"I know my sheep and they know me"

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Ir-Raba’ Ħadd tal-Għd

Messalin C 207

Reading 1                         ACTS 13:14, 43-52

Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats. Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God. On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God 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.”  The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari   -   mill-Ktieb tal-Atti tal-Appostli 13, 14. 43-52

F'dak iż-żmien, Pawlu u Barnaba minn Perge baqgħu sejrin sa ma waslu f'Antjokja ta' Pisidia.    F'jum is-Sbit  daħlu fis-sinagoga u qagħdu bilqiegħda.   U meta xterdet il-ġemgħa tas-sinagoga, ħafna,  kemm  mil-Lhud u kemm mill-prosliti twajba,  marru ma' Pawlu u ma' Barnaba, u dawn  ħeġġewhom biex jibqgħu fil-grazzja ta' Alla. Is-Sibt ta' wara, tista' tgħid il-belt kollha nġabret  biex tisma' l-kelma tal-Mulej.   Il-Lhud, meta raw  il-folol, imtlew bil-għira u bdew imieru lil Pawlu u jidgħu.    Imma Pawlu u Barnaba bil-kuraġġ kollu qalu:   "Hekk kien meħtieġ, li l-kelma ta' Alla titħabbar lilkom l-ewwel.   Billi intom qegħdin twarrbuha, u jidrilkom li ma  tistoqqilkomx  il-ħajja ta'  dejjem, aħna se nduru fuq l-pagani.    Għax hekk ordnalna l-Mulej:  "Jien għamiltek  dawl tal-ġnus, biex twassal is-salvazzjoni sa  truf l-art." Il-pagani, meta semgħu dan, bdew jifirħu u jigglorifikaw il-kelma tal-Mulej, u dawk kollha li kienu magħżula  għall-ħajja ta' dejjem emmnu.   Hekk il-kelma tal-Mulej baqgħettixtered mal-art kollha.    Imma l-Lhud xewxu n-nisa twajba u magħufa u  wkoll il-kbarat tal-belt, u qajmu persekuzzjoni  kontra Pawlu u Barnaba u keċċewhom 'il barra minn arthom. Huma farfru għal fuqhom it-trab minn ma' riġlejhom u marru Ikonju.   Iżda d-dixxipli mtlew bil-ferħ u bl-Ispirtu s-Santu.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                   PSALM 100:1-2, 3, 5

R. (3c) Alleluia.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.                         R/

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.                  R/

The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations. R/

Salm Responsorjali                       SALM 99(100)

R/  Alleluia.

Għajtu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej fl-art kollha,

aqdu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej fl-art kollha,

idħlu quddiemu b'għana ferrieħi.                                            R/

Kunu afu li Jaħweh hu Alla:

hu ħalaqna, u aħna tiegħu,

aħna l-poplu tiegħu u n-ngħaġ tal-megħa tiegħu.          R/

Għax twajjeb il-Mulej,

għal dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu;

.minn żmien għal żmien il-fedelta' tiegħu.                         R/

Reading 2                         REVELATIONS 7:9, 14b-17

I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. Then one of the elders said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  “For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari   -    mill-Ktieb tal-Apokalissi  7, 9. 14-17

Jien, Ġwanni, ħarist,u ara, kien hemm kotra kbira li ħadd ma jista' jgħoddha, minn kull ġens u tribu',  minn kull poplu u tribu', minn kull poplu u lsien, weqfin quddiem it-tron u quddiem il-Ħaruf , lebsin ilbiesi twal bojod, u bil-friegħi tal-palm f'idejhom. U wieħed mix-Xjuħ qalli:  "Dawn huma dawk li ġejjin  mit-taħbit il-kbir, u l-ilbiesi tagħhom ħasluhom u bajduhom  fid-demm tal-Ħaruf.   Għalhekk jinsabu quddiem it-tron ta'  Alla, lejl u nhar jaqduh fit-tempju tiegħu; u dak li qiegħed  fuq it-tron jeħodhom jgħammru taħt il-kenn tiegħu. Ma jbatux aktar ġuħ, anqas għatx ma jagħmel bihom aktar; ix-xemx ma taħkimhomx, u anqas ebda għomma, la darba l-Ħaruf, li hemm f'nofs it-tron, ikun ir-ragħaj tagħhom; u hu jwassalhom ħdejn ilmijiet tal-għejun tal-ħajja. U Alla jixxuttalhom kull demgħa minn għajnejhom."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Gospel                                JOHN 10:27-30

Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju   -    skont San Ġwann 10, 27-30

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal:  "In-nagħaġ tiegħi jisimgħu leħni, u jien nagħrafhom,  u huma jimxu warajja. U jiena nagħtikom il-ħajja ta' dejjem; u huma ma  jintilfu qatt, u minn idejja ma jaħtafhomli ħadd  Missieri, li tahomli, hu akbar minn kulħadd, u  ħadd ma' jista' jaħtafhom minn id l-Missier.    Jienu l-Missier aħna ħaġa waħda." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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COMMENTARY by Fr Thomas Rosica csb 

(see also video reflection by Fr Rosica on the right side of this site)

The Good Shepherd

As we move away from the day of Christ’s resurrection, the Sunday Scripture readings for the Easter Season help to deepen our understanding of what happened to Jesus and to the Church through his triumph over death. On the Second Sunday of Easter, we looked carefully at the wounds of Christ and renewed friendship with him at table in a locked upper room.

The Third Sunday of Easter this year (C) enabled us to peer into the intimate lakeshore scene, leading us through the ruins of denial and despair, and offering us a chance to recommit ourselves to loving Christ as friends.

On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, we encounter the Good Shepherd who is really the beautiful or noble shepherd who knows his flock intimately. “Good Shepherd Sunday” is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in the Church. In all three liturgical cycles, the Fourth Sunday of Easter presents a passage from John’s Gospel about the Good Shepherd.

In the Old Testament, God himself is represented as the shepherd of his people (Psalm 95:7). And the future Messiah is also described with the image of the shepherd: (Isaiah 40:11). In the Bible and the ancient Near East, “shepherd” was also a political title that stressed the obligation of kings to provide for their subjects. The title connoted total concern for and dedication to others. Shepherd and host are both images set against the background of the desert, where the protector of the sheep is also the protector of the desert traveler, offering hospitality and safety from enemies. The rod is a defensive weapon against wild animals, while the staff is a supportive instrument; they symbolize concern and loyalty.  This ideal image of the shepherd finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Sunday’s Gospel passage (John 10:27-30) highlights two important characteristics of Jesus’ role as shepherd. The first has to do with the reciprocal knowledge that the sheep and shepherd have: “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.” The sheep remained for many years in the company of the shepherd who knew the character of each one and gave them affectionate names. Thus it is with Jesus and his disciples: He knows his disciples “by name,” intimately. He loves them with a personal love that treats each as if they were the only ones who existed for him.

There is also a second aspect of the shepherd’s vocation in this Gospel. The shepherd gives his life to his sheep and for his sheep, and no one can take them out of his hand. Wild animals and thieves were a nightmare and constant threat for the shepherds of Israel. Herein lies the difference between the true shepherd who shepherds the family’s flock, and the hired hand who works only for the pay he receives, who does not love, and indeed often hates, the sheep. When the mercenary is confronted with danger, he flees and leaves the sheep at the mercy of the wolf or bandits; the true shepherd courageously faces the danger to save the flock.

The sheep are far more than a responsibility to the Good Shepherd: They are the object of the shepherd’s love and concern. Thus, the shepherd’s devotion to them is completely unselfish; the Good Shepherd is willing to die for the sheep rather than abandon them. To the hired hand, the sheep are merely a commodity, to be watched over only so they can provide wool and mutton.

Gift from God

Sunday’s Gospel passage presents to us one of the deepest mysteries of the human spirit. Faith, the ability to hear and to follow a call, is a gift to Jesus and a gift to the followers of Jesus. Why are some capable of hearing that leads to faith? Why are some capable of recognizing the Father in the words of Jesus? The only answer presented is that faith is a gift. Our God and his Son are shepherds that care for us and know us and even love us in our stubbornness, deafness and diffidence. Do we really rejoice in hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd?

I cannot help but call to mind the profound teaching on the Good Shepherd that was offered to us by Benedict XVI during the Mass of inauguration of his Petrine Ministry  11 years ago, at the Vatican. In his very first homily as the Successor of Peter, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said: “One of the basic characteristics of a shepherd must be to love the people entrusted to him, even as he loves Christ Whom he serves. ‘Feed my sheep,’ says Christ to Peter, and now, at this moment, He says it to me as well. Feeding means loving, and loving also means being ready to suffer. Loving means giving the sheep what is truly good, the nourishment of God’s truth, of God’s word, the nourishment of His presence, which He gives us in the Blessed Sacrament.”  This is the role of every Shepherd, because it is truly a service to joy, to God’s joy which longs to break into the world.