Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 04-17-05, Good Shepherd Sunday

April 17, 2005
Fourth Sunday of Easter

Psalm: Sunday 19

Reading I
Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
"What are we to do, my brothers?"
Peter said to them,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call."
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
"Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 23: 13a, 3b4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading II
1 Pt 2:20b-25

Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted, he returned no insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Gospel
Jn 10:1-10

Jesus said:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

From: Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Peter's Address (Continuation)

[14a] But Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and
addressed them, [36] "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly
that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

The Baptism

[37] Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to
Peter and the rest of the Apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"
[38] And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] For the promise is to
you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom
the Lord our God calls to Him." [40] And he testified with many other
words and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked
generation." [41] So those who received his word were baptized, and
there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Commentary:

14. In his commentaries St. John Chrysostom draws attention to the
change worked in Peter by the Holy Spirit: "Listen to him preach and
argue so boldly, who shortly before had trembled at the word of a
servant girl! This boldness is a significant proof of the resurrection
of his Master: Peter preaches to men who mock and laugh at his
enthusiasm. [...] Calumny ('they are filled with new wine') does not
deter the Apostles; sarcasm does not undermine their courage, for the
coming of the Holy Spirit has made new men of them, men who can put up
with every kind of human test. When the Holy Spirit enters into hearts
He does so to elevate their affections and to change earthly souls,
souls of clay, into chosen souls, people of great courage [...]. Look
at the harmony that exists among the Apostles. See how they allow
Peter to speak on behalf of them all. Peter raises his voice and
speaks to the people with full assurance. That is the kind of courage
a man has when he is the instrument of the Holy Spirit. [...] Just as
a burning coal does not lose heat when it falls on a haystack but
instead is enabled to release its heat, so Peter, now that he is in
contact with the life-giving Spirit, spreads his inner fire to those
around him" ("Hom. on Acts", 4).

36. During His life on earth Jesus had often presented Himself as the
Messiah and Son of God. His resurrection and ascension into Heaven
reveal Him as such to the people at large.

In Peter's address we can see an outline of the content of the
apostolic proclamation ("kerygma"), the content of Christian preaching,
the object of faith. This proclamation bears witness to Christ's death
and resurrection and subsequent exaltation; it recalls the main points
of Jesus' mission, announced by John the Baptist, confirmed by miracles
and brought to fulfillment by the appearances of the risen Lord and the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit; it declares that the messianic time
predicted by the prophets have arrived, and calls all men to
conversion, in preparation for the Parousia or second coming of Christ
in glory.

37. St. Peter's words were the instrument used by God's grace to move
the hearts of his listeners: they are so impressed that they ask in all
simplicity what they should do. Peter exhorts them to be converted, to
repent (cf. note on 3:19). The "St. Pius V Catechism" explains that in
order to receive Baptism adults "need to repent the sins they have
committed and their evil past life and to be resolved not to commit sin
henceforth [...], for nothing is more opposed to grace and power of
Baptism than the outlook and disposition of those who never decide to
abjure sin" (II, 2, 4).

38. "Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ": this does not
necessarily mean that this was the form of words the Apostles normally
used in the liturgy, rather than Trinitarian formula prescribed by
Jesus. In the "Didache" (written around the year 100) it is stated
that Baptism should be given in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, but this does not prevent it, in other
passages, from referring to "those baptized in the name of the Lord."
The expression "baptized in the name of Christ" means, therefore,
becoming a member of Christ, becoming a Christian (cf. "Didache", VII,
1; IX, 5).

"Like the men and women who came up to Peter on Pentecost, we too have
been baptized. In baptism, our Father God has taken possession of our
lives, has made us share in the life of Christ, and has given us the
Holy Spirit" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 128). From this
point onwards, the Trinity begins to act in the soul of the baptized person.
"In the same way as transparent bodies, enlightened by the Holy Spirit
become spiritual too and lead others to the light of grace. From the Holy
Spirit comes knowledge of future events, understanding of mysteries and of
hidden truths, an outpouring of gifts, Heavenly citizenship, conversation
with angels. From Him comes never-ending joy, perseverance in good,
likeness to God and--the most sublime thing imaginable--becoming God" (St.
Basil, "On the Holy Spirit", IX, 23).

