VII Sunday of Easter: 2012: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11-19

VII Sunday of Easter : Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11-19

Holiness and Service: The Salvation Army, compared to other churches, emphasizes the selfless nature of true religion without forgetting the importance of personal holiness. Its founder, General Booth, once said, "Without any boast, without any vanity, I can assure you that when I gave myself to God I did so more to save others than to save myself." That may sound strange to many of us who take it for granted that the primary, if not the only, purpose of being a Christian is to save one's soul. If that is so, then what we read in today's gospel will also sound strange to us. Jesus declares: "For their sake I sanctify myself" (John 17:19). We shall take a closer look at this profound statement.

"For their sake:" The man Jesus was totally committed to the welfare of others. When he stated the purpose of his life he said, “I came that they [i.e. others] may have life, and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus had miraculous powers but he used those powers more to help others than to help himself. When people were hungry in a deserted place he multiplied bread to feed them, but when he was hungry in the desert he would not turn stones into bread to feed himself. Once he was tired and needed some rest. He took off in a boat to a place of retreat but on arriving there he found that the people had arrived before him looking for him. Seeing how these people looked like sheep without a shepherd, he immediately shelved his planned rest and began to minister to them. Concern for others was the hallmark of his life and ministry.

The understanding that the gospel demands that Christians be actively concerned for the material and spiritual well-being of the less fortunate of the world has given rise to what is called the social gospel. People who are involved in efforts to eradicate poverty and disease in their cities and in other parts of the world reflect the spirit of compassion and selfless interest in others that we see in Jesus. The first half of the statement: "For their sake I sanctify myself," underlines the fact that concern for others is at the very heart of the Christian gospel.

"I sanctify myself:" The second part of the statement, on the other hand, underlines the fact that personal sanctification is an essential element in the whole business of being a Christian. It counterbalances the first. Jesus was always there for other people, yet he did not forget to sanctify himself. People who are so involved in helping others that they forget their own inner life with God see only one side of the coin. How can one be doing the work of the Lord and forget the Lord of the work? People who are actively involved in efforts to help other people must also cultivate an interior relationship with the Lord for their personal sanctification lest they get lost in activism. The social gospel, rightly understood, therefore, presumes the personal gospel of intimacy with the Lord.

Now, when we look around us what do we see? We see so many Christians who are so involved with their own personal salvation and holiness that they forget to show practical concern for the less privileged. Such Christians subscribe to the personal gospel while neglecting the social gospel. They are looking only at one side of the coin. We also know people who are involved in efforts for social justice and peace, who consider it a waste of time to pray or go to church. These subscribe to the social gospel and ignored the personal gospel.

Which of the two is better, social gospel or personal gospel? Taken in isolation none of them is better. It is not a question of either-or but of both one and the other. For us, regular church going Christians the danger lies more in focussing too much on our own personal salvation and holiness to the neglect of active concern for others. To us, therefore, these words of Henry van Dyke are addressed:

Who seeks for heaven alone to save his soul,
May keep the path, he will not reach his goal;
While he who walks in love may wander far,
But God will bring him where the blessed are.

VI Sunday Easter:2015:Acts10:25-26,34-35,44-48;1Jn4:7-10;Jn 15:9-17

VI Sunday Easter:2015:Acts10:25-26,34-35,44-48;1Jn4:7-10;Jn 15:9-17

Introduction:  Today’s Scripture passages declare the profound truth that those who believe in Christ are to obey his commandment of love – “Love others as I have loved you.” As we celebrate Mother’s Day in the United States let us remember with gratitude that it is generally our mothers who practice the agápe love of Jesus. 

Event: In 1941, the German army began to round up Jewish people in Lithuania. Thousands of Jews were murdered. But one German soldier objected to their murder. He was Sergeant Anton Schmid. Through his assistance, at least 250 Jews were spared their lives. He managed to hide them, find food, and supply them with forged papers. Schmid himself was arrested in early 1942 for saving these lives. He was tried and executed in 1942. It took Germany almost sixty years to honor the memory of this man Schmid. Said Germany's Defense Minister in 2000 in saluting him, "Too many bowed to the threats and temptations of the dictator Hitler, and too few found the strength to resist. But Sergeant Anton Schmid did resist." Name a person who better obeyed the admonition of the Christ in today's Gospel. "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Exegesis: After telling the parable of the vine and branches, Jesus, in today’s Gospel, explains precisely how the disciples are to obey his commandment of love, just as he has obeyed his Heavenly Father’s will by fulfilling His commandments and remaining inseparably bonded with his Father.  Jesus’ unconditional, forgiving, selfless, sacrificial love for us must be the criterion of our love for others.  The highest expression of this love is our willingness to lay down our lives as Jesus did, for people who don’t deserve it. The goal and result of our abiding in love, in God, will be perfect joy. Jesus calls us friends. He tells us that he has chosen us, and that, if we use his name, we can ask the Father for anything. Rethink our relationship with Christ because, evidently, Christ himself prefers to relate with his disciples as friend to friend rather than as master to servant: "I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends" (John 15:15).

