4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 4 / (White)
Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
1st Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice, addressed them, ”Fellow Jews and all foreigners now staying in Jerusalem, listen to what I have to say.
Let Israel, then, know for sure, that God has made Lord and Christ this Jesus, whom you crucified.”
When they heard this, they were deeply troubled. And they asked Peter and the other apostles, ”What shall we do, brothers?”
Peter answered: ”Each of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. Then, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise of God was made to you and your children, and to all those from afar, whom our God may call.”
With many other words Peter gave the message; and appealed to them, saying, ”Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So, those who accepted his word were baptized; some three thousand persons were added to their number that day.
2nd Reading: 1 Pt 2:20b-25
Beloved: What merit would there be in taking a beating, when you have done wrong? But if you endure punishment when you have done well that is a grace before God.
This is your calling: remember Christ, who suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in his way. He did no wrong and there was no deceit in his mouth. He did not return insult, for insult, and, when suffering, he did not curse, but put himself in the hands of God, who judges justly. He went to the cross, bearing our sins on his own body, on the cross, so that we might die to sin, and live an upright life. For, by his wounds, you have been healed. You were like stray sheep, but you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Gospel: Jn 10:1-10
Jesus said: Truly, I say to you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But the shepherd of the sheep enters by the gate. The keeper opens the gate to him and the sheep hear his voice; he calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but rather they will run away from him, because they don‘t recognize a stranger‘s voice.”
Jesus used this comparison, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So Jesus said, ”Truly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep. All who came were thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not hear them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved; he will go in and out freely and find food.
”The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.”
REFLECTION:
Read: The Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus presents himself as the good shepherd as well as the gate for the sheep’s pen. He offers fullness of life to us by laying down his life for us. Peter invites us to recognize this gift, repent of our sinful ways, and be baptized into life in the Spirit.
Reflect: Our calling is to remember Christ and follow his example of giving life and caring for the world. We are called to be good shepherds who nurture lives – of fellow human beings, people on the margins, life of other species on earth, and the life of the planet. How can we play our part?
Pray: Pray for good priestly and religious vocations in the Church.
Act: Talk to a young man about priestly/religious vocation.
Daily Reflection
Daily Gospel ® is a product Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.
CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.
Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com
