Fourth Sunday of Easter: Good Shepherd/Vocation Sunday

 

Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.  But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.  But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”  Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So, Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep.  All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.  I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.  A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”  (John 1: 1-10)

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter.  It is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocation Sunday.  We recognize that God calls every person to holiness; to love and care for each other. God accompanies us all with tenderness and compassion like a good shepherd in our journey through life.  Jesus is telling his listeners that those who follow him, and his way will find abundant life. He identifies himself both as the shepherd and the gate. The shepherds who are faithful to him are the ones whom the sheep (Jesus’ disciples) should follow.

The relationship between the sheep and their shepherd is based on familiarity. Sheep recognize their shepherd and will not follow a stranger. One time when I was visiting Ireland as we drove through the countryside there were several sheep on the mountainside each one with a distinctive marking.  These markings identified which shepherd they belonged to.  It was so interesting to watch as the shepherds came to collect their sheep.  The sheep knew who to follow and only went with their shepherd.  Let us always follow our true shepherd.

Resurrection Prayer

 

Our sisters from the Province of Ireland posted this prayer the other day on social media.  As I prayed and reflected with it these days, I thought it would be good to share it on our blog.  May we always seek the light of the resurrection and choose life.

Resurrection Prayer by Kathy Galloway

Christ our life, you are alive

in the beauty of the earth

in the rhythm of the seasons

in the mystery of time and space

Alleluia

Christ our life, you are alive

in the creative possibility

of the dullest conversation

of the dreariest task

the most threatening event

Alleluia

Christ our life, you are alive

to offer re-creation

to every unhealed hurt

to every deadened place

to every damaged heart

Alleluia

You set before us a great choice.

Therefore we choose life.

The dance of resurrection soars and surges through the whole creation.

It sets gifts of bread and wine upon our table

This is grace, dying we live.

So let us live.

 

Divine Mercy Sunday

 

Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Some twenty-one years ago, Pope John Paul II proclaimed that the Second Sunday of Easter would be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday. This was proclaimed at the Canonization Mass of St. Faustina Kawalska, who worked throughout her life to make all aware of the merciful love of God.

In today’s Gospel, we hear the familiar story of Jesus’ appearance to the disciples while Thomas was not present and his reaction.  Thomas refused to believe without seeing – he needed proof that Jesus had indeed appeared to the others. Like Thomas, we too, are called to believe without seeing.  Thomas’ lack of belief should not surprise us.  He was reacting out of fear and grief. He wanted hard evidence that the Jesus who appeared to the other disciples was indeed the same Jesus who he saw crucified.  Thomas needed to see and feel his Lord.  A week later he would get his wish when Jesus would come again to the disciples gathered in the upper room.  Each time Jesus came, He greeted them with a greeting of peace.   “Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”  (John 26)

With Thomas as our model, we can have great hope.  Even when our fears overcome us Jesus is still there for us.  We are blessed as we believe without having seen.  As we continue the Easter journey let us always remember that Jesus is always there for us and we are called to show mercy to all those we encounter.

Easter Sunday

 

He has Risen Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Easter Blessing by David Whyte (in memoriam for John O’Donohue) 

The blessing of the morning light to you, may it find you even in your invisible appearances, may you be seen to have risen from some other place you know and have known in the darkness and that carries all you need. May you see what is hidden in you as a place of hospitality and shadowed shelter, may that hidden darkness be your gift to give, may you hold that shadow to the light and the silence of that shelter to the word of the light, may you join all of your previous disappearances with this new appearance, this new morning, this being seen again, new and newly alive. (From The Bell and the Blackbird)

 

May you have

 The gladness of Easter

which is Hope

 The promise of Easter

which is Peace

The spirit of Easter

which is Love

 

Palm Sunday

 

Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of the Lenten Season, the beginning of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified.  Palm Sunday is known as such because the faithful will often receive palm branches which they use to participate in the reenactment of Christ's arrival in Jerusalem. In the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a young donkey, and to the lavish praise of the townspeople who threw clothes, or palms or small branches, in front of him as a sign of homage. This was a customary practice for people of great respect.

