April 25, 2021 Fourth Sunday of Easter
2021년 4월 25일 부활 제4주일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
<예수님 말고는 다른 누구에게도 구원이 없습니다.>
사도행전. 4,8-12
그 무렵 8 베드로가 성령으로 가득 차 말하였다.
“백성의 지도자들과 원로 여러분,
9 우리가 병든 사람에게 착한 일을 한 사실과
이 사람이 어떻게 구원받았는가 하는 문제로 오늘 신문을 받는 것이라면,
10 여러분 모두와 온 이스라엘 백성은 이것을 알아야 합니다.
나자렛 사람 예수 그리스도의 이름으로, 곧 여러분이 십자가에 못 박았지만
하느님께서 죽은 이들 가운데에서 다시 일으키신 바로 그분의 이름으로,
이 사람이 여러분 앞에 온전한 몸으로 서게 되었습니다.
11 이 예수님께서는 ‘너희 집 짓는 자들에게 버림을 받았지만
모퉁이의 머릿돌이 되신 분’이십니다.
12 그분 말고는 다른 누구에게도 구원이 없습니다.
사실 사람들에게 주어진 이름 가운데에서
우리가 구원받는 데에 필요한 이름은 하늘 아래 이 이름밖에 없습니다.”
제2독서
<우리는 하느님을 있는 그대로 뵙게 될 것입니다.>
요한 1서. 3,1-2
사랑하는 여러분,
1 아버지께서 우리에게 얼마나 큰 사랑을 주시어
우리가 하느님의 자녀라 불리게 되었는지 생각해 보십시오.
과연 우리는 그분의 자녀입니다.
세상이 우리를 알지 못하는 까닭은
세상이 그분을 알지 못하였기 때문입니다.
2 사랑하는 여러분, 이제 우리는 하느님의 자녀입니다.
우리가 어떻게 될지는 아직 드러나지 않았지만,
그분께서 나타나시면
우리도 그분처럼 되리라는 것은 알고 있습니다.
그분을 있는 그대로 뵙게 될 것이기 때문입니다.
복음
<착한 목자는 양들을 위하여 자기 목숨을 내놓는다.>
요한. 10,11-18
그때에 예수님께서 말씀하셨다.
11 “나는 착한 목자다.
착한 목자는 양들을 위하여 자기 목숨을 내놓는다.
12 삯꾼은 목자가 아니고 양도 자기 것이 아니기 때문에,
이리가 오는 것을 보면 양들을 버리고 달아난다.
그러면 이리는 양들을 물어 가고 양 떼를 흩어 버린다.
13 그는 삯꾼이어서 양들에게 관심이 없기 때문이다.
14 나는 착한 목자다.
나는 내 양들을 알고 내 양들은 나를 안다.
15 이는 아버지께서 나를 아시고 내가 아버지를 아는 것과 같다.
나는 양들을 위하여 목숨을 내놓는다.
16 그러나 나에게는 이 우리 안에 들지 않은 양들도 있다.
나는 그들도 데려와야 한다.
그들도 내 목소리를 알아듣고 마침내 한 목자 아래 한 양 떼가 될 것이다.
17 아버지께서는 내가 목숨을 내놓기 때문에 나를 사랑하신다.
그렇게 하여 나는 목숨을 다시 얻는다.
18 아무도 나에게서 목숨을 빼앗지 못한다.
내가 스스로 그것을 내놓는 것이다.
나는 목숨을 내놓을 권한도 있고 그것을 다시 얻을 권한도 있다.
이것이 내가 내 아버지에게서 받은 명령이다.”
April 25, 2021
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Acts 4:8-12
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said:
"Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved."
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
R. (22) The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his kindness endures forever.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Gospel
Jn 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."
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
The stone rejected by the builders, becomes the cornerstone.
Cornerstones are crucial to the integrity of the building. It is laid first to make sure of the building’s stability and is the rock upon which the weight of the whole stands strong. This one stone is crucial to the whole. Jesus the Christ is the Cornerstone of our faith communities. He who was once rejected, rose from the dead and we can rejoice with this gift of everlasting life.
Have you ever been rejected? Perhaps from applications for a job, college, medical school or another academic program that your dreams rested upon? Perhaps by a turned down marriage proposal? By a parent? Lost an election? I recall the times I lost an election. Other times when I applied for jobs, went through multiple interviews, and was not chosen. That was hard. Then, one application finally came through. It was the right fit for me and me for it. It was where I was meant to be at the right time in my life. Trusting in the process, dying to some dreams opened me up to new life, new experiences in a place where my gifts and talents were appreciated, accepted and seen as essential to the mission.
In view of all of these potential rejections, it is important to know how much we know about ourselves, and to remember where we come from and that we are a work in progress.
John tells us who we are in the second reading.
Beloved, we are God’s children now
What we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him
For we shall see him as he is.
How do we see Him? A shepherd?
Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” He knows who he is and what it means to be a “good shepherd.” Jesus grew in self-knowledge, and knowledge of his mission, his work and who he served.
I am the good shepherd
And I know mine and mine know me…
He also seemed to know that his God, Father, would give him all he needed to carry out his mission. In relationship with “His Father.” It seems he knew of himself as the cornerstone and the consequences of the weight on his shoulders. “Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, I will lay down my life…in order to take it up again…
That weight was lifted on Easter as the stone at his tomb was removed! A weight lifted for everyone with his Resurrection!
