WE ARE HIS PEOPLE, THE SHEEP OF HIS FLOCK

 Readings for Sunday, May 8th, 2022

Fourth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 51

Ir-Raba’ Ħadd tal-Għid

Reading 1                ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 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.

QARI 1                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’ Pisidja. F’jum is-Sibt daħlu fis-sinagoga u qagħdu bilqiegħda. U meta xterdet il-ġemgħa tas-sinagoga, ħafna, kemm mil-Lhud u kemm mill-prosèliti 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 bl-għira u bdew imieru lil Pawlu u jidgħulu. 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 jidhrilkom li ma tistħoqqilkomx il-ħajja ta’ dejjem, aħna se nduru fuq il-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 baqgħet tixtered mal-art kollha. Imma l-Lhud xewxu n-nisa twajba u magħrufa 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

Sing joyfully to the LORD,
all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R  We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:  R  Alleluia.

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R  We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or: R  Alleluia

The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R  We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:  R  Alleluia.

SALM RESPONSORJALI               Salm 99(100):2,3,5

R/.(3c): Aħna l-poplu tiegħu u n-nagħaġ tal-mergħa tiegħu.
jew   R/. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Għajtu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej fl-art kollha,
aqdu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej,
idħlu quddiemu b’għana ferrieħi. R/.

Kunu afu li Jaħweh hu Alla:
hu ħalaqna, u aħna tiegħu,
aħna l-poplu tiegħu u n-nagħaġ tal-mergħa tiegħu. R/.

Għax twajjeb il-Mulej,
għal dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu;
minn żmien għal żmien il-fedeltà 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.”

 Qari 2                mill-Ktieb tal-Apokalissi 7:9,14b-17

Jiena, Ġwanni, ħarist, u ara, kien hemm kotra kbira li ħadd ma jista’ jgħoddha, minn kull ġens u tribù, 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, ladarba 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.”

Evanġelju               Qari skont San Ġwann 10:27-30

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal: “In-nagħaġ tiegħi jisimgħu leħni, u jiena nagħrafhom, u huma jimxu warajja. U jiena nagħtihom 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 il-Missier. Jien u l-Missier aħna ħaġa waħda”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Eight-minute  Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil   

GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY
(World Day of Prayer for Vocations)

Introduction:

The fourth Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday, is also the “World Day of Prayer for Vocations.” Each year on this Sunday, we reflect on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who devotedly and kindly takes care of his flock. The title “pastor” means shepherd. A shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects his flock—responsibilities that belong to all Church leaders, parents, civil leaders, and all who are in charge of others.

Scripture lessons summarized:
 

Sunday’s first reading describes how Paul and Barnabas opted to listen to the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and follow him, and how, like their Master, they were rebuffed and rejected when they tried to share the good news of salvation. It also suggests that the sympathy of the early Christians for the Gentiles caused a rupture with Judaism. 

The second reading, taken from the book of Revelation, depicts Jesus as both the glorified Lamb and the Shepherd. John’s vision encourages his readers with the assurance that every person who has ever followed Christ and led others to him will share everlasting life with him. The Gospel text offers us both comfort and a great challenge. The comforting message is that no one can snatch the sheep out of his Father’s hands. The challenge is that pastors should be good shepherds to those entrusted to their care, while their flock of lay people should respond by being good sheep.

Shepherds in the Bible:

In the Old Testament, the image of the Shepherd is often applied to God as well as to the leaders of the people. The book of Exodus represents Yahweh several times as a Shepherd. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel compare Yahweh’s care and protection of His people to that of a shepherd. Ezekiel represents God as a loving Shepherd who searches diligently for the lost sheep. Psalm 23 is David’s famous picture of God as The Good Shepherd: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” 

In the New Testament, introducing himself as the Good Shepherd of his flock, Jesus makes three claims in today’s Gospel: 

1) He knows his sheep and his sheep hear his voice: 

2) He gives eternal life to us, his sheep (by giving us Faith in him through Baptism, and then by strengthening that Faith through Confirmation, by nourishing our souls with the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Bible, and by making our society holy through the Sacraments of Matrimony and the priesthood (Holy Orders). 

3) He protects his sheep by placing them in the loving hands of his Almighty Father. St. John’s Gospel adds two more claims: 

4) He goes in search of stray lambs and heals the sick ones (through the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the sick). 

5) Jesus died for his sheep to free us from our sins, giving us life.

Life Messages:

Let us become good shepherds and good sheep, good leaders and good followers.

(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, etc. are all shepherds. We become good shepherds by loving those entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time and talents for their welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers.

(2) Let us be good sheep in the fold of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: Our local parish is our sheepfold, and our pastors are our shepherds. Hence, as the good sheep of the parish, parishioners are expected to: 

    a) hear and follow the voice of their shepherds through their homilies, Bible classes, counseling, and advice; 

    b) receive the spiritual food their pastors provide by regular participation in the Holy Mass, by frequenting the Sacraments, and by attending prayer services, renewal programs, and missions; 

    c) cooperate with their pastors by giving them positive suggestions for the welfare of the parish, by encouraging them in their duties, by lovingly offering them constructive criticism when they are found misbehaving or failing in their duties and by praying for them always and forgiving them at need; and d) cooperate in the activities of various councils, ministries, and parish associations.

(3) Let us pray for vocations to priestly and religious life so that we may have more good shepherds to lead, feed, and protect the Catholic community.

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