alive?

Then while they were talking, there He is!! He appears and says, "Peace be with you!" This troubled and frightened them! Is this a ghost? He goes on to say to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have." (Luke 24:38-39) He goes on to further prove that he's alive by eating a baked fish in their presence.

He goes on to remind them and to teach them that everything written in the Law of Moses and the prophets and psalms needed to be fulfilled. He needed to suffer and to rise on the third day. Further, repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, will be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-47) 

The whole life and ministry of Jesus was to bring people into relationship with God and to seek forgiveness of sins. In the second reading from the first letter of John, we hear, "Jesus is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

These readings teach us to turn to Jesus, in all our shortcomings and sinfulness, and to seek forgiveness and develop a closer relationship with God, knowing that if we fall short, he will be there to forgive us of our sinfulness. God is a loving God, His arms always opened, inviting us to turn to Him in the spirit of love and forgiveness.

Let us always have Jesus in our minds and hearts, seek out his forgiveness, and forgive others as he has forgiven us.

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Divine Mercy Sunday

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/041215.cfm

In today's gospel we hear about the frightened disciples hiding out in the upper room. With all that has happened since Good Friday, they are terrified that what has happened to Jesus will happen to them as well. They secure themselves in the upper room, they lock themselves in, and think they are protected from those who killed Jesus on that Good Friday. Then all of a sudden, what seems to be out of nowhere, Jesus appears! Are they seeing things? This frightened them even more, seeing what appears to be the one they loved and admired right before their eyes, even though they knew he was killed!

The first words out of the mouth of Jesus was, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:21) They are comforted by Jesus, who was truly present and risen from the dead, and they are commissioned by Jesus with the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive sins and to bring others to faith in Him. Jesus says, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23).

In this gospel we have St. Thomas, who must have thought they were going off the deep end when they started telling him that Jesus was alive and risen from the dead! He had a hard time believing the whole story. Then Jesus gives Thomas a great gift! Thomas gets to touch the risen Jesus!

Jesus invites Thomas to “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” (John 20:27) Thomas responds with, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Then Jesus prays for you and me, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (John 20:29)

We are called to take the gift of faith we have in Jesus and share it with others in our lives. Let's bring Jesus to all those in our lives that we know and love (and even to those we don't care much for). Let's proclaim that Jesus Christ is our Lord and our God!

Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever.

Easter Sunday

The Scripture readings for today's Easter Readings can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/040515.cfm

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad! (Psalm 118:24) The betrayal that occurred this past Wednesday with "Spy Wednesday" with Judas conspiring to betray Jesus for 30 silver pieces, through the suffering that Jesus endured on Good Friday,  has now come to a glorious conclusion. The glorious Resurrection of Jesus from the tomb! This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!

Today we celebrate something that never happened before or since Jesus. Yes, Lazarus was raised by Christ from the dead, but he died again. Christ rose from the dead to die no more. He has risen from the world of the dead, with unearthly splendor and glory. Today we celebrate the triumph of life over death, hope over despair, light over darkness and goodness over evil. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!

We who have been baptized in Christ have also risen with Christ and enjoy newness of life. If we died to sin and live in righteousness, we too shall rise like Christ in splendor and glory.

The heavenly Father raised Jesus from the dead and gave him a name above every other name. Good Friday has turned tragedy into triumph, sorrow into joy.

In the gospel we see Peter and the disciple that Jesus loved enter into the empty tomb to find that Jesus was gone. At that point they weren't sure what to make of it. "For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead." (John 20:9) But, as we will hear over the next 50 days of this Easter season, Jesus will appear to them and teach them what they are to know about salvation through Jesus Christ. Eventually, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit will descend upon them to give them courage and knowledge to go boldly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In our first reading from the Acts we hear Peter proclaiming Jesus Christ. Peter is heard saying, "He commissioned us to preach to the people, and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead." (Act 10:42) Peter, the one that denied Jesus three times on Good Friday, is now boldly proclaiming the Risen Christ. Peter is the one God chose in advance to witness the Lord raised from the dead. Peter proclaims that all who believe in Jesus will receive forgiveness of sin through His name. This great gift of healing and forgiveness is now extended to all of us through the Risen Christ.

As Peter went out to announce the Good News of Christ Jesus, let us, too, go and announce the Good News that Christ died for all of us and is now risen from the dead. Let us boldly proclaim his resurrection with our lives.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!