Gospel Reflection May 8 – Deacon Paul
Sunday, May 8
Fourth Sunday of Easter
John 10: 27 – 30
Gospel:
Jesus said:
“My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
Gospel Reflection:
In John’s Chapter 10, Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd and, in a debate with the Jewish leaders, He makes the claim, “The Father and I are one.” It is with this bold statement that Jesus claimed to be one with God in the sense of being equal to Him. Jesus did not claim to be merely a messenger or a prophet of God…but of equal power with God.
Jesus today also said that “My sheep hear my voice.” The life of a sheep depends on its shepherd. Lambs are born with an instinct to follow along with their flock. The mature sheep know the shepherd’s voice, and the lambs eventually learn to be familiar with it, too. We too are born to crave a relationship with our Creator. Designed in His image, our very being senses His calling out to us. But it is not until we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior that we come into His presence and know the sound of His voice.
Unfortunately, life in today’s world is noisy, and it is not always easy for us to hear the voice of our Good Shepherd. We are bombarded with so many other voices, so many images, so many ideas. Jesus knows this, and yet he still tells us, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” No matter how noisy, dark, or stormy it gets, He knows how to make His voice heard in our hearts.
Today, as Jesus renews His commitment as our Good Shepherd, let’s renew our commitment to be His good sheep. When He feeds us again with His grace in Holy Communion, let’s ask Him to give us a greater share of His love, so that we will more eagerly share in His mission.
Today, let us also wish all our Moms a very Happy and Blessed Mother’s Day. Let us remember the tireless work and selfless sacrifice of all the mothers in our lives. May God bless them always!!
Deacon Paul Zemanek