This divinization which occurs in the baptized person shows how
important it is for Christians to cultivate the Holy Spirit who has
been infused into their souls, where He dwells as long as He is not
driven out by sin. "Love the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
Listen in the intimacy of your being to the divine motions of
encouragement or reproach you receive from Him. Walk through the earth
in the light that is poured out in your soul. [...] We can apply to
ourselves the question asked by the Apostle: 'Do you not know that you
are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?' (1 Corinthians
3:16). And we can understand it as an invitation to deal with God in a
more personal and direct manner. For some, unfortunately, the
Paraclete is the Great Stranger. He is merely a name that is
mentioned, but not Someone--not one of the three Persons in the one
God--with whom we can talk and with whose life we can live. No: we
have to deal with Him simply and trustingly, as we are taught by the
Church in its liturgy. Then we will come to know our Lord better, and
at the same time, we will realize more fully the great favor that was
granted us when we became Christians. We will see the greatness and
truth of this divinization, which is a sharing in God's own life"
([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 133-134).

39. The "promise" of the Holy Spirit applies to both Jews and Gentiles,
but in the first instance it concerns the Jews: it is they to whom God
entrusted His oracles; theirs was the privilege to receive the Old
Testament and to be preached to directly by Jesus Himself. St. Peter
makes it clear that this promise is also made "to all that are far
off"--a reference to the Gentiles, as St. Paul explains (cf. Ephesians
2:13-17) and in line with Isaiah's announcement, "Peace, peace to the
far and to the near" (Isaiah 57:19). Cf. Acts 22:21.

40. "This crooked generation" is not only that part of the Jewish
people who rejected Christ and His teaching, but everyone who is
estranged from God (cf. Deuteronomy 32:5; Philippians 2:5).

41. St. Luke here concludes his account of the events of the day of
Pentecost and prepares to move on to a new topic. Before he does so he
adds a note, as it were, to say that "about three thousand souls"
became Christians as a result of Peter's address.

St. Luke often makes reference to the numerical growth of the Church
(2:47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:1, 7; 9:31; 11:21, 24; 16:5). Interesting in
itself, this growth clearly shows the effectiveness of the Gospel
message boldly proclaimed by the Apostles. It proves that if the
Gospel is preached with constancy and clarity it can take root in any
setting and will always find men and women ready to receive it and put
it into practice.

"It is not true that everyone today--in general--is closed or
indifferent to what our Christian faith teaches about man's being and
destiny. It is not true that men in our time are turned only toward
the things of this earth and have forgotten to look up to Heaven.
There is no lack of narrow ideologies, it is true, or of persons who
maintain them. But in our time we find both great desires and base
attitudes, heroism and cowardice, zeal and disenchantment--people who
dream of a new world, more just and more human, and others who,
discouraged perhaps by the failure of their youthful idealism, take
refuge in the selfishness of seeking only their own security or
remaining immersed in their errors.

"To all those men and women, wherever they may be, in their more
exalted moments of in their crises and defeats, we have to bring the
solemn and unequivocal message of St. Peter in the days that followed
Pentecost: Jesus is the cornerstone, the Redeemer, the hope of our
lives. 'For there is no other name under Heaven given among men by
which we must be saved' (Acts 4:12)" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing
By", 132).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: 1 Peter 2:20b-25

Duties Towards Masters--Christ's Example

[20b] But if when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you
have God's approval. [21] For to this you have been called, because Christ
also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his
steps. [22] He committed no sin; no guile was found on His lips. [23] When
He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not
threaten; but He trusted to Him who judges justly. [24] He Himself bore our
sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. [25] For you were
straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of
your souls.