True love is a choice that demands sacrifice. People who fall in and out of love have not made a choice that demands sacrifice.  There is always a lot of talk about love when people are getting married. But, sadly, some of them don't see the Lord as the center of their love. So they want weddings with beautiful backgrounds, but not necessarily with the sacrament of marriage. Perhaps some of them do not even want the sacramental blessing in their living together. Perhaps they are not ready for true love. Perhaps they are not ready for a choice that demands sacrifice. Perhaps they really do not want Christ's love in their marriage. That costs too much.

Joke: These are few examples of our love, just to understand the motivations of love.

1) "Dearest Jimmy, No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement.  Please say you’ll take me back.  No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me.  I love you, I love you, I love you!  Yours forever, Maarie...  P.S. And congratulations on willing the 20 million state lottery

2) A young man wrote this to his girlfriend. “Sweetheart, if this world was as hot as the Sahara desert, I would crawl on my knees through the burning sand to come to you.  If the world would be like the Atlantic Ocean, I would swim through shark-infested waters to come to you.  I would fight the fiercest dragon to be by your side.  I will see you on Thursday if it does not rain.”  

Practical Applications: 1) We need to cultivate an abiding and loving friendship with Jesus and to express it in our relationships with others by loving them and showing them trust, faithfulness, equality, forgiveness, joy and sacrifice.

2) Today our mothers may receive Trinitarian Blessings in the church. But in our family life we should let our mothers bless us.  Commandments are summarized or divided into two: Love of God and Love of neighbors. In the second category of loving neighbors, priority is given to “honor your father and mother”. Getting a blessing from them is great expression of blessedness.

Introduction: Sixth Sunday of Easter; Mothers Day

Message: Let us love one another as Christ has loved us by offering himself for our sins.  His love is to be revealed to all the world, as Peter himself taught.

Saints and Events in this Week:  12 – Twelfth – Tuesday – Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs; Saint Pancras, Martyr; 13 – Thirteenth – Wednesday - Our Lady of Fathima; 14 – Forteenth – Thursday – Saint Matthias, Apostle; 15 – Fifteenth – Friday – Saint Isidore; 17 – Seventeenth – Sunday – Ascension of the Lord.

VI Sunday Easter:2012:Acts10:25-26,34-35,44-485;1Jn4:7-10;Jn 15:9-17

VI Sunday Easter:2012:Acts10:25-26,34-35,44-485;1Jn4:7-10;Jn 15:9-17

Servants or Friends:

I once met a man who told me he had declared war on his pastor because he allows people to receive communion in the hand standing rather than on the tongue kneeling. "They are denying the real presence," he argued, "If they knew that they are actually receiving Christ, they would kneel to receive." In reply I asked him a revealing question, "What would you do if Jesus appeared to you?"

"Oh!" he replied, "I would immediately fall on my knees."

"Good," I said, "But there are people who would simply throw themselves on him out of sheer joy and love for him. Would you say that such people are irreverent?" He kept quiet for a moment as he began to see that it was probably less a question of discerning the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and more a question of one's personal relationship and faith approach to Jesus.

Today's gospel gives us two models of personal relationship to Jesus: as a servant (in Greek doulos means "slave") or as a friend. At any given point in our faith journey one of these two models is dominant. Either we see our relationship to Christ mainly in terms of master-servant or in terms of friend-friend. With the exception of mystics, traditional lay spirituality in the church has usually followed the master-servant model. Jesus is seen more as a master to be feared, respected and obeyed than as a friend to love in intimacy and familiarity. Today's gospel challenges us to rethink our relationship with Christ because, evidently, Christ himself prefers to relate with his disciples as friend to friend rather than as master to servant: "I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends" (John 15:15).

