4-May-2014 Dear Friend,
Does anybody care for us and about what is happening to us? Often we feel that nobody really bothers, nobody really cares for us. When we do come across people who take us seriously and acknowledge us, we are deeply touched by their concern and love. Today we are reminded that somebody up there loves us. God does care and is concerned about his people. Have an uplifting weekend experiencing the loving care of God! - Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Fourth Sunday of Easter 'He is our Shepherd and cares for us always!' 11-May-2014 Readings: Acts: 2: 14, 36-41; 1 Peter 2: 20-25; John 10: 1-10; In his sermon, Peter reminds his listeners that while God raised Jesus, and made him Lord and Messiah, the people on the other hand crucified Him. Peter's listeners are moved by guilt to ask, "What must we do?" Peter's answer was that they should reform and be baptized. They realized they could no longer believe and act as they once did. In accepting Peter's message today, we too must make the changes in our lives that reflect the One whose rule we follow. Listening with faith demands a response or else the Word is rendered impotent in our lives. Follow My Voice On September 11, 2001, the Pentagon was slammed by a hijacked airliner. People were trapped in the flaming building. A police officer ran inside and kept repeating in the darkness, ''Follow my voice." Six people did. They owe their lives to that voice. We know the popular child's game called, "Follow the Leader." As children, remember when we played, "Simon says?" Whatever Simon says, we do, because, Simon is the leader of that game. At some point of our life, we all picked out leaders to follow, some good, some bad. Depending on whom we chose, we were led well or astray. Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice." But hearing Jesus' voice is very difficult in the current environment of our lives. Each day hundreds of other "shepherds" are calling our names for our attention. They offer formulas for health, wealth and happiness. They offer formulas for solving problems, getting along in relationships, raising children, avoiding becoming popular and getting ahead. John Pichappily in "The Table of the Word" In today's gospel, Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd and the Gate of Life. During the time of Jesus there were two kinds of pens, either the common village pen or the field pen. In the first half of the gospel Jesus alludes to the common village pen. Specifically he refers to the early morning routine when the shepherd came to the village pen to get his flock and lead it out to pasture. The sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out. When he has brought them out he goes ahead of them and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. Among the Hebrews, sheep were most often raised for wool and for milk and not for meat, consequently the animals became like pets, part of the household. Minding the sheep was not a business but a life. Basically what the passage communicates to us is the personal care and concern of Jesus, the caring Shepherd: 'The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.' We are precious and real in the sight of God. In the second half of today's Gospel Jesus refers to himself as the sheep-gate, which refers to the field pen and specifically he refers to the narrow opening in the pen through which the sheep passed. Jesus says: "I am the gate for the sheep. Whoever comes in by me will be saved; he will come in and go out and find pasture." What does Jesus wish to tell us when he says He is the door of the sheepfold? In Jesus' time it was not the door or gate of the sheepfold that was important, it was the person, the shepherd, who was important and it was he who provided security and protection to the sheep by being the door. The shepherd would lie down at the gate and no sheep could go out unless they went over him. No one could come in unless they crossed over him. Jesus is crucial to the life of the believer. He is the gate, the guardian who protects us from all that can harm us. He is the door, the one who provides us passage to the Father. He is the one who is the gateway to the fullness of life. I am the gate In his book 'The Holy Land', John Kellman describes a field pen. It consists of a circular stone wall about four feet high with an opening in it. Kellman says that one day a Holy land tourist saw a field pen near Hebron. He asked a shepherd sitting nearby, "Where's the gate for your pen?" The shepherd said, "I am the gate." The shepherd then told the tourist how he herded his flock into the pen each night and then lay down across the entrance. No sheep could leave the pen and no wild animal could enter it, without stepping over his body. Anonymous "She thinks I'm real!" There is a story of a grandmother, a mother, and a little boy, three generations, who went into a restaurant, and sat down to order. The waitress took the grandmother's order, the mother's order, and then turned to the little boy and said "What would you like?" The mother immediately said "Oh, I'll order for him." The waitress without being overly rude ignored the mother and again said to the little boy "What would you like?" Glancing over at his mother to see how she was reacting to this, the little boy said "Eh, Eh, I'd like a hamburger." "How would you like your hamburger? With mustard and pickles and the works?" asked the waitress. With his mouth dropping open in amazement now, he said "The works, the works." The waitress went over to the hatch, and called out the grandmother's order and the mother's order. Then in a very loud voice she said, "And a hamburger with the works" The little boy turned to his mother in utter amazement and said "Mammy, mammy, she thinks I'm real!" - God treats each one of us as real people. He takes our needs and requests seriously! Jack McArdle Watching over You Cheryl Cassiday was regarded as a nurse. One afternoon, she arrived at an Arts Center to pick her daughter Rachel from her dance lesson. She usually used to run another errand before picking up her daughter- procure milk. On that day as she turned that corner, she changed her mind and did not go to the milk booth. This decision saved her daughter's life and eight other lives. Instead of waiting in the car as she usually did, that day she went into the dance studio. There she found her daughter along with eight others overcome by carbon-monoxide poisoning. With the help of the family across the street she was able to pull out each one from the building and revive them. Later referring to the watchfulness of God, Cheryl very finely concluded: "Somebody was watching over these girls besides me!" John Rose in "John's Sunday Homilies" Why God chose Moses? There is an ancient Jewish legend that explains why God chose Moses over all other people on earth to shepherd his flock, Israel. One day Moses was shepherding some sheep that belonged to his father-in-law, Jethro. Suddenly he spotted a lamb darting off through the underbrush. Moses dropped everything and pursued it, lest it be killed by a wild animal or become lost. He finally caught up with the lamb at a tiny stream of water, where it began to drink feverishly. When it had finished, Moses scooped it up in his arms, saying, "Little one, I didn't know you ran away because you were so thirsty. Your tiny legs must be tired." With that he placed the contented and trusting lamb on his shoulders and carried it back to the flock. When God saw how solicitous Moses was, He said to himself, "At last, I've found the special person I have been searching for. I will make Moses the shepherd of my people, Israel." James Valladares in "Your Words, O Lord, Are Spirit, and They Are Life" May we listen and follow Jesus our Good Shepherd leading us to fullness of life! Fr. Jude Botelho botelhoj...@gmail.com PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in these reflections. These reflections are also available on my Web site www.NetForLife.net Thank you.
