Gospel: John 10:11-18
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n the Old Testament, the metaphors of shepherd and sheep appear in the biblical text, teaching God's people about God's care and love for them through the centuries. "The Catholic Bible Diction- ary" explains that "sheep herding was one of the most common professions in the ancient world - The shep- herd was often depicted as the self-sacrificing care- taker of sheep who was dedicated to their well-being, brought back many strays and kept them safe from the many dangers in the world." In John 10:11-18 Jesus identifies himself as "the Good Shepherd," indeed the very embodiment of God's Old Testament word about the ideal shepherd of the flock. Jesus' self-identification in this way appears in opposition to the unfaithful shepherds of his time, the religious leaders of Israel who have lost their way. In this Gospel passage, Jesus foretells his sacrificial death and implies that it is in this act that he will act in the fullest way as the Good Shepherd toward the people of God. The passage begins in verse 11 wherein Jesus fore- tells what he will soon accomplish on the cross. He teaches that "a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." The commentary on this passage in "The Sacra Pagina" biblical commentary on the Gospel of John explains that "this self-gift of the shepherd unto death for his sheep has no parallel in the Jewish texts that speak of the messianic shepherd." Thus, Jesus' self-offering on the cross for the sins of the world is something new in the history of salvation. Verses 12-14 emphasize the traits of the unfaithful shepherd of God's people. These traits include leaving the sheep in danger, abandoning them, having a lack of concern for the sheep and not "knowing" them in personal relationship. In contrast, Jesus stresses that "I know mine (my sheep) and mine know me." Here, the Lord teaches that the personal relationship that exists between him and God's people is the context for Jesus guiding them toward salvation. The passage continues in verse 16. Here, Jesus pro- claims "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." In "Catho- lic Commentary on Sacred Scripture; The Gospel of John," the commentators suggest that here, when Je- sus refers to "other sheep," he is speaking of later gen- erations of believers, who are in great measure Gentiles, gathered to the God of Israel through faith in Jesus. Of these "other sheep," Jesus says they will "hear my voice." In John 5:25, Jesus predicts: "The hour is com- ing and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." In John 5:28, Jesus connects hearing and listening to his voice with God's judgment. He states "the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation." The hearing and following of Jesus' voice by the sheep of God's flock involves recognizing it through personal relationship with the Lord estab- lished through a lifetime of faith. John 10:18 brings the passage to conclusion. In this verse, Jesus makes it clear that his crucifixion is a choice which embraces the Father's will because it leads to the salvation of the world. John 10:11-18 reminds us that through prayer and faith, we must develop a personal friendship with Jesus in which we recognize and follow his voice of love. May we allow the Good Shepherd to lead us to the Father. Reading: 1 John 3:1-2
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eloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed." In the Christian tradition, St. John is re- ferred to as the "beloved disciple." John was especially close to Jesus and dear to his heart. St. John knew well what it was to be loved by Christ. In his Gos- pel, he refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." In John's Gospel account, we frequently hear the world "love." For example, it is there that Jesus gives his command, "Love one another, as I have loved you." Furthermore, there we find the Lord's words, Greater love than this has no one than to lay down his life for his friends." Love is also a constant theme in St. John's epistles. Our epistle selection from John begins with these words, "Beloved, see what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God." What an awesome thought. This verse is loaded with abundant material for meditation. First, the Evangelist reminds us that God has lavishly poured his love upon us. We know God's love is unconditional and infinite. The culmination of this love is that we are "God's chil- dren now." Wow! That's how we are supposed to live - as God's beloved children. We have been chosen, set apart and blessed. As "children of God" we can no longer live as "children of the world." We must now live according to a higher standard. This divine designa- tion demands we be exemplary in the world because we know and are rooted in Jesus Christ: "The reason the world does not know us is that it does not know him." It is all a matter of "knowing Christ" and being in intimate friendship with him. The love of Christ constantly molds us into what we are meant to be. This passage is one of the optional readings sug- gested for funeral liturgies. I often like to use this reading in order to provide comfort to grieving mourn- ers. It clearly makes a connection between this life and the next. In this life, we possess an awesome dignity. This "dignity" is carried on into the future life: "What we shall be has not yet been revealed." Heaven is the fulfillment of that dignity. In life and in death, we are dear to the Lord. That is why the psalmist can say, "Pre- cious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones." St. John develops this thought when he writes, "we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." It's a lifetime endeavor to become as little children" as the Lord challenges us to be. However, once we do, it becomes easier to own our status as "God's adopted sons and daughters." When I used to volunteer in the prison ministry, there was a volunteer named Chet." During our sessions, Chet had a beautiful habit of putting his hand on the inmate's back and asking them what the "P" stood for on the back of their prison outfit. He had coached them to respond, "Person." Then he would remind the inmate that indeed he was a unique person with dignity and status in the eyes of God. Chet's little ritual really left an impression on me. It helped me to remember that each one of those guys were unique individuals, precious in the eyes of the Lord. What they had done or why they were there didn't truly matter at that moment. They were Christ to us!
