Fourth Sunday of Easter In Struggle ……Do we Perish or Bear witness! Acts 13: 14, 43-52
Rev. 7: 9, 14-17
John 10: 27-30 Dear Sisters, Brothers and Children, we are called to remember this Sunday as the world day of prayer for vocation. We shall ask the God of Harvest to inspire women and men to respond to God’s call closely to continue the work of Jesus and apostles with strong conviction and deep commitment today. We shall also pray that our families that they may be the places of vocation to religious life and priesthood. Our prayers should lift up all those who struggle and face opposition in different parts of the world for doing the work of God as followers of Christ.
They shall never perish. The young pastor was teaching the 23rd psalm to the Sunday school children. He told them that they were sheep who needed guidance. Then the priest asked, "If you are the sheep, then who the shepherd is?"-- Obviously indicating himself. A silence of a few seconds followed. Then a young boy said, "Jesus. Jesus is the shepherd." The young priest, obviously caught by surprise, said to the boy, "Well then, who am I?" The boy frowned thoughtfully and then said, "I guess you must be a sheep dog."
Yes dear friends all are called to be shepherd because of our call as Parents in the family, as animators and minsters in the Church, as responsible leaders in our working place and as a follower of Christ in our society. What is the role of a shepherd that the gospel teaches us today? They should not be perished and no one could snatch them away. What does it mean today for us? No one to succumb to the evil, violence and opposition they face. Evil is trying to snatch our children away from the Lord. People entrusted under our care find it hard to face struggle in life. The young brothers took violence as way of life and caused threat to the society through bomb blast at Boston were perished, it is because they did not have or did not believe in Good shepherd. If their parents might have played shepherding role then there would not had been a bomb blast of cruel killing and the brothers might have not perished. There is evil, opposition and violent abuse around us.
John speaks of symbolical language. The mentioning of shepherd to the apostles is a reminder, challenge and warning that when they go out to proclaim they will face rejection, opposition and threat. The struggle will be on but if they do the work of the Good Shepherd they will not perish and no one will snatch them. In other words, no one could stop the proclamation of good news and God’s work, if we follow the Lord our shepherd and realize our shepherding role here.
First reading from Acts of the Apostles tells us how Paul and Barnabas faced rejection, opposition and struggle. But Jesus their good shepherd did not allow them to perish and no one could snatch them away from proclaiming the good news of risen Lord. Paul was a Jew and was a Roman citizen. He was well known to the people of Jews and gentiles. It was because of his radical conversion from killer and persecutor of Christians to strong believer of Risen Lord. He goes to the synagogue at Antioch where Christian community was called as Church first. His first proclamation was listened by a big gathering of mixed people. After the first proclamation the talk went around then he was attacked by jealous Jewish authorities and people through violent abuse. Here He said, you opposition and resistance will not stop us to proclaim to gentiles, and to be a light to the gentiles.
The most persecuted religion on earth is Christianity. The persecution is on, the opposition is on and the struggle continuous. How many communist countries and non-Christian counties deprive the religious freedom and curtail to express and to worship Risen Lord and Savior?
We know the story of Julie Aftab. A Christian Pakistani girl who aspired to be a doctor but her family situation made her to quit her studies and to work in office in Pakistan at the age of 16. It was June 15, 2002, two weeks into her new job, when the customer spotted her silver cross, a gift from her grandfather. She wore it despite knowing it branded her as Christian, a tiny minority in the Muslim-majority country. You are living life in the gutter, the Muslim man told her. You are going to hell, the man told her. You are living in darkness. "I am living in the light," Aftab replied. So you think Islam is in darkness? The man demanded 30 or 40 minutes later the man was enraged and returned with the battery acid and his friend. When she finally broke away from them, the acid searing her skin and throat, she ran down the street. As she screamed, teeth fell from her mouth and hit the ground. She came to Houston with the help of Bishop and organization. A decade and 31 surgeries later, she says, what her mother had taught her since she was a child: You are no one to insult someone's religion. If someone is insulting religion, they have to answer to God." For Julie, her mother was a shepherd for her.
Last Monday Pope Francis urged the 80,000people gathered to pray for brothers and sisters who are suffering persecution. There are great many in many countries, let us pray for them from our heart, with love, that they might feel the living and comforting presence of Risen Lord. Pope said, the apostles saw their persecution and opposition as badge of honor.
As pastors, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government officials, etc. are all shepherds. We become good shepherds by loving those entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time and talents for their welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers. Parents must be especially careful of their duties by giving their children good example through the way they live their Christian lives-Amen.
|