Jesus says that he would no longer call his disciples servants. This seems to indicate that he called them servants until then. Our relationship with Christ goes through different stages. First it starts off as a master-servant relationship when we are new to the faith, but then as our relationship with Christ deepens it changes into a less formal friend-friend type of relationship. Why, then, do so many of us stick to the master-servant way of relating to Christ as if it were the only way? Today's gospel is a call for us to move beyond the infant stage, the servant-master relationship, and go over to the adult stage, the friend-friend way of relating to Christ. This will change the way we pray and the way we live. We shall begin to pray better (John 15:7) and to experience more peace and joy in our lives, as people do who are in love.

One objection that is often raised by those who promote the master-servant model of relating to Christ is the concern that we are unworthy. Sure enough, we are not worthy. But Jesus has already taken that into consideration. He reminds us that "You did not choose me but I chose you" (John 15:16). If he has decided to chose us in our unworthiness and to love and accept us as we are, then we should not fix our gaze on ourselves and ask, "Who am I, Lord, that you should love me?" Rather we should fix our gaze on him and ask, "Who are you, Lord, that you love me so?"

How can we tell the difference between the irreverence and disrespect shown by those who have no serious relationship with the Lord and true familiarity which grows out of a loving relationship with Him? The key is keeping the Lord's commandments. Yes, God loves and accepts us as we are, but God loves us too much to leave us as we are. We love babies as they are, yet we want them to grow up. God expects us, similarly, to grow in His love. The Lord's offer to us of friendship and intimacy with him should not be an excuse for callousness and indifference. Just as God showed His love for us in deed by sending his Son to die for us, so is true love for God always shown in deed by the way we keep the twin commandments of love of God and neighbour. By this we can know if we are truly Christ's friends, because, "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (John 15: 14).

V Sunday of Easter:[B]:(2015): Acts 9:2 6-31;1Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15: 1-8

V Sunday of Easter:[B]:(2015): Acts 9:2 6-31;1Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15: 1-8

Introduction:  On this fifth Sunday of Easter, the church reminds us that when we believe and remain in Christ, our true vine, that God lives in us, and we live in Him. So we are invited to reflect on our relationship with Christ the true vine and, also its effect both on our lives and on the lives of others around us. We are also expected to abide in Christ as a condition to bear positive and good fruits.

Exegesis: Saint Paul, once became dramatically converted, his life changed completely. He believed in the name of Jesus Christ and became a great preacher. He did not waste time before bearing fruit for Christ. Immediately, he moved from Saul the persecutor to Paul the preacher of the good news. The consequence of his conversion and firm belief in the name of Jesus was a great harvest of souls which continues till our time because of his writings in the New Testaments. He succeeded because he was a “deeply rooted branch” in Christ the true vine.

Saint John in our second reading says: “My children, our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active, only by this can we be certain that we are the children of truth…” John seems to remind us of the popular saying that: “Action speaks louder than words.” We cannot love the word of God without concrete works of charity to show for it. The only way the word of God can bear fruit is through work and truthful living. They are what touches and transforms persons. So by “something real and active,” John means charity and living according to what we profess in Jesus Christ.

The gospel of this Sunday is a call for us to strengthen our relationship with Christ in order to continue to live in Him. The type of relationship that should exist between us and Christ is illustrated using what is natural to us in everyday life. That is the relationship between the trees and their branches. No branch as we see and know can have life or bear fruit on its own unless it is firmly attached to a tree. Likewise, in our spiritual life as Christians, we cannot do without being firmly attached to Christ the vine in whose name we have been baptized. However, it is important to note that remaining in Christ is for a purpose. This purpose is to bear fruit. Instead of a passive action that produces no effects, it means an active and lively action that produces charity, peace, holiness, pure reverence, love for God and our neighbors, and many other good virtues that touch other lives positively.

Joke: Three religious leaders (a rabbi, a priest, and a minister) were all discussing how they divide up tithing income between themselves and God. The minister said, "I draw a line in the sand, throw the money up in the air, and what lands on the left side of the line goes to the good Lord and what lands on the right side goes to me." Then the priest said, "I draw a circle on the ground, throw the money up in the air, and what lands inside the circle goes to the good Lord and what lands outside goes to me." Then the rabbi said, "You got it all wrong! I throw the money up in the air and what the good Lord catches is his and what lands on the ground is mine."

