A Homily – The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A)

 A Homily – The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A)

 

First Reading – Acts 2:14,36-41 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 22(23) ©

Second Reading – 1 Peter 2:20-25 ©

Gospel Acclamation – John 10:14

The Gospel According to John 10:1 - 10 ©

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

 We are not saved on account of the good things we do; we are saved because God loves us. The creator of the universe loves every single one us; in the superabundance of God’s love, everyone is saved.

 Be mindful.

 Baptism does not mark you as one of the elect, it marks you as someone who has elected to follow the teaching of Jesus, it marks you as someone has accepted the responsibility of following the way; keep to it, persevere in faith.

 Be mindful of this and be humble.

 Everyone has received the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are created in the divine image and from the first moment of creation we are blessed by God.

 Consider the words of the psalmist and know that God is caretaker to us all.

 If we walk in the way of God, then we will be caretakers of our sisters and brothers.

 Know this, our time in the world is not the end of all things; it is the beginning of a journey that has many transitions.

 If we are hungry, we are hungry only for a moment; if we thirst, know that it is temporary.

 Trust in God, find peace in faith…and resolve.

 All the power of death and all the fruits of sin are temporary, only the divine endures forever, and we are children of the divine.

 If your table is full then share it with the world, when you open your heart to those in need, you strangers into family and enemies into friends.

 If you are able to follow the example of Jesus: to bear insult and injury, even if you are called to endure torture that leads to death, make sure that you do so for a good reason. Jesus endured what he endured for the sake of his disciples, his friends and family, for those who followed him and listened to his teaching. He submitted to the ordeal of trial and execution, because he loved them.

 Listen!

 Jesus did not go to his death in order to satisfy some cosmic imperative, or to pay some debt, and ransom God owed to the Devil, these are childish notions, fantastical and unreal, set them aside.

 Jesus accepted his fate at the hands of the Romans and Sanhedrin so that those around him would not get caught up in any violence…so that they could live.

 If anyone one of us should find ourselves in the same position, we would be a blessing to our people if follow his example; few can do this, but try if you can.

 Be mindful.

 There is wisdom and truth in the readings for today in the teaching of the apostle. There is also folly, mis-construal, fear and untruth…there are many lies. It is sad and unfortunate that the priests and the bishops of the Church, those hirelings who take it upon themselves to managing the way, it is sad and unfortunate that they forget this. Quite early, almost immediately after Jesus’ death, the self-appointed leaders of the Church began to act as if they were only responsible for a few of God’s children, when in reality that were tasked with sharing the good news with everyone, caring for them in both body and spirit. Throughout history so-called Christian leaders of Church have done great harm to because of their fear and their greed, their miserliness and shortsightedness.

 Many, even from the earliest days of the church, presented themselves as both sheep and shepherd to the community, but they were really rustlers and wolves who came to devour the flock.

 Know this!

 God does not love the shepherd because the shepherd laid down his life.

Rather, it is in recognition of God’s love, and trust in God’s plan that the shepherd laid down his life.

 Love preceded the sacrifice; the sacrifice did not engender love.

 Consider the Gospel for today.

 The writers of John’s gospel lived several generations after Jesus. They lived in a period of time when the Church was under persecution by the Roman State, the were also engaged in an existential conflict with traditional Judaism, communities which stridently sought to differentiate themselves from the Christians in their midst, and they argued their case according to Roman law. Through their protestations they sought to deny the Christians among them access to the historical protections that Rome had always afforded its Jewish citizens, a significant demographic which made up about ten percent of the population of free Romans.

 The early Christians were also beset by the rise of various popular movements that sought to trade on the rapid spread of the Christian doctrine and mythology to communities throughout Palestine and far beyond its borders.

 The writers of John made every effort they could to stand against these types of persecutions, and corrupting influences, like those of the Christian-Gnostics or the Jewish practitioners of the Qabalah…the foundation of Gnosticism.

 In this time the Church was protectionistic and their protectionist ways had their own corrupting influence on their presentation of the ministry of Jesus.

 Therefore be mindful.

 Jesus gave to everyone, the only qualification he asked them to meet was that they trust in his vision of the way. He encouraged their faith, promoting charity among them, and mercy with love and forgiveness.

 The authors of John get it wrong when the write about gates, and gatekeepers, thieves and brigands; the gates of heaven are always open...there are no gates, the table is set, Jesus prepared it for everyone.

 

First Reading – Acts 2:14, 36-41 ©

'God Has Made Him Both Lord and Christ'

On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.’

Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ ‘You must repent,’ Peter answered ‘and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.’ He spoke to them for a long time using many arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation.’ They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 22(23) ©

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Alleluia!

The Lord is my shepherd;

  there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

  where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

  to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;

  he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

  no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

  with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

  in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

  my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

  all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

  for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Alleluia!

 

Second Reading – 1 Peter 2:20-25 ©

You Have Come Back to the Shepherd of Your Souls

The merit, in the sight of God, is in bearing punishment patiently when you are punished after doing your duty.

This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and left an example for you to follow the way he took. He had not done anything wrong, and there had been no perjury in his mouth. He was insulted and did not retaliate with insults; when he was tortured he made no threats but he put his trust in the righteous judge. He was bearing our faults in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our faults and live for holiness; through his wounds you have been healed. You had gone astray like sheep but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

 

Gospel Acclamation – John 10:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my own sheep and my own know me.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to John 10:1-10 ©

I Am the Gate of the Sheepfold

Jesus said:

‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’

Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.

So Jesus spoke to them again:

‘I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold.

All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them.

I am the gate.

Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.’

 

The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A)