The IV Sunday of Easter
Jesus, Good Shepherd (Jn 10, 27-30)
First reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 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.
Second reading from the Book of Revelation
Rev 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.”
From the Gospel according to John
Jn 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.”
4th Sunday of Easter
(John 10:27-30)
The Real God’s Word
Contemplation
Dear People of God,
God the Father is the Creator of heaven and earth. He is the One who gives life to man. All of His creations are good. He doesn’t want to lose anyone but evil intervened to tempt the first ancestor Adam Eve. They disobeyed God, displeasing Him. However, God’s love always triumphs over death. Therefore, He continues to save people by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to earth, to die and resurrect to save people from sin and death. And before He ascended to heaven with God the Father, He had commanded the Apostles: Go into the four corners of the world, becoming a light to all nations to bring salvation to all. The Apostles obeyed the Lord’s command to preach salvation to all kinds of people. Although they were persecuted, they remained steadfast, faithful to the command of Jesus Christ.
Those who accept the apostles’ preaching enjoy peace, happiness, and salvation. And the preaching of God is proclaimed to all men, without distinction of any creature; but man is free to accept or reject. And whoever accepts the Word of God receives life, full happiness with God the Father. It’s Jesus who showed Saint John, his disciples about that image expressed in the book of Revelation written by saint John himself: with God the Father in heaven, there is a great multitude of people from all walks of life . It is those who believe in the Word of the Son of God. They are enjoying happiness with God the Father. God has promised, He will fulfill. He is faithful, and never unfaithful.
While in the work of evangelization, Jesus told his disciples: He is the Good Shepherd. Whoever listens to His voice will have life with Him; and will be preserved by him from all dangers of death, as Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow Me. I will not lose a single sheep. I will give those sheep Eternal Life.” Happy are those who dare to trust, to believe, to entrust themselves to God, and to walk according to God’s call. They will be preserved, protected, protected by Him and attain eternal happy life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Those sheep, those who follow God, should always submit, listen, and live according to God’s commands: live in charity, love, fear, and obey God alone. Those people are the ones chosen by God the Father, and He promises that: when such people are chosen by God know to obey, listen, and do rightly the commandments of Jesus Christ, no one will be harmed, robbed from the Father’s hand, it means that: satan cannot take away a person’s soul, when that person’s soul completely submits to God the Father, is completely obedient, listens to the counsel of Jesus Christ.
All those who are walking in the way of God, who are completely trusting in God, ask for faithfulness until death so that the sure reward that God the Father will give is: the eternal life, enjoying happiness with God the Father in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thanks be to God. Amen
See also: The Era of Holy Spirit
