4td Sunday of Easter (B) - Good Shepherd Sunday

First reading: Acts 4:8-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118
Second reading: 1 John 3:1-2
Gospel reading: John 10:11-18

"For this sheep I will give My life."

The first three Easter Sundays narrate to us the Resurrection of
Jesus and His appearances to His followers: the first spoke of the
empty tomb; the second spoke of Him appearing to St. Thomas; and
in the third Sunday, we learned of Jesus reappearing to the
disciples whom He walked with on the way to Emmaus. This fourth
Sunday of Easter, we shall hear proclaimed in the Mass, how Jesus
is our Good Shepherd - One who will lay down His very life for us.
And Jesus does not limit His being Shepherd to our families and
our communities only. He knows that there are also other sheep He
must bring into our sheepfold - so that as they hear the voice of
Jesus, there shall then be one flock, and one Shepherd.

Many of us are familiar with the term "black sheep". And we know
that in some families, the members of those families treat one
member as the "black sheep of the family" - one who has followed
a direction of error and sin. But whether there is a "black
sheep" in some families we know, or even in our own families, we
are not to lose hope or give up on this person. Jesus, the Good
Shepherd does not give up on any one - no matter how sinful or
evil he has become (as long as there is a desire to repent from
his ways and turn back to God). If any sheep has strayed from the
sheepfold of God, our Good Shepherd will go out of His way in
search of that "black sheep".

This is how great the love of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has for
each and every one of us: that even while we were still sinners,
He gave the gift of His life, so that we may be saved from our
sins. The Good Shepherd cares for each and every one of His sheep
in the sheepfold, and even goes far and wide, to bring those who
do not belong to the sheepfold, into His own special care, love,
attention, and protection.

As followers of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, we too are called to
shepherd our brothers and sisters - to shepherd them to what is
right and lead them to the love of Christ. This we can do in very
simple ways - through creating a space for silence and reflection,
to use words of sincere gratitude, to beam and give a pleasant
smile, or to brighten up the day of others with a friendly and
bright smile.

Easter Sunday of the Lord's Resurrection

First reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118
Second reading: Colossians 3:1-4
Gospel reading: John 20:1-9

"He saw and believed."

The gospel for Easter Sunday is taken from the gospel of John. It
narrates the discovery of the empty tomb. The story is familiar
to us:

• Mary Magdalene goes out early in the morning to visit the
  tomb, and sees the stone moved away from its entrance
• Mary Magdalene running (probably with some anxiety) to tell
  Simon Peter and John (the disciple Jesus loved) and tells them
  the news that Jesus' body had been taken away!
• Peter and John running side by side to the tomb area, with
  John (who was very much younger) outrunning Peter, and reaching
  the tomb first
• John now at the entrance of the tomb, bending down to peer in,
  and seeing the burial wrappings of Jesus on the ground
• Simon Peter finally arriving, entering the tomb (being older
  and more responsible), and examining the burial wrappings and the
  piece of cloth that covered Jesus' head (which was rolled now up
  to one side of the burial place)
• John following Peter now and enters the tomb
• After seeing all that was in the tomb, John believes

If we place ourselves in this gospel scene using our imagination,
what would we have thought, felt or have done? Imagine ourself
as one of the disciples close to Peter and John. When we hear the
news from Mary Magdalene, what would our reaction be? Probably
like Peter and John: we want to find out what happened. How fast
can we run? Can we outrun John or can we outrun Peter? And as we
enter the tomb with Peter and John, what would be the first thing
that would enter our mind? Would we believe like John, or would we
be like Peter and observe very well what the empty tomb presents?

Faith is a gift. And it is a gift not given to everyone. That is
why we are called to be thankful to God for the gift of faith He
has given us. All throughout His ministry, Jesus has always
emphasized the importance of faith. It was faith in Him that has
healed the blind, the lame, the deaf-mute, and all those who
sought His help in behalf of their sick loved ones

How strong is our faith in Jesus? We must remember that even Peter
sank (for lack of faith) after walking on the water to meet Jesus,
because he lost courage when he saw the waves growing stronger
around him. And we must remember also that John too failed to
keep awake, watch and pray, when he was (together with Peter and
James) with Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. If both
these men who were already close to Jesus, still lacked faith for
a time, then how much more we who are centuries apart from that
historical place and event?

If our faith in Christ may be weak for a time, we can however pray
for the gift of a stronger faith in Him. We should especially
make this prayer more prominent in our lives as Christians when we
experience trials, difficulties, great losses, and the common
storms of life which we all share through our basic human
condition. If we patiently endure the trials we have in life with
faith, pray to God for the strength to bear our crosses, then
eventually, after doing God's will, we will receive His promise of
eternal life. Jesus has become man for our sakes to show us the
Way to Life, i.e.: to deny our selves, take up our crosses and
live a self-sacrificing lifestyle out of love for our family,
respect God and the Church, obey the state and its laws, love our
neighbors as ourselves, and pray for our enemies. By following
this Way of Christ, we shall grow in greater faith every day and
finally when we are called to leave this world, we shall share
in Jesus' heritage and receive God's promise of eternal life.

Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper - Holy Thursday

First reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel reading: John 13:1-15

"As I have done, so you must do."

The gospel for the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper is a story
on what Jesus did during the last meal He had with His apostles:
He rose from the meal table, took off His cloak, picked up a towel
to tie it around Himself, poured water into a basin, and began to
wash His disciples' feet. When He came to Simon Peter, Peter did
not accede at first. Since he knew Jesus to be his Master, he
refused to be washed. When Jesus however explained that this
action will give Peter a share in His heritage, Peter overreacted
and now wanted his hands and his head washed as well! Knowing
Peter well, Jesus told him plainly that only his feet needed to
be washed. So, Jesus finished this prophetic action, and put His
cloak back on, then reclined at table once more.

This act of washing the apostles' feet, is a concrete expression
of what Jesus had been preaching to His people: "that the Son of
Man came not to be served, but to serve." What is also moving in
this washing of the feet is that Jesus had integrated the truth
of humble service in His institution of the Eucharist. As we will
soon celebrate the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, the priest-
presider will also do what Jesus did: he will wash the feet of
twelve selected members of his parish. He will follow Jesus'
command: "As I have done, so you must do."

What does "washing each other's feet" mean for us today? As we
celebrate the Eucharist more often, we receive more frequently the
Body and Blood of Jesus - the very life-force of God which makes
us all act in humble service towards each other, especially to
the members of our family, the people we work with, and the people
we interact daily as we go about the tasks and responsibilities of
everyday. It is in these interactions with people that will call
us to obey the command of Jesus that we do as He has done. In
imitation of Jesus, we forget our self and see what would be good
to the significant persons in our state of life, and especially
to the poor whom we know in our neighborhood.