Gospel Reflection April 21 – Father Black
Sunday, April 21
Fourth Sunday of Easter
John 10: 11-18
Gospel:
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.
He said to them,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.”
Gospel Reflection:
When Jesus speaks of His relationship with the Father, he brings us into the close and loving relationship. He says He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. This is quite a blessing from Jesus. While we certainly fall short of such a perfect relationship because of our imperfections and our sin, Jesus sees us with His intense love and cleansing mercy. Because of Jesus’ love for us, we are drawn closer to Him and thus closer to that perfect relationship. One of the best ways we can respond is to turn around and be merciful to one another, despite their imperfections. Let us love one another as Jesus loves us.
Father James Black