4th Sunday of Easter (A)
4th week, Psalter

Texts taken from the Mass booklet “On Your Word” March-April 2021

The fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday, because we meditate on chapter 10 of the Gospel according to John, where Jesus speaks of himself as the «good shepherd». His love is tender and strong, because he knows each one of us, knows the timbre of our voice, the color and number of our hairs, knows our sins and talents, knows our name. At the same time, however, we must ask ourselves whether we truly are sheep of his flock, whether we listen to his voice and follow him every day.
Today we also celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Let us pray especially that many boys and girls may be drawn to Christ, the only one capable of saving the world.

FIRST READING

From the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 4:8-12)
In those days, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: «Leaders of the people and elders, if we are being questioned today about a benefit given to a sick man, and by what means he was saved, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healed. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, and has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved».

Commentary on the first reading

«This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, and has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else». If there is someone who was declared a stone, it was Peter himself, and it was the Lord who said this to him: «You are Cephas, and on this stone I will build my Church». It seems that now, with these words taken from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter wants to return Jesus’ gift, declaring him the “cornerstone”, indispensable for the salvation of the community-building and for all of us. But there are also risks when fundamental stones are rejected, considered useless, led to martyrdom, exiled, imprisoned; there is a risk of becoming an insignificant community, not inhabited by the Holy Spirit but by vainglory; not built on God but on the “self”. And how many groups that proclaimed themselves “the true church” have disappeared from the horizon of history because they were attached to their own self, relegating God... to the cellar: the Savior marginalized by his “saved ones”. Fortunately, Jesus, you never withdraw and always remain our rock of salvation.

SECOND READING

From the first letter of Saint John the Apostle (1 John 3:1-2)
Beloved, see what great love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, but what we will be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is.

Commentary on the second reading

«Beloved, see what great love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are!». Thank goodness that in Jesus we are children forever. There is no risk of remaining orphans. The Lord assures us that he is with us until the end of time: eternal sonship! Only eternal love can beget children for eternity. God’s imagination is wonderful and knows no limits of time because it is founded on God’s unique love for each one of us, for me and for you who are reading. God loves us as a father loves his children. And so, Father, continue to look upon us with affection, to help us grow in the light of your loving word, to open our minds and hearts so that we may understand others. Continue to help us understand that every person is your child, and therefore accepted and not rejected, welcomed and not sent back to their country... of death, cared for and not abandoned, fed and not used as a means to enrich myself, a friend and not someone to be killed because they are an enemy, poor and therefore not to be exploited, needy but not to satisfy our infamous and selfish needs. Good Father, help us!

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John (John 10:11-18)
At that time, Jesus said: «I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand - who is not the shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong - sees the wolf coming, abandons the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them; because he is a hired hand and does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must lead them too. They will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father».

Commentary on the Gospel of the day

«I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep». Then I am not the lone little sheep in the desert at the mercy of the hungry beast. There is a shepherd who cares for me. Could it be the one who, last week, in the middle of the night, guided by my desperate bleating, appeared before me? He did not beat me because I had run away, but - listen to this - he gently lifted me and laid me on his shoulders, far from the bites of the wicked. I realized that I could trust him completely because he had exposed his life to the dangers of the night out of love. If this were not so, I would still be there bleating desperately and perhaps torn apart by evil, by the devil, the declared enemies of the Good Shepherd. And the morning after my salvation, he led us all to truly appetizing pastures, worthy of beloved little sheep. Not through our merit, but because of the Shepherd who leads us, one who is even willing to die for us. We overheard him one Thursday evening, while we were in the sheepfold, near where he was dining with his closest friends: «I lay down my life for you, for my sheep. Take and eat»: what a wonderful Shepherd!