Commentary:

18-25. The sacred writer now addresses all domestic servants (the Greek
word means all who work in household tasks). He exhorts them to obey
their masters, even if they are harsh (verse 18), because God is pleased
if they put up with unfairness for His sake (verses 19-20); in doing so
they are imitating the example of Jesus (verses 21-25). St. Paul, when
addressing slaves in his letters (cf. Ephesians 5:5-9; Colossians
3:22-24), never encourages them to rebel. Christian teaching on social
issues is not based on class struggle but on fraternal love: love
eventually does away with all discrimination, for all men have created
in the image of God and are equal in His sight. This peaceable policy
gradually made for the suppression of slavery, and it will also lead to
the solution of all social problems (cf. "Gaudium Et Spes", 29).

The fact that St. Peter addresses only servants and does not go on to
say anything to masters (as St. Paul usually does: cf. Ephesians 6:5-9;
Colossians 3:23ff) has led some commentators to suggest that most of the
Christians addressed in this letter must have been people of humble
condition.

21-25. This passage is a beautiful hymn to Christ on the cross.
Christ's sufferings, which fulfill the prophecies about the Servant of
Yahweh contained in the Book of Isaiah (52:13-53:12), have not been in
vain, for they have a redemptive value. He has taken our sins upon
Himself and brought them with Him on the cross, offering Himself as an
atoning sacrifice. This means that we are free of our sins ("dead to
sin") and can live "to righteousness", that is, can live for holiness
with the help of grace.

The example of the suffering of Christ is always a necessary reference
point for Christians: however great the trials they experience, they
will never be as great or as unjust as those of our Lord. Reflecting on
Christ's suffering led St. Bernard to comment: "I have come to see that
true wisdom lies in meditating on these things [...]. Some have
provided me with wholesome, if bitter, drink, and I have used others as
gentle and soothing unction. This gives me strength in adversity and
helps me to be humble in prosperity; it -allows me to walk with a sure
step on the royal road of salvation, through the good things and the
evil things of this present life, free from the dangers which threaten
to right and left" ("Sermons on the Song of Songs", 43, 4).

25. The messianic prophecy about the Servant of Yahweh includes the
image of the scattered flock (cf. Isaiah 53:6), to which Jesus alludes
in His allegory of the Good Shepherd (cf. John 10:11-16). St. Peter, to
whom our Lord had given charge of His flock (cf. John 21:15-19), would
have had a special liking for imagery connected with shepherding.

Jesus Christ is "the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls" and "the chief
Shepherd" (1 Peter 5:4). The etymology of the Greek word--"episcopos"
(guardian)--means "overseer"; the word was used in civic life to
designate those who were responsible for seeing that the law was kept.
In the Dead Sea manuscripts the Hebrew equivalent ("mebaqqer") is used
to designate the religious leaders of the schismatic community of
Qumran. Whatever might be the origin of the term, in the New Testament
the word "episcopos" (bishop) is often used to mean the pastor of the
Church (cf., e.g., Acts 20:28; see the note on 1 Peter 5:1-4). Here St.
Peter applies to Christ the words the prophet Ezekiel places on the lips
of God: "I will seek out My sheep and I will rescue them from all places
where they have been scattered" (Ezekiel 34:12). Our Lord founded the
Church as a sheepfold "whose sheep, although watched over by human
shepherds, are nevertheless at all times led and brought to pasture by
Christ Himself, the Good Shepherd and prince of shepherds (cf. John
10:11; 1 Peter 5:4), who gave His life for His sheep (cf. John
10:11-16)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 6).

From: John 10:1-10

The Good Shepherd

(Jesus said to the Pharisees,) [1] "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who
does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way,
that man is a thief and a robber; [2] but he who enters by the door is
the shepherd of the sheep. [3] To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep
hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
[4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the
sheep follow him, for they know his voice. [5] A stranger they will
not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice
of strangers." [6] This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not
understand what He was saying to them.

