Fourth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B April 22, 2018

FIRST READING
Acts of the Apostles 4:8-12
Peter announces an act of healing in the name of Jesus Christ.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 118:1,8-9,21-23,26,28,29
A prayer of thanksgiving to God for his kindness

SECOND READING
1 John 3:1-2
God revealed his love for us by calling us children of God.

GOSPEL READING
Jesus says that he is the good shepherd who knows his sheep.

JOHN 10:11-18

Jesus said:
"I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
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.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father."

BACKGROUND ON THE GOSPEL READING

The fourth Sunday of Easter is also called Good Shepherd Sunday. In each
of the three lectionary cycles, our Gospel is taken from the 10th
chapter of the Gospel of John. In Cycle B, we hear the middle verses of
this chapter. Unless we consider this chapter in the greater context of
John's Gospel, we will miss the radical nature of the statement Jesus
makes when he declares himself to be the Good Shepherd.

This chapter of John's Gospel follows Jesus' healing of the man born
blind and the rejection of this miracle by the Jewish leaders who
question Jesus' authority to heal. Jesus responds to this challenge by
calling himself the Good Shepherd. He is criticizing the leadership of
the Pharisees and the other Jewish leaders. The Pharisees and other
Jewish leaders are so angry that they attempt to stone and arrest Jesus
(see John 10:31,39). This controversy with the religious leaders
continues until Jesus' death.

In the portion of the chapter that we hear proclaimed today, Jesus
describes his relationship with his followers as similar to the
relationship between a good shepherd and his sheep. As a good shepherd
will risk and lay down his life in order to protect his sheep, Jesus
willingly sacrifices himself for the sake of his sheep. Jesus contrasts
the actions of the good shepherd with the actions of the hired shepherd
who abandons the sheep in the face of danger. In the verses following
Jesus' teaching, we learn that the Pharisees and the other religious
leaders understand that Jesus is referring to them when he describes the
hired shepherds.

The concern of a good shepherd for his sheep is part of the shepherd's
job. Jesus says, however, that the actions of the good shepherd are
based upon the relationship that develops between the shepherd and the
sheep. This is at the heart of the difference between the good shepherd
and the hired shepherd. The good shepherd knows the sheep and therefore
acts out of love. For the Good Shepherd, this is never simply part of a
job; this love-in-action is integral to his identity.

As with so much of John's Gospel, one hears in this passage John's
particular focus on Christology. As the sheep are known by the Good
Shepherd, the Father knows Jesus and Jesus knows the Father. There is an
essential unity between the Father and the Son. The freedom with which
Jesus acts when he lays down his life is rooted in the unity that he
shares with his Father.

In this context, Jesus also refers to others with whom he shares a
relationship. By this reference, John probably understands the eventual
inclusion of the Gentiles in the Christian community. Our modern ears
hear this as a reference to Christian unity. The work of ecumenism is to
restore unity among all Christians so that we form one flock under one
shepherd, as God desires.

FAMILY CONNECTION

The Good Shepherd makes sacrifices for the sheep not because it is
required, but because it is a choice. That sounds a lot like parenting
and the dynamics of a healthy family life. Parents choose to make
sacrifices for their children out of love, not obligation. Christian
parents model and invite their children to choose to make sacrifices for
other family members and for other people, acting out of love rather
than obligation.

When you gather as a family, invite each family member to consider the
attitude that permeates their participation in family life. Read a
common examen, such as any of the following: Do we do family chores
cheerfully and without having to be asked multiple times? Do we gladly
share with others? Do we willingly contribute to the family good when
asked? Read aloud today's Gospel, John 10:11-18. Discuss together how
the example of the Good Shepherd might inspire your family life. Invite
each family member to make a renewed commitment to one action/attitude
to focus on in the upcoming week that show that we will choose to follow
the example of the Good Shepherd. Pray together that we will be able to
honor our commitment. Pray together Saint Ignatius of Loyola's Prayer
for Generosity.


Sources: Loyola Press; Sunday Readings