Practical Applications: 1) We need pruning in our Christian life. Cutting out of our lives everything that is contrary to the spirit of Jesus and renewing our commitment to Christian ideals in our lives every day is the first type of self-imposed pruning expected of us. A second means of pruning is to practice self-control over our evil inclinations, sinful addictions and aberrations. 2) We need to abide in Christ and let Christ abide in us. Sometimes the mistake we do in spiritual life is putting ourselves in the position of Jesus and we say ‘let all others abide in me. Come on. All of you follow me. Abide in me’. Instead we have to abide in Jesus, then only we can produce the effects and fruits of love.

Introduction: Fifth Sunday of Easter

Message: Saul witnesses the risen Jesus and boldly proclaims his Lordship.  We proclaim our belief in Jesus by our love for one another.  He is the vine and we the branches.  Together let us praise his name in our assembly of worship.

V Sunday of Easter [B] (2012) Acts9: 2 6 -31; 1JOHN 3:18-24; Jn 15: 1-8

V Sunday of Easter [B] (2012) Acts9: 2 6 -31; 1JOHN 3:18-24; Jn 15: 1-8

Introduction: Today’s scripture selections emphasize the need for Christians to abide in Christ as a condition for producing fruits of kindness, mercy, charity and holiness.

Scripture lessons:  The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, testifies to the abundance of spiritual fruits yielded by the apostles because of their close bond with the risen Lord.  Many of the Jews, because they were under Roman occupation, had two names- a Roman name and a Jewish name.  Thus Paul also had the name Saul.  Most of the time he is called Paul, but occasionally, as in today’s first reading, he is called Saul.  First reading tells us how the Lord pruned the former Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, a fanatic who had persecuted the Church, to produce a fruit-bearing branch called Paul, the zealous Apostle to the Gentiles, entirely dedicated to the proclamation of the gospel.  Even Paul’s forced return to Tarsus for a brief period is an example of God’s pruning of the vine to bring forth a greater harvest, namely, the mission to the Gentiles. 

In today’s second reading, John, in his first letter to the Church, explains that only if we remain united to Christ by putting our faith in him and drawing our spiritual strength from him, will we be able to obey God’s commandments, especially the commandment of love.  

In the gospel, taken from the Last Supper discourse, Jesus uses his favorite image of the vine and branches to help his disciples understand the closeness of their relationship with him and the necessity of maintaining it.  They are not simply rabbi and disciples.  Their lives are mutually dependent - as close as a vine and its branches.  In fact, in using this image, Jesus is explaining to them and to us what our relationship with him should be like.     

JOKE :# 1: The Usher: An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. "Where would you like to sit?" he asked politely. "The front row please," she answered. "You really don't want to do that," the usher said. "The pastor is really boring." "Do you happen to know who I am? I'm the pastor's mother," she declared indignantly. "Do you know who I am?" the usher asked. "No." she said. "Good," he answered. 

Exegesis : St. Paul used a similar metaphor when he wrote that we are the body of Christ.  He tells us Christ is head of the body and we are the members.  We are feet, hands, arms, legs etc. through whom Christ lives in the world today.  We are united with Christ and with each other through the Spirit.  Pope Pius XII wrote an encyclical called the Mystical Body of Christ describing this union.  This is not a connection we can examine under a microscope or test for in any other way, other than the test Jesus gave us when he said “by their fruits you will know them.”  The way we live our lives shows whether we live in Christ or not.

Life messages: 1)We need to abide in Christ and let Christ abide in us: The four gospels teach us how to become true disciples of Jesus and how to abide in him as branches abide in the main trunk of the vine drawing their life from it.    Personal and liturgical prayers, frequenting of the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation, daily and meditative reading of the Bible  and selfless, loving acts of kindness and mercy and forgiveness  enable us to abide in Jesus, the true vine, as fruit-bearing branches. 2) We need pruning in our Christian life. Cutting out of our lives everything that is contrary to the spirit of Jesus and renewing our commitment to Christian ideals in our lives every day is the first type of self-imposed pruning expected of us. A second means of pruning is to practice self-control over our evil inclinations, sinful addictions and aberrations. Cordial mingling with people of different cultures, races, religions and orientations in our neighborhood and society enable us to prune our selfish and prejudicial tendencies as we treat others in the society with Christian charity and openness. Jesus prunes, purifies and strengthens us by allowing us to face pain and suffering, contradictions and difficulties with the courage of our Christian convictions.

