Reflection for May 8, 2022

Fourth Sunday of Easter (C)

Acts 13:14, 43-52 | Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5 | Revelation 7:9, 14B-17 | John 10:27-30

We are in the fourth Sunday since the joy of Easter commonly known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” and is also known as The World Day of Prayer for Vocations. ​

As we gather together as a family to celebrate the Lord’s Day, let us believe in the power of Resurrection, endure suffering, conflict, and inconvenience for Jesus and find safety and security in him — the Good Shepherd. I would never be forgiven if I forget to mention that today we also celebrate mothers. Let us express our love and gratitude to our dear mothers and pray for them.

A woman looked out the window of her home and was horrified to see her Rottweiler shaking the life out of the neighbor’s pet rabbit. Her family had been quarreling with these neighbors; this was certainly going to make matters worse. She grabbed a broom and ran outside, pummeling the pooch until he dropped the rabbit now covered with dog-spit—and was extremely dead. What was she going to do? The woman lifted the rabbit with the end of the broom and brought it into the house. She dumped its lifeless body into the bathtub and turned on the shower. When the water running off the rabbit was clean, she rolled him over and rinsed the other side. Now she had a plan. She found her hair-dryer and blew the rabbit dry. Using an old comb, she groomed the rabbit until he looked pretty good. Then, when the neighbor wasn’t looking, she hopped over the fence, sneaked across the back yard, and propped him up in his cage. No way was she taking the blame for this thing! About an hour later, she heard screams coming from the neighbor’s yard. She ran outside, pretending she didn’t know what was going on. Her neighbor came running to the fence. All the blood had drained from her face. “Our rabbit, our rabbit!” she blubbered. “He died two weeks ago, we buried him, and now he’s back!”

Jesus is risen! Jesus is alive! Our First Reading on this Fourth Sunday of Easter reveals that many who heard the message of the Resurrection welcomed it and became believers. However, many others did not. In the year 46-48, Paul and Barnabas preached the good news in Pisidian Antioch. They talk about Jesus Christ, not so much about the Old Testament, which is customarily read in the synagogue on the Sabbath. They draw a lot of people to listen to them and many believed. Their message has been received by many both Jews and Gentiles but it also caused a huge rift in the community, for the synagogue leaders felt angry and threatened. Concerned with their status, the synagogue leaders failed to listen to the right voice. They have become completely fact-resistant like some people we know who believe misinformation and fake news even in the face of fact-checking. They love to be right and believe they are right even when they are so stunningly wrong. As a result, the missioners are expelled by them. This is the cost to speak the truth. It is striking though that even after being run out of town, the missioners did not let rejection choke them. The disapproval and enmity from their opponents did not stop them from sharing the Message to those who are hungry for the Word of God. The words of Saint Titus Brandsma, the Carmelite friar who was martyred in Dachau Concentration Camp under Hitler, rings true, "Those who want to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come into conflict with it." Furthermore, the scriptures encourage us not to be afraid of those who can destroy the body but cannot kill the soul (Matthew 10:28). By listening to the RIGHT VOICE and making these words their own, Paul and Barnabas succeeded in their mission.

I have a friend who in the time of this pandemic lost his job, a sizable fortune, and his beautiful home. To add to his sorrow, his wife left him for some one else; yet he tenaciously held to his faith – the only thing he had left. One day when he was out walking in search of a job, he stopped to watch some men who were doing stonework on a large church. One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of rock. 'Where are you going to put that?' he asked. The workman said, 'Do you see that little opening up there in the belfry? Well, I AM SHAPING THIS STONE DOWN HERE SO THAT IT WILL FIT IN UP THERE.' Tears filled my friend's eyes as he walked away, for the Lord had spoken to him through that laborer whose words gave new meaning to his troubled situation.

In our Second Reading, Saint John tells us of the reward of Christians, who undergo martyrdom as a result of listening to the Word of God. He describes his vision of the praises that the holy ones sing to the Lamb. This vision conveys a message of hope and reassurance to the suffering people of God on earth. The Book of Revelation was written for the Christians under the strain of persecution by the Roman empire and their hostile neighbors. The vision assures that endurance and adherence to Jesus in the present life will lead to union with him in Heaven. Thus, a Christian must not be afraid of suffering, conflict, and inconvenience.

One of my most prized experiences as a young seminarian was when I spent Summertime in Bautista, Pangasinan. While going around the town, I encountered two young shepherds enjoying conversation and lugaw for breakfast whose flocks had become completely mixed together while feeding on grass. I asked how hundreds of sheep would sort themselves out and follow their own shepherd. Eager to impress me, the young men stood at a distance from one another, yelled "Unalis ak la! Unalis ak la!" (I'm going! I'm going!) and began walking in opposite directions. Immediately, the sheep fell in line behind the proper herdsman! That's not all. The two young men exchanged shirts and once again stood apart and shouted. So familiar were the shepherd's voices to the sheep that despite the disguised outward appearance of the young shepherds they again followed their own shepherd. Apparently, the sheep respond with trust to the voice and a word they recognize. If someone they don't know tries to herd them with words they do not understand, they will run away in fear. Just the same, a true Christian is able to recognize the voice of Jesus. If truly we are followers of Christ, then we can immediately recognize his voice and understand what he means. We must recognize Jesus’ voice among all the other voices that we hear and respond with trust.

As the Divine Shepherd, Jesus is not only good, he is perfect. He assures us that no one can take us out of his hand. By insisting that no one will snatch us out from him, Jesus makes it clear that we are safe in the hollow of his hands. We are being offered false safety and security by some candidates in the Presidential Elections. Instead of paying attention to the Good Shepherd, often times, we are distracted by their gimmicks and propaganda campaign but Jesus assures that no one will snatch us from his hands so long as we do not allow them. As the shepherd of Lingayen-Dagupan, Archbishop Socrates Villegas said, "Be critical voters. Be Godly voters. Bring your faith as you choose. Do not leave God when you vote." Let us not allow the enemy to snatch us of our safety and security. The key is to listen to the right voice, follow it and allow ourselves to be shepherded by Him. <enrique,ofs> ​