His Word Today: Everyone

Good morning everyone,

In the liturgy we celebrated yesterday, we celebrated the World Day of Prayer for Vocations which is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday.  The gospel account that is provided for today's Mass is the continuation of yesterday's gospel.  Jesus speaks of himself, saying: I am the good shepherd.  A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep (Jn 10: 11).

As we dwell on these words and ponder what they might mean, we should find deep consolation.  Jesus is our good shepherd: the one who has laid down his life for us.  We are celebrating this truth throughout the season of Easter.  How fortunate we are to have an advocate who loves us so much that he is willing to do this for us ... but we should also be careful not to think of this precious gift as something that has been given only to us, as though it is meant to somehow be hidden away as a sign of favouritism.

God never gives such gifts only so that they can be hidden.  The gift of knowing that we are loved so much that our God wants to walk with us and to guide our steps is a cause for great joy that we should always be willing to share with others, and this gift is also given so that others may come to know this truth in their own lives.

In the early days of the Church, this was a temptation for the early followers of Jesus. The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God (Acts 11: 1) and at first, they were confused because they had thought of faith as something exclusively theirs.  It was only when they sat with Peter and voiced their concerns to him that he was able to tell them about the vision he had had while he was praying in the city of Jaffa (cf Acts 11: 5) ... and further to this, he explained that three men had come from Caesarea looking for him and that together they had gone to the house of another man who had seen a vision (Acts 11: 13-14).

As they heard Peter speaking, the Apostles came to understand that the work of evangelization is much bigger than a personal gift: it is meant to be shared with everyone ... and this truth has never changed.  Even today, God's love is meant for everyone.  Our task is to share the good news of our faith with others by joyfully sharing the gift that we have received.  God will do the rest ...

Have a great day.