Palm branches are widely recognized symbol of peace and victory, hence their preferred use on Palm Sunday. The use of a donkey instead of a horse is highly symbolic, it represents the humble arrival of someone in peace, as opposed to arriving on a steed in war.  A week later, Christ would rise from the dead on the first Easter.

During Palm Sunday Mass, palms are distributed to parishioners who carry them in a ritual procession into church. The palms are blessed, and many people will fashion them into small crosses or other items of personal devotion.   The extra palm will be burned to create ashes for next year’s Ash Wednesday celebration.  The colors of the Mass on Palm Sunday are red and white, symbolizing the redemption in blood that Christ paid for the world.

As we begin this holiest week of the Church year let us take some time to pray, reflect and be present to each of the days of Holy Week.

 

Fifth Sunday of Lent

 

Today is the Fifth Sunday of Lent.  At the Mass I participated in the cantor sang Rory Cooney’s Change Our Hearts.  While listening to this song I was struck by how much it mirrors the need our current world reality.  Right now, our world is suffering greatly.  We are besieged by Covid fatigue, increased incidents of violence, racism, and the crisis at our southern border.  Our world needs a change of heart.  Perhaps with the newness of spring this may happen.  As we enjoy this beautiful day take a few moments to listen to this song and allow it to fill your heart with the desire to change.

Change our hearts this time, Your word says it can be.
Change our minds this time Your life could make us free.
We are the people your call set apart, Lord, this time change our hearts.

Brought by your hand to the edge of our dreams, One foot in paradises, one in the waste; Drawn by your promises, Still we are lured By the shadows and the chains we leave behind. But

Change our hearts this time, Your word says it can be.
Change our minds this time Your life could make us free.
We are the people your call set apart, Lord, this time change our hearts.

Now as we watch you stretch out your hands, Offering abundances, fullness of joy.
Your milk and honey seem distant, Unreal, when we have bread and water in our hands.  But

Change our hearts this time, Your word says it can be.
Change our minds this time Your life could make us free.
We are the people your call set apart, Lord, this time change our hearts.

Show us the way that leads to your side, Over the mountains and sands of the soul.
Be for us manna, water from the stone, Light which says we never walk alone.  And

Change our hearts this time, Your word says it can be.
Change our minds this time Your life could make us free.
We are the people your call set apart, Lord, this time change our hearts.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

 

Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Lent or Laetare Sunday.  Laetare is the first word — meaning “rejoice” — in the Latin text. On Laetare Sunday (as similarly with the Third Sunday of Advent’s Gaudete Sunday) the Church expresses hope and joy amid our Lenten fasts and penances. The vestments worn by the priest are rose this day — this change in color indicates a glimpse of the joy that awaits us at Easter, just before we enter into the somber days of Passiontide.

 

This week we celebrate two great saints - St. Patrick, Patron saint of the Archdiocese of New York and St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

St. Patrick was a Roman of British origin, probably born near present-day Scotland. When he was sixteen years old, he was captured and sold into slavery. Six years later, he escaped and ended up on a ship bound for France where he trained for the priesthood at a monastery. Legend says that he used the shamrock to explain the difficult concept of the Trinity. An ardent and tireless missionary, Patrick endured much hardship, including beatings and imprisonment, to bring the Christian faith to the Celtic people. He has been honored as patron of Ireland since the seventh century.

 

St. Joseph was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. According to the earliest Christian traditions, he was a carpenter or woodworker. The Gospel of Matthew calls him a "righteous man," meaning he was an observant Jew who obeyed God's law.  Joseph was engaged to Mary but when he discovered that she was pregnant with Jesus, he decided to quietly call off the marriage since the penalty for adultery was death by stoning. However, the angel of the Lord told him in a dream that he should go ahead with the marriage because Mary's child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This was the first of four divinely inspired dreams that are recorded in the Gospel of Matthew; for this reason, he is sometimes called "the dreamer." After each of these dreams, "he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him" (Matthew 1:24).  The Solemnity of St. Joseph is celebrated on March 19th. He is the patron of the Catholic Church, unborn children, fathers, immigrants, workers, travelers, carpenters, realtors, and of a happy death. He is also honored as the patron saint of workers on May 1st.

 

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis has proclaimed 2021 The Year of St. Joseph and has encouraged all the faithful to pray this prayer to St Joseph everyday:

 

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.