BIBLE STUDY #87

BIBLE STUDY #87 FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER April 29, 2012 READING 1 ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 4:8-12 Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: "Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." The Word of the Lord READING 2 1 JOHN 3:1-2 Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. The Word of the Lord GOSPEL JOHN 10:11-18 Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why 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 on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father." The Gospel of the Lord Reflection The idea of ‘shepherd’ is not original with Jesus. Shepherd imagery was used to define leadership and salvation for humanity. In Genesis 48:15, God is described as “my shepherd from my birth to this day”; in the book of Exodus, God ‘shepherds’ the people by bringing them out of Egypt, feeding them, giving them water, and leading them to the Promised Land; Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34 portray God as one who protects and cares for a helpless flock; and the kings of Israel were thought to be shepherds, to be people leading, guiding, and protecting their people (i.e. King David). Jesus carries on in the tradition of being a shepherd in his mission of bringing the people to God and God to the people. He is the final and definitive revelation of God to us; therefore he shepherds us to God. Like a good shepherd, he feeds us with his body and blood that nourishes and strengthens us on our pilgrim journey through life and he brings us to the promised land of eternal life. He ‘lays down his life for us’: he lays down his life on the cross and rises from the dead to conquer sin and death. He ‘protects’ us from evil, sin and death because these things no longer have control of our lives; we can always be forgiven of our sins and receive the strength to be part of the fold. Jesus is the good shepherd, as opposed to the hireling, who will flee at any sign of trouble. Here, Jesus is being compared to other leaders who do not do God’s will for the people and fail to be good shepherds. Other leaders are more concerned about themselves than their flock, and will let them be scattered, as opposed to Jesus, who is ready (and does) die for us. Once we have an experience of the risen Christ (hear his voice) we do not follow other leaders because we know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We know that he is the one to follow and we resist all attempts to be swayed by other voices. When we follow Jesus, we participate in his love for the Father. If we know Jesus, we know the Father. There is a communion of life and love between Jesus and his disciples in which we come to know the Father and share his life. The other sheep that do not know him seems to refer to the universal scope of Jesus’ mission. Jesus mission is not just to Israel, but to the whole world. He says that they will hear his voice; they will, but through us. We are sent to assist Jesus in bringing others to the fold. We are called to be good shepherds in our own right. The mission of our church (and us) is to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus. This Sunday is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, so we have an appropriate gospel. Since we are called to be good shepherds in our own right, I think that there are 3 things we can do to promote vocations: 1. We can encourage young people (or not so young, also) to consider a vocation to the priest hood and religious life. Several years ago, CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) from Catholic University in Washington surveyed young people on vocations. The biggest reason given by young people as to why they didn’t pursue a vocation was that no one ever asked them. I found that to be incredible. Parents, especially, need to put the idea of a vocation in the minds of their children. But, we all share that responsibility. I am asking that if you know someone whom you think would make a good priest or religious to mention that to them and see what they say. You never know. 2. Pray for vocations. Ask God to send more workers to the fields, to be good shepherds. 3. Keep working to make your parish the liveliest, most faith filled parish you can. This provides the milieu that will foster vocations. Who would be inspired by a dull, boring parish where nothing is happening? When people are inspired and are touched by God to grow in their faith then there will be some of this group who will consider a vocation. One basis for Anti-Semitism is that the Jews caused Jesus’ death. To combat that, some people will tell you that it was really the Romans who killed Jesus. In reality, Jesus freely laid down his life for us. He says “I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.” No one took Jesus’ life: he freely laid it down for us. We don’t blame the Jews or Romans; instead, we thank Jesus for his generosity. In the first reading from Acts, Peter and John had just cured a crippled man and are being questioned by the Sanhedrin as to how this was done. They give all the credit to Jesus; he was the one who cured this man, and they were just his instruments. These 2 apostles had gone from being people who had faith in Jesus to ones who had the faith of Jesus. In imitation of Jesus, they came to the realization of his divinity, but also to realize who they were: as St. Paul says, we are the body of Christ. In the second reading from 1 John, we learn that our faith is always evolving. We don’t know where God is leading us, but if we are faithful, we will grow to be more like him. We should never think that we are finished products. There is much to learn and many more ways to grow. Never be close minded. When we are, we just might be closing off avenues of God’s grace in our lives. Fr. Phil