V Sunday of Easter  :   Message: Saul witnesses the risen Jesus and boldly proclaims his Lordship.  We proclaim our belief in Jesus by our love for one another.  He is the vine and we the branches.  Together let us praise his name in our assembly of worship.

Saints in this week:12th Saturday : Saints Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs; Saint Pancras, martyr.

IV Sunday of Easter:[2015]:Acts 4:7-12;1 John 3:1-2;John 10:11-18

IV Sunday of Easter:[2015]:Acts 4:7-12;1 John 3:1-2;John 10:11-18

Introduction:  In London, a crowd had gathered to hear a famous Shakespearean actor recite some of Shakespeare’s dramas. The crowd was so very entranced and entertained by the actor’s abilities, and they gave him frequent standing ovations. An old preacher in the audience encouraged the actor to recite the 23rd Psalm, using his Shakespearean style. The actor agreed on one condition that the preacher also should do so after he finished.  The actor used much expression and voice inflection and all of his acting abilities, and when he was finished, the crowd gave a resounding standing ovation that lasted for several minutes. Then the old preacher started reciting the same psalm. As he began, his voice was shaky because of his reverence for God’s Word. When the preacher was finished, nobody clapped. They couldn’t. There wasn’t a dry eye anywhere, and all were busy wiping their tears. The Shakespearean actor slowly stood, and he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, there is obviously a difference between this preacher and me. I know the Psalm of the Good Shepherd psalm, but this preacher knows the Shepherd of the Psalm.”

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. Today is World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a day that Christians are invited to reflect on the meaning of God's call and to pray for vocations. What seems to be hard for many people today to understand is the ministerial priesthood of some of the faithful, those who are called to make a lifelong commitment to serve as ordained ministers. This misunderstanding, among other things, is at the root of the vocation crisis in the church. If we understood more clearly the true nature and meaning of ordained ministry then we would be in the position to encourage both ourselves and others to respond to God's call to this way of life. Prayer is the most powerful help to them. 

The life of the shepherd in biblical times was one of personal self-giving and sacrifice. His work was that of watchful care and closeness to the flock. There were two kinds of shepherds: Hired hand and Shepherd owner. Hired shepherd is just doing their job. Shepherd owner protects the sheep, takes care their needs. Sheep listen to the shepherd and follow them.  Shepherds makes voice to follow and walk in front of them and flock follow him. Jesus speaks to us through different means and we follow him.

Joke: NASA was interviewing professionals they were thinking of sending to Mars. The touchy part was that only one guy could go and it would be a one-way trip, the guy not ever returning to Earth.

The interviewer asked the first applicant, an engineer, how much he wanted to be paid for going. "One million dollars," the engineer answered. "And I want to donate it all to my alma mater – Rice University."

The next applicant was a doctor, and the interviewer asked him the same question. "Two millions dollars," the doctor said. "I want to give a million to my family and leave the other million for the advancement of medical research."

The last applicant was a Politician. When asked how much money he wanted, he whispered in the interviewer's ear, "Three million dollars." "Why so much more than the others?" the interviewer asked. The lawyer replied, "You give me three million, I'll give you one million, I'll keep a million, and we'll send the engineer with remaining one million."

Practical Applications: 1) Anyone who is in charge of others is called by God to care for those placed in their charge. Who are they? They are parents and grandparents; they are teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, priests, ministers, and mentors. Are you responsible in any way for the well-being of others? If you are, Jesus is calling you to shepherd them as He shepherds us.

2) Others who play the role the flock have also some responsibilities: to obey them, to listen to them, to give them respect, to take care them, to support them, or at least to pray for them.

Introduction : IV Sunday of Easter: World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Message: Jesus is the “cornerstone rejected by the builders which has become the cornerstone”.  He is the good shepherd who laid down his life for us.  Through his paschal mystery we have become children of God.

