Readings for Sunday, April 25, 2021 - Year/Sena B
Lectionary: 50
Ir-Raba’ Ħadd tal-Għid
Jum il-Vokazzjonijiet. Sena “B”
Reading I ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 4:8-12
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: “Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”
QARI 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Atti tal-Appostli 4:8-12
F’dak iż-żmien, Pietru, mimli bl-Ispirtu s-Santu, wieġeb: “Kapijiet tal-poplu u xjuħ, intom illum qegħdin tistħarrġuna fuq il-ġid li għamilna lil wieħed marid, u biex dan fieq. Mela kunu afu intom ilkoll, u l-poplu kollu ta’ Iżrael: jekk dan ir-raġel hu hawn quddiemkom qawwi u sħiħ, dan ġara bis-saħħa tal-isem ta’ Ġesù Kristu ta’ Nazaret, li intom sallabtuh u Alla qajmu mill-imwiet. Dan Ġesù hu l-ġebla li intom, il-bennejja, warrabtu u li saret il-ġebla tax-xewka. F’ħadd ħliefu ma hemm salvazzjoni, għax imkien taħt is-sema ma hemm isem ieħor mogħti lill-bnedmin li bih aħna għandna nkunu salvi”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his kindness endures forever.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 117(118):1,8-9,21-23,26,28ċd,29
R/. (22): Il-ġebla li warrbu l-bennejja saret il-ġebla tax-xewka.
Faħħru l-Mulej, għaliex hu tajjeb,
għax għal dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu!
Aħjar tistkenn fil-Mulej
milli tittama fil-bnedmin.
Aħjar tistkenn fil-Mulej
milli tittama fil-kbarat. R/.
Niżżik ħajr talli weġibtni
u kont għalija s-salvazzjoni tiegħi.
Il-ġebla li warrbu l-bennejja
saret il-ġebla tax-xewka.
Bis-saħħa tal-Mulej seħħ dan:
ħaġa tal-għaġeb f’għajnejna. R/.
Imbierek min ġej f’isem il-Mulej!
Inberkukom minn dar il-Mulej.
Alla tiegħi, jien lilek inkabbar.
Faħħru l-Mulej, għaliex hu tajjeb,
għax għal dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu! R/.
Reading II 1 Jn 3:1-2
Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
QARI 2 mill-Ewwel Ittra ta’ San Ġwann Appostlu 3:1-2
Għeżież, araw b’liema għożża ħabbna l-Missier; nistgħu nissejħu wlied Alla, u hekk aħna tassew. Għalhekk id-dinja ma tagħrafniex, għax ma għarfitx lilu. Għeżież, issa aħna wlied Alla, imma x’se nkunu ’l quddiem mhuwiex irrivelat lilna. Madankollu nafu li meta jidher hu, aħna nkunu bħalu, għax narawh kif inhu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel JOHN 10:11-18
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Ġwann 10:11-18
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal: “Jiena r-ragħaj it-tajjeb. Ir-ragħaj it-tajjeb jagħti ħajtu għan-nagħaġ tiegħu. Il-mikri, li mhuwiex ir-ragħaj, u li n-nagħaġ mhumiex tiegħu, jara l-lupu ġej, u jħalli n-nagħaġ u jaħrab; u l-lupu jaħtafhom u jxerridhom. Mikri hu, u ma jħabbilx rasu min-nagħaġ. Jiena r-ragħaj it-tajjeb; jiena nagħraf in-nagħaġ tiegħi, u n-nagħaġ tiegħi jagħrfu lili, bħalma l-Missier jagħraf lili u jiena nagħraf lill-Missier; u għan-nagħaġ tiegħi nagħti ħajti. Għandi wkoll nagħaġ oħra, li mhumiex minn dan il-maqjel; lilhom ukoll jeħtieġ li niġbor, u huma jisimgħu leħni, u jkun hemm merħla waħda, ragħaj wieħed. /Għalhekk iħobbni l-Missier, għax jien nagħti ħajti, biex nerġa’ neħodha. Ħadd ma jeħodhieli, iżda jien nagħtiha minn rajja. Għandi setgħa li nagħtiha, u għandi s-setgħa li nerġa’ neħodha; din hi l-ordni li ħadt mingħand Missieri”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Eight-minute Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil //
EASTER 4 - Looking after God's flock
Introduction:
On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, called Good Shepherd Sunday, we continue to reflect on the meaning of the Resurrection. This is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Today, we celebrate the risen Lord as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. The priest in charge of a parish is called pastor because “pastor” means shepherd. As shepherd, he leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects Christ’s sheep, the people of i the parish. The earliest Christians saw Jesus as the fulfillment of the ancient Jewish dream of a Good Shepherd. They also wished to include the Gentiles as part of God’s flock.
Scripture lessons:
In Sunday’s first reading, Peter asserts unequivocally before the Jewish assembly that there is no salvation except through Christ, the Good Shepherd — the one whom the Jewish leaders have rejected and crucified and in whose name the apostles preach and heal. In the second reading, St. John tells us how Yahweh, the Good Shepherd of the Old Testament, expressed His love for us through His Son Jesus, the Good Shepherd, by making us His children. In today’s Gospel Jesus introduces himself as the “Good Shepherd.” Jesus claims that as Good Shepherd he knows his sheep and loves them so much he is ready to die for them. The Gospel text offers us both comfort — Good Shepherd, knows us, provides for us and loves us – and a double challenge: to become good shepherds to those entrusted to our care and good sheep in our parish, the sheepfold of Jesus the Good Shepherd.
Life messages:
1) Let us become good shepherds: Everyone who is entrusted with the care of others is a shepherd. Hence pastors, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government officials, bosses, dand politicians are all shepherds. We become good shepherds by loving those entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time, talents, health and wealth for their welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers. Parents must be especially careful of their duties as shepherds, becoming role models for their children by leading exemplary lives.
2) Let us be good sheep in the fold of Jesus, our Good Shepherd:
a) by hearing and following the voice of our shepherds through their homilies, Bible classes, counseling and advice;
b) by taking the spiritual food given by our pastors through regular and active participation in the Holy Mass and by frequenting the sacraments, prayer services, renewal programs, and missions;
c) by cooperating with our pastors, giving them positive suggestions for the welfare of the parish, encouraging them in their ministry by prayer and presence, by offering them praise and thanks for all they are doing for us, and occasionally by making constructive suggestions for changes;
d) by cooperating as good stewards in the activities of various councils, ministries and parish associations.
3) Let us pray for vocations to the Priesthood, the diaconate and the consecrated life so that we may have more holy and Spirit-filled shepherds to lead, feed, and protect the Catholic community. Christ Jesus is the Priest in the full sense because He is the one mediator between God and humanity who offered Himself, a unique sacrifice, on the cross. The universal priesthood of all believers, the sharing of all the baptized in the priesthood of Christ, has received special emphasis since Vatican II. Those who are called to make a lifelong commitment to serve as ordained ministers share the ministerial priesthood of Jesus. On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations we are asked to encourage and pray for our young men to respond to God’s call to serve His Church in the ministerial priesthood.
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