[7] So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the
door of the sheep. [8] All who came before Me are thieves and robbers;
but the sheep did not heed them. [9] I am the door; if any one enters
by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. [10]
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they
may have life, and have it abundantly."

Commentary:

1-18. The image of the Good Shepherd recalls a favorite theme of Old
Testament prophetic literature: the chosen people is the flock, and
Yahweh is their shepherd (cf. Psalm 23). Kings and priests are also
described as shepherds or pastors. Jeremiah inveighs against those
pastors who had let their sheep go astray and in God's name promises
new pastors who will graze their flocks properly so that they will
never again be harassed or anxious (cf. 23:1-6; also 2:8; 3:15; 10:21;
Isaiah 40:1-11). Ezekiel reproaches pastors for their misdeeds and
sloth, their greed and neglect of their responsibility: Yahweh will
take the flock away from them and He Himself will look after their
sheep: indeed, a unique shepherd will appear, descended from David, who
will graze them and protect them (Ezekiel 34). Jesus presents Himself
as this shepherd who looks after His sheep, seeks out the strays, cures
the crippled and carries the weak on His shoulders (cf. Matthew
18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7), thereby fulfilling the ancient prophecies.

From earliest times, Christian art found its inspiration in this
touching image of the Good Shepherd, thereby leaving us a
representation of Christ's love for each of us.

In addition to the title of Good Shepherd, Christ applies to Himself
the image of the door into the sheepfold of the Church. "The Church,"
Vatican II teaches, "is a sheepfold, the sole and necessary gateway to
which is Christ (cf. John 10:1-10). It is also a flock, of which God
foretold that He Himself would be the shepherd (cf. Isaiah 40:11;
Ezekiel 34:11ff.), and whose sheep, although watched over by human
shepherds, are nevertheless at all times led and brought to pasture by
Christ Himself, the Good Shepherd and Prince of shepherds (cf. John
10:11; 1 Peter 5:4), who gave His life for His sheep (cf. John
10:11-15)" ("Lumen Gentium", 6).

1-2. The flock can be harmed in a subtle, hidden way, or in a blatant
way through abuse of authority. The history of the Church shows that
its enemies have used both methods: sometimes they enter the flock in a
secretive way to harm it from within; sometimes they attack it from
outside, openly and violently. "Who is the good shepherd? `He who
enters by the door' of faithfulness to the Church's doctrine and does
not act like the hireling `who sees the wolf coming and leaves the
sheep and flees'; whereupon `the wolf snatches them and scatters them'"
([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 34).

3-5. In those times it was usual at nightfall to bring a number of
flocks together into one sheepfold, where they would be kept for the
night with someone acting as look-out. Then at dawn the shepherds
would come back and open the sheepfold and each would call his sheep
which would gather round and follow him out of the pen (they were used
to his voice because he used to call them to prevent them from going
astray) and he would then lead them to pasture. Our Lord uses this
image--one very familiar to His listeners--to teach them a divine
truth: since there are strange voices around, we need to know the
voice of Christ--which is continually addressing us through the
Magisterium of the Church--and to follow it, if we are to get the
nourishment our soul needs. "Christ has given His Church sureness in
doctrine and a fountain of grace in the Sacraments. He has arranged
things so that there will always be people to guide and lead us, to
remind us constantly of our way. There is an infinite treasure of
knowledge available to us: the word of God kept safe by the Church, the
grace of Christ administered in the Sacraments and also the witness and
example of those who live by our side and have known how to build with
their good lives a road of faithfulness to God" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is
Passing By", 34).

6. Christ develops and interprets the image of the shepherd and the
flock, to ensure that everyone who is well-disposed can understand His
meaning. But the Jews fail to understand--as happened also when He
promised the Eucharist (John 6:41-43) and spoke of the "living water"
(John 7:40-43), or when He raised Lazarus from the dead (John
11:45-46).

