My Sheep Hear My Voice, I Know Them and They Follow Me.


Sunday 12th May, 2019. Read Acts 13:43-52, Psalm 100, Revelation 7:9-17 and John 10:27-30


_*“These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple.” (Revelation 7:14-15)*_ 

Last Sunday, we hear Jesus saying to Peter: “Feed My Sheep, Tend My Sheep, Feed My lambs.” Jesus having forgiven Peter for his three-fold denial restores him as Shepherd (Leader) of the Church and reminds him that his primary duty is no longer to catch fish but to cater for the flock. Coincidentally today being the fourth Sunday of Easter, we hear Jesus mention the word sheep once again. This time, Jesus does not directly address the leaders; instead, He outlines the qualities of those who are rightly His sheep.

The one word which summarizes our Liturgy today is “Call”. As Peter and the disciples were called by Jesus to be shepherds, Jesus calls his sheep who hear his voice and follow him so as to attain the beatific vision which St. John describes in our second reading. This call requires first that we serve God as good Christians according to our baptismal promises. It further entails having to take the bold step of going out to win souls like Paul and Barnabas did in our first reading. In truth, from Paul and Barnabas’ experience, we learn that responding to this call does not make us immune from suffering and persecution, yet there is a great joy that awaits us in the end.

As Pope Francis says in his 2019 message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, “It (the call) is a discovery that can excite and at the same time frighten us, since we feel called to become “fishers of men” in the barque of the Church by giving totally of ourselves in commitment to faithful service of the Gospel and our brothers and sisters.  Such a decision carries the risk of leaving everything behind to follow the Lord… And yet, there can be no greater joy than to risk one’s life for the Lord!” As always, there are many lessons for us today:

*One: What are the Qualities of the Sheep of Christ?*
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus did not say all those who come to gather around me are my sheep. Instead, He says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me.” These three qualities distinguish the sheep of Christ; hearing from Christ, being known by Him and following Him.

How can we say we are the sheep of Christ, if we do not listen to His voice? How often do we make out time to read the Bible and meditate on it? Does the kind of life we live reflect Christ’s voice? Secondly, when Christ says “I know them” it means no one can pretend to be his sheep. There can be no half-heartedness when it comes to being a sheep, you are either with Christ or with another shepherd. Thirdly, Jesus says: “they follow me.” To follow Jesus basically implies saying “yes” to the call which we hear deep inside our hearts; the call to be good human beings; the call to love our neighbour as ourselves according to the example of Jesus Christ.

As Pope Francis admonishes in his message, following Jesus is leaving behind our boats and nets like the first disciples did in Mark 1:18. “It means being ready to leave behind whatever would keep us tied to our little boat and prevent us from making a definitive choice.  We are called to be bold and decisive in seeking God’s plan for our lives.”

“Two: The Call Entails Hardship and Sacrifice.”
The call to live as children of God is not an easy one. It is a call for the bold and courageous. The book of Sirach teaches: “My son, if you come forward to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation. Set your heart right and be steadfast, and do not be hasty in time of calamity.”(Sirach 2:1-2). Meanwhile, Jesus himself warns: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?” (Matthew 16:24-26).

Being a Christian by itself is not an introduction to a life of luxury, abundance and pleasure as our prosperity preachers want us to believe. Furthermore, answering the call to priesthood and religious life is not the end of poverty, neither is it a leap into power, leisure or pleasure. The story of Paul and Barnabas in our first reading today teaches us that the calling to this call is loaded with challenges, tough times and persecution.

And more painfully, much of this persecution comes from people who are supposed to be close to God. The Jewish religious leaders upon seeing the multitudes of those becoming Christians were filled with jealousy and they went as far as inciting devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city against Paul and Barnabas. In the end, they were driven out of the city but this did not dampen their spirits.

Pope Francis makes allusion to the difficulties involved in responding to God’s call using the example of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. According to him: “As was made clear several times during the World Youth Day in Panama, we should always look to Mary.  Also in the story of this young woman, vocation was both a promise and a risk.  Her mission was not easy, yet she did not allow fear to prevail.  “It was the ‘yes’ of someone prepared to be committed, someone willing to take a risk, ready to stake everything she had, with no more security than the certainty of knowing that she was the bearer of a promise.”

Do you feel called to the priesthood or consecrated religious life? Please take out time to really examine your motives. Let it not be that you are attracted to things that do not constitute the essence of the call such as flashy cars, exotic parish houses and so on otherwise, you would find yourself backing out, resigning or quitting in tough times. Many have left already.

*Three: No Discrimination in Heaven but Ensure Your Robes are Washed Clean.*
In our reading, St. John sees a vision of heaven, and behold it was a great multitude consisting of persons from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues. There is no discrimination in heaven. We should never be tribalistic, the only language we shall speak in heaven is love.

St. John continues “these are those who have come out of the great tribulation” that is, those that did not drop their cross; trials may come but victory is sure. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel passage, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)

Furthermore, St. John says: “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” that is, those who have not given themselves over to a sinful life.

*Four: Let us always Pray for our Shepherds and for Vocations*
In the time of Jesus, He noted that the harvest is rich but the labourers are few. This saying remains true today. Many labourers are overworked, discouraged and overwhelmed. As my Archbishop noted during his homily for Chrism mass, “before you judge a priest, you must first pray for him.” We are used to asking our priests and religious for prayer, we think of them in superhuman terms. We forget that they too are ever in need of our prayers so as to be found worthy of leading the flock by the manner of their lives and the shining example of their conduct.

In conclusion, with Pope Francis, I say: “On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, let us join in prayer and ask the Lord to help us discover his plan of love for our lives, and to grant us the courage to walk in the path that, from the beginning, he has chosen for each of us.”

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, help me to hear your voice and follow you diligently. Amen.

*Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Fourth Sunday of Easter or Good Shepherd Sunday, Year C. Bible Study: Acts 13:43-52, Psalm 100, Revelation 7:9-17 and John 10:27-30).*

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