The Shepherd leads us to the Father Ours is an awesome dignity
APRIL 23, 2021 THE CATHOLIC FREE PRESS
COMMENTARY 5
SUNDAY'S GOOD NEWS Father Michael N. Lavallee REFLECTING ON SCRIPTURE Father Conrad S. Pecevich
FUNDAMENTALS OF CATHOLICISM I
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t the end of the world, Jesus will come again. God has revealed to us through the life, teaching and Resurrection of Jesus Christ that all the dead will rise again on the last day with their bodies. Now let us reflect for a few moments on some of the astonish- ing truths connected with the resurrection of the dead. It is a solemn truth of the Catholic faith that all men and women, both good and evil, will rise from the dead at the end of the world, just as Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. The term "resurrection" means the return to life in the body of a dead human being; it means taking on a completely new existence in God. Thus, the souls of all those who have died will be reunited with their bodies. When we pray the Apostles' Creed we profess, "I believe in - the resurrection of the body." In the Nicene Creed that we say at Sunday Mass we proclaim, "We look for the resurrection of the dead." In the Gospels, Jesus speaks clearly and often about the resurrection. He rejects as an error the Sadducees' denial of the resurrection (see Mt 22:29ff.). He teaches not only the resurrection of the just (Lk 14:14), but also the "resur- rection" of the wicked who will be cast into hell with their bodies (Mt 5:29ff.). Jesus goes so far as to say of himself, I am the Resurrection and the life" (Jn 11:25). He prom- ises the resurrection on the last day to those who believe in him and eat his flesh and drink his blood (see Jn 6). Belief in the resurrection was an integral part of the early preaching of the Church. It occupies a large part in Peter's first sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2); it is an essen- tial part of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ as proclaimed by Peter, Paul and the other Apostles (see Acts 3, 4, 5, 10, 17, 24, 26). It will take place at the end of the world - a day that is known only to the Father (Mk 13:32). It is also a point of Catholic belief that the dead will rise again with the same bodies as they had on earth. The Bible implicitly affirms this when it speaks of the resurrection or "re-awakening" of the body. Also, St. Paul says in 1 Cor 15:53, "Our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality." Speaking to the same point, the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 said: "And all these will rise with their own bodies which they now have so that they may receive according to their works.-" (Denzinger 429). When the Church says "same bodies" she does not mean in a chemical or scientific sense. Since all of the matter in our bodies changes about every five years, obvi- ously we will not have exactly the same atoms and mol- ecules that we now have. But our soul will inform matter in such a way that we will have the same body in full maturity and perfection. We will look the same and we will retain our sexual differentiation. The integrity of the body in the resurrection requires the organs of vegetative and sensitive life, but the vegetative functions will no lon- ger take place. It is a common opinion in theology that both the saved and the damned will rise again. The bodies of the lost will share in incorruption and immortality, but they will not be transfigured and glorified (see Mt 18:8-9). Jesus himself is the "first fruits" from the dead, as St. Paul said. The Blessed Virgin Mary was also assumed body and soul into heaven. Jesus went first, and we fol- low. This means that we will be transformed into a glory similar to his. The Gospels record a number of amazing qualities in the body of the resurrected Lord. He suddenly appeared and then disappeared; he passed through walls; his body seemed to be the same as it was before, but it was also very different; he even changed his appearance so that his disciples did not recognize him (see Lk 24). Catholic tradition holds that the resurrected bodies of the saved will be transfigured according to the pattern of the risen Christ. St. Paul said, "It is sown in corruption; it shall rise in incorruption.- It is sown in a natural body; it shall rise in a spiritual body" (1 Cor 15:42-44). Reflecting on the scriptural accounts of the resurrected Christ, theologians in the past have distinguished four special gifts of the risen body. It possesses: 1) impassibil- ity, that is, freedom from physical evils of all kinds, such as sickness and death; 2) subtility, that is, the spiritualiza-
The resurrection of the body
tion of the body so that it is completely dominated by the soul; 3) agility, that is, the ability of the soul to move the body with the greatest ease and rapidity; 4) clarity, that is, freedom from all defects and endowment with great beauty and radiance. To godless materialists the resurrection of the dead is utter foolishness. To those who believe in Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the Resurrection" (Jn 11:25), his bodily resurrection is a divine pledge of our own personal resur- rection and triumph over death. NEXT WEEK: The Last Judgment: "In the Gospels Jesus frequently speaks about the 'day of judgment.' He gives his listeners, including us, plenty of advance warning."
BY FATHER KENNETH BAKER, SJ
CATHOLIC QUIZI
Copyright by CatholicQuiz.com - Reproduce for educational use
CatholicQuiz of the Week Fourth Sunday of Easter April 25, 2021 1. According to Acts, what miracle did Peter perform when he addressed the people and the elders of Jerusalem after the Resurrection?
a. he healed a blind man b. he helped a crippled man to walk c. he restored the hearing of a deaf mute
2. According to the psalmist, "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in _____."
a. Satan b. man c. riches
3. According to the First Letter of John, the Father's love enables us to be called _____.
a. the children of God b. the holy of holies c. the temple of the Holy Spirit
4. According to John's Gospel, what image is used by Jesus to argue in defense of his being a true leader of his people and not just a "hired hand"?
a. the vine dresser b. the mustard seed c. the good shepherd
5. The job of a good shepherd is to _____.
a. protect the sheep b. sell the sheep c. scatter the sheep
6. What is a word that describes a key quality of a good shepherd?
a. watchful b. kingly c. speedy
7. Who might be the "other sheep" referenced in the narrative of the Good Shepherd in the Gospel of John?
a. Greeks b. Samaritans c. Gentiles
Answers and References
1 b. he helped a crippled man to walk (Acts 4:8-12) 2 b. man (Psalm 118:9) 3 a. the children of God (1 John 3:1) 4 c. the good shepherd (John 10:11) 5 a. protect the sheep (John 10:11-18) 6 a. watchful (John 10:11-18) 7 c. Gentiles (John 10:16)
ESCHATOLOGY
CNS PHOTO PAUL HARING
The Last Judgment" by Michelangelo Buonarroti is pictured in the Sistine Chapel.
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