7. After describing His future Church through the image of the flock,
Christ extends the simile and calls Himself the "door of the sheep".
The shepherds and the sheep enter the sheepfold: both must enter
through the door, which is Christ. "I", St. Augustine preached,
"seeking to enter in among you, that is, into your heart, preach
Christ: if I were to preach other than that, I should be trying to
enter by some other way. Through Christ I enter in, not to your houses
but to your hearts. Through Him I enter and you have willingly heard
me speak of Him. Why? Because you are Christ's sheep and you have
been purchased with Christ's blood" ("In Ioann. Evang." 47, 2-3).

8. The severe reproach Jesus levels against those who came before Him
does not apply to Moses or the prophets (cf. John 5:39, 45; 8:56;

12:41), nor to the Baptist (cf. John 5:33), for they proclaimed the
future Messiah and prepared the way for Him. He is referring to the
false prophets and deceivers of the people, among them some teachers of
the Law--blind men and blind guides (cf. Matthew 23:16-24) who block
the people's way to Christ, as happened just a little before when the
man born blind was cured (cf. John 9).

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Almighty and ever-living God, give us new strength from the courage of Christ our shepherd, and lead us to join the saints in heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Prayers:

April 17, 2005

Fourth Sunday of Easter

"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."

Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier, have mercy on us. Litany of the Holy Spirit for the election of a holy pope.

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 36-41 and if taken together with that of the following Sunday provides an alternative theme in exploring the preaching of the early Church in the persons of Paul and Barnabas. The mission first to the Jews is now to be placed second to the mission to the Gentiles, — a theme which the reading for next Sunday also explores with the warning of the preachers that those who follow the Lord will necessarily have to endure trial and sufferings. — A Celebrants Guide to the New Sacramentary - A Cycle by Kevin W. Irwin

The second reading is from the first Letter of Peter 2:20-25. In these verses today, St. Peter is giving advice to Christians who were slaves. He tells them to be submissive to their masters with all respect.

The Gospel is from St. John 10:1-10. One of the oldest paintings of Christ, in the Roman catacombs, represents Christ as carrying the injured, straying sheep gently on his shoulders back to the sheepfold. This is an image of Christ which has always appealed to Christians. We have Christ as our shepherd—he tells us so himself in today's gospel—and we do not resent being called sheep in this context. There is something guileless about a sheep, and at the same time a lot of foolishness! But with Christ as our shepherd and the "good shepherd" who is sincerely interested in the true welfare of his flock we have reason to rejoice.

The leaders of the Jews, the Pharisees and Sadducees, were false shepherds who tried to prevent the people from following Jesus, but they failed. They then killed the shepherd but in vain. He rose from the dead and his flock increased by the thousands and will keep increasing until time ends.

We surely are fortunate to belong to the sheepfold of Christ—his Church. We surely are blessed to have the Son of God as our Shepherd, who came among us in order to lead us to heaven. Do we fully appreciate our privileged position? Do we always live up to our heavenly vocation? We know his voice, we know what he asks of us, but do we always listen to that voice, do we always do what he asks of us?

There are many among us today who foolishly think they need no shepherd. They think they know all the facts of life while they are in total ignorance of the most basic fact of all, namely, the very purpose of life. Not that the thought of it does not arise disturbingly before their minds time and time again. But they try to smother that thought and ease their consciences by immersing themselves deeper and deeper in the affairs and the passing pleasures of this temporary life. Alas for them, a day of reckoning lies ahead, a day that is much nearer than they would like to believe. What will be their fate when they meet Christ the Judge, whom they had refused to follow and acknowledge during their days on earth?

This is a misfortune that could happen to any one of us, unless we think often of our purpose and our end in life. We have a few short years, but short though they be, we can earn for ourselves an eternity of happiness during this life. Let the straying sheep boast of their false freedom and of the passing joys they may get in this life—this freedom and these joys are mixed with much sorrow, and will end very soon. We know that if we follow the shepherd of our souls, we are on the way to the true life, the perfect life, the unending life which will have no admixture of sorrow, regret or pain. Where Christ is, there perfect happiness is, and there with God's grace we hope and trust to be. — The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Holiness Is Seeing Everything Through God's Eyes
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Sunday, April 17, 2005

Jn 10:1-10

A hunter sneaked up on a duck and was about to fire when the duck yelled, "Stop. If you don't shoot, I'll give you a hot stock tip!"

