Fourth Sunday of Easter Cycle C

05/03/2022

May 8, 2022 Cycle C

Good Shephard Sunday

In the Gospel that we hear today, Jesus is in the temple area talking on the feast of the dedication, the annual commemoration of the restoration of the Temple made by the Maccabees in 165BC.

Perhaps today and the week ahead is a good time to reflect on His words ...

Will we hear His voice in the days ahead???

Or to reflect on...

What voice do we hear when things don't go our way?

In the first reading, St. Paul, along with Barnabas, are on their first missionary trip.
They are rejected by some of the Jews and St. Paul says it's time to turn to the Gentiles, the pagans, the non Jews, who will hear the voice of God.

St. Paul never gives up proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ, mercy and love to all, even to the enemy, and to the ones who do not believe.

St. Paul received his Mission from Jesus Christ when he was knocked off his horse and experienced quite a conversion.

Each of us were called to conversion by Christ at our baptism. We, like Paul and Barnabas, are to make Christ present for others, so that they too can hear the voice of the Lord and follow.

Saint Paul was able to hear the voice of the Lord and to follow, not just when times were easy and good, but also in times that were very difficult and frustrating.

When things are going well for us, how easy it is to follow the Lord or to not even to think about the Lord.

But to hear the voice of the Lord and to follow Him when things are difficult and frustrating seems almost impossible.

But we certainly have the example of St. Paul and other saints who have given witness in times that were easy and times that were a real struggle with doubt and fear. They have shown us that following Christ in good times and bad is the way to eternal life.

In the second reading, we get a picture of what heaven is like, filled with people who have struggled, have been martyred, and are now in heaven, are rejoicing around the lamb, Christ, the one who sacrificed himself, so that all of us have the opportunity to inherit eternal life. Following Christ will mean for each of us times of struggle and difficulty.

This coming week we will all have many opportunities to follow Christ, and to hear his voice.

The question is when times are difficult or stressful will we hear his voice?

Will we follow him even in those times that are difficult; the times we are called to pick up the cross and follow him?

Will we hear his voice?

And if we fail at times, then we have learned even more about ourselves and our own spiritual weaknesses. That is the time, not to give up, but once again to turn to the Lord for forgiveness and to then continue the journey that the Lord has called us to take.