Saints and events in this week: 28- twenty eighth – Tuesday – Saint Peter Chanel, Priest, martyr; and Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort, Priest; 29 – Twenty Ninth – Wednesday – Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin, Doctor of the Church; 30 – Thirtieth – Thursday - Saint Pius V, Pope; May 1 – First – First Friday - Saint Joseph, the worker; 2 – Second – Saturday - Saint Athanasius, bishop, doctor of the church;

IV Sunday of Easter:[2012]: Acts 4:7-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

IV Sunday of Easter:[2012]: Acts 4:7-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

Introduction : Today is World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a day that Christians are invited to reflect on the meaning of God's call and to pray for vocations. Christian thinking on vocation has been summarized in one profound saying: "All are priests, some are priests, only one is a priest." The unique priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and humanity has always been acknowledged by Christians. The universal priesthood of all believers, the sharing of all the baptized in the priesthood of Christ, has received special emphasis since Vatican II. What seems to be hard for many people today to understand is the ministerial priesthood of some of the faithful, those who are called to make a lifelong commitment to serve as ordained ministers. This misunderstanding, among other things, is at the root of the vocation crisis in the church. If we understood more clearly the true nature and meaning of ordained ministry then we would be in the position to encourage both ourselves and others to respond to God's call to this way of life.

A society of missionary priests used to advertize themselves with this jingo, "Join us and see the world." This ad promises the would-be missionary a life of world-wide sightseeing but says nothing of the sacrifice that is part and parcel of the daily life of missionaries. An ad like that could easily lead to a misunderstanding of the meaning of ordained ministry for those who read the ad and go on to become priests. Today's gospel, on the other hand, gives us a very different picture of ministry. The gospel talks of shepherds. The Latin word for shepherd is "pastor," which is what we call an ordained minister who is responsible for ministering to a Christian community or parish. To understand the work and life entailed by the priestly vocation we need to go back to Jesus' teaching on the good shepherd.

Shepherd : The life of the shepherd in biblical times was one of personal self-giving and sacrifice. His work was that of watchful care and closeness to the flock. There were two kinds of shepherds. There was the hired hand for whom keeping the sheep was just the available job. He moved from flock to flock depending on the conditions of service and he would not risk his life for them. Seeing wolves or thieves coming, he would flee for dear life and leave the flock at the mercy of the invaders. Jesus said that he is not that kind of shepherd.

Joke : NASA was interviewing professionals they were thinking of sending to Mars. The touchy part was that only one guy could go and it would be a one-way trip, the guy not ever returning to Earth.

The interviewer asked the first applicant, an engineer, how much he wanted to be paid for going. "One million dollars," the engineer answered. "And I want to donate it all to my alma mater – Rice University."

The next applicant was a doctor, and the interviewer asked him the same question. "Two millions dollars," the doctor said. "I want to give a million to my family and leave the other million for the advancement of medical research."

The last applicant was a lawyer. When asked how much money he wanted, he whispered in the interviewer's ear, "Three million dollars." "Why so much more than the others?" the interviewer asked. The lawyer replied, "You give me three million, I'll give you one million, I'll keep a million, and we'll send the engineer."

Then there is the second type: shepherd-owner of the flock who grows up with the flock and stays with the same flock all his life. He knows each and every sheep in the flock individually. He calls each one by name and could tell you the personal story of each one of the sheep, when and where it was born, the problems it has had in life, its personal characteristics, etc. He attends to the individual needs of each and every one of them. He knows which ones are likely to lag behind after a long walk and he would carry them in his arms. He knows which ones were likely to stray from the flock and he would keep an eye on them when they came to dangerous places. He knows which ones are pregnant and need special food. When attacked by wolves or thieves he would risk his life and fight to defend his flock. He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

Conclusion : Jesus is the good shepherd. He laid down his life for the flock, that is, the church. In a general way he invites everyone in the church to share in the work of caring for the flock in our own little ways. We should think about our own eligibility to receive or administer the sacraments.  Feeling of unworthiness and thereby not receiving the Holy Communion is more holiness than receiving Holy Communion with unworthiness.  But he also calls some people from among us to a life-long commitment to the work of shepherding the flock of God. These people are called to share more closely than the rest of the believers in the life and work of Jesus the Good Shepherd. If today you should hear God's voice calling you to this way of life, harden not your hearts. And if you do not hear God calling you to this way of life, then do everything in your power to encourage those who are called to it and who struggle even with faltering steps to follow the footsteps of Jesus the good shepherd.

Introduction

IV Sunday of Easter: World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Message: Jesus is the “cornerstone rejected by the builders which has become the cornerstone”.  He is the good shepherd who laid down his life for us.  Through his paschal mystery we have become children of God.

Saints in this week : 30 Monday : Saint Pius V, Pope

May 1^st Tuesday : Saint Joseph, the worker

2^nd Wednesday : Saint Athanasius, bishop, doctor of the church

3^rd Thursday : Saints Philip and James, Apostles