The hunter lowered his rifle: "Okay, what's the stock?"

"A company on the NASDAQ called Sounds Like A Duck. It makes duck calls, and it went up ten points last week alone."

The hunter went straight home and bought 1000 shares. After all, he reasoned, who'd know a good duck call better than a duck? Unfortunately, the company went broke the very next week, and a very unhappy hunter went back to the pond to find that duck. "I lost $20,000 because of your lousy tip!" he snarled.

"Big deal," replied the duck. "You lost a few thousand. We lost our early warning system!"
+ + +
Too often, we lose ours too. The Lord talks to us constantly, but most of the time all we hear are bits and pieces: The reception is really poor inside our heads! For example, take Sunday's scripture. Jesus is saying to us, "I am your very own, personal shepherd. I know everything there is to know about you, the good and the bad. And I still love you - even more than you love yourself. You've got your share of troubles and hurts, and they can seem mighty overwhelming at times. But I promise you, if you keep your eyes on me and trust me, I can bring you through anything. I can even turn bad into good, if you trust me, and work with me, and give me some time."

That's what the Lord is saying to each one of us over and over. But how much of it are we actually hearing? Judging from the lack of peace in our hearts and the extent of our discontents, not much.

We can change that. The remedy is elegantly simple: Fix your eyes on the Lord and don't ever look away. Look into his heart and see what he's really about. See the happy life he wants for us. Trust that; it's true. Then, look at the world through his eyes. It looks very different, a lot better than we thought.

The folks around us look better too. How did they change so fast? Well, they didn't. We're just seeing them better - the way the Lord sees us. They're worth helping, so why not help? Why not try to be for them, what the Lord is for us - good shepherds, whose fondest desire and greatest pleasure is to walk with people and help them grow strong and health and happy? Why not?

It's the ultimate formula for peace and happiness: Fix your gaze on the Lord, and rest your heart in him. Let him show you the world as he sees it: You'll know what you need to do. Day by day, you'll know. And, as you act on what he helps you see, you'll be happy as you've never been happy before. That's what God really wants for us: Happiness, deep down inside. Happiness that goes on and on forever! That's what God wants, and it's ours for the taking!

Jn 10:1-10
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
1	Amen, amen, I say to you: He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber.	amen amen dico vobis qui non intrat per ostium in ovile ovium sed ascendit aliunde ille fur est et latro
2	But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.	qui autem intrat per ostium pastor est ovium
3	To him the porter openeth: and the sheep hear his voice. And he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out.	huic ostiarius aperit et oves vocem eius audiunt et proprias oves vocat nominatim et educit eas
4	And when he hath let out his own sheep, he goeth before them: and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.	et cum proprias oves emiserit ante eas vadit et oves illum sequuntur quia sciunt vocem eius
5	But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers.	alienum autem non sequuntur sed fugient ab eo quia non noverunt vocem alienorum
6	This proverb Jesus spoke to them. But they understood not what he spoke.	hoc proverbium dixit eis Iesus illi autem non cognoverunt quid loqueretur eis
7	Jesus therefore said to them again: Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.	dixit ergo eis iterum Iesus amen amen dico vobis quia ego sum ostium ovium
8	All others, as many as have come, are thieves and robbers: and the sheep heard them not.	omnes quotquot venerunt fures sunt et latrones sed non audierunt eos oves
9	I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved: and he shall go in and go out, and shall find pastures.	ego sum ostium per me si quis introierit salvabitur et ingredietur et egredietur et pascua inveniet
10	The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they may have life and may have it more abundantly.	fur non venit nisi ut furetur et mactet et perdat ego veni ut vitam habeant et abundantius habeant

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