We live the Paschal Mystery within our daily lives. These 50 days of Easter provide us with hope and confidence as we find Jesus in our ordinary lives. It provides a time for us to reflect upon the whole Easter event and where we might find him in unexpected ways or places.
I wonder? Perhaps he is a Shepherd? A farmer? A parent? A manager? A supervisor, elected official, someone in leadership that looks out after those they are to serve? Will we find Him in a courtroom, classroom, ER, grocery story, gas station, on the curb or road? Whatever the role or position we might hold, or place we may be, are we grounded in loving the people we are to care for and to serve? Can we be Jesus for others? See Jesus before us? As Psalm 118 says, will it be wonderful in our eyes? Is this how we will know Him?
Jesus gives us the example. Jesus is for everyone and finds no differences in serving, living, or working with, and loving those different from ourselves regardless of race, and gender. All are one.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These too I must lead…
Who is Jesus for you? Is Jesus the Cornerstone of your faith? Your Life? Where do you find Him?
Let us pray (Excerpt from Psalm 118)
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes…his kindness endures forever.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
ECSTASY
“I am the Good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me in the same way that the Father knows Me and I know the Father.” —John 10:14-15
The Bible promises we can know Jesus, that is, have a personal relationship with Him, in the same way that the heavenly Father and God the Son have a personal relationship. By God’s grace, we can become “sharers of the divine nature” (2 Pt 1:4) and have a divine relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
In a divine relationship, there is unity and love that we as human beings can’t even imagine (Eph 3:20). In fact, we can’t even ask for it since no human words can express this relationship. St. Paul exclaimed he “was snatched up to Paradise to hear words which cannot be uttered, words which no man may speak” (2 Cor 12:4). He could only say: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9). We can’t express it in words. We can only say there’s so much more.
“Dearly beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall later be has not yet come to light. We know that when it comes to light we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn 3:2). Let God love and surprise you. You’ve already had the agony; let the Lord give you ecstasy with Him. Ecstasy is not only for exceptional saints but for all those who let God love them. Ecstasy is for you.
Prayer: Jesus, I adore You.
Promise: “This Jesus is ‘the Stone rejected by you the builders Which has become the Cornerstone.’ There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved.” —Acts 4:11-12
Praise: “That is why Christ died and came to life again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Rm 14:9). Praise the resurrected Jesus!
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Do you know the peace and security of the Good Shepherd who watches over his own? The Old Testament often speaks of God as shepherd of his people, Israel. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1). Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! (Psalm 80:1) We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3). The Messiah is also pictured as the shepherd of God's people: He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms (Isaiah 40:11). Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd who will risk his life to seek out and save the stray sheep (Matthew 18:12, Luke 15:4). He is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).
Jesus is the Good Shepherd and Guardian of our souls
Jesus made three promises to his followers. He promised them everlasting life. If they accept him and follow him, they will have the life of God in them. Jesus also promised them a life that would know no end. Death would not be the end but the beginning; they would know the glory of indestructible life. Jesus promised a life that was secure. Jesus said that nothing would snatch them out of his hand, not even sorrow and death, since he is everlasting life itself. Our lives are safe in his hands.
Do you listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd who calls you to himself?
The words which Jesus spoke upset many of the Jewish leaders. How could he speak with the same authority which God spoke and claim to be equal with God? He must either be insane or divine. Unfortunately some thought he was mad even though he cured a man who was blind from birth. We are faced with the same choice. Either Jesus is who he claims to be - the Son of God and Savior of the world - or the world's greatest deluder! We cannot be indifferent to his claim. For those who accept him as Lord and Savior he offers the peace and security of unending life and joy with God. Do you know the peace and security of a life fully submitted to Christ?
Cyril of Alexander, a 5th century church father comments on Jesus as our Good Shepherd:
"He shows in what manner a shepherd may be proved good; and He teaches that he must be prepared to give up his life fighting in defense of his sheep, which was fulfilled in Christ. For man has departed from the love of God, and fallen into sin, and because of this was, I say, excluded from the divine abode of paradise, and when he was weakened by that disaster, he yielded to the devil tempting him to sin, and death following that sin he became the prey of fierce and ravenous wolves. But after Christ was announced as the True Shepherd of all men, He laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16), fighting for us against that pack of inhuman beasts.
"He bore the Cross for us, that by His own death he might destroy death. He was condemned for us, that He might deliver all of us from the sentence of punishment: the tyranny of sin being overthrown by our faith: fastening to the Cross the decree that stood against us, as it is written (Colossians 2:14). Therefore as the father of sin had as it were shut up the sheep in hell, giving them to death to feed on, as it is written in the psalms (Ps. Xlviii.16), He died for us as truly Good, and truly our Shepherd, so that the dark shadow of death driven away He might join us to the company of the blessed in heaven; and in exchange for abodes that lie far in the depths of the pit, and in the hidden places of the sea, grant us mansions in His Father's House above. Because of this he says to us in another place: Fear not, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you a kingdom (Luke 12:32)."
Do you listen attentively to the voice of the Good Shepherd and obey his word?
Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who keeps watch over our lives. May I be ever attentive to your voice and submit fully to your wise rule for my life. Draw me near to you that I may always find peace and joy in your presence.
Psalm 23:1-6
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;
2 he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Green pastures and still waters, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The pastures that this good shepherd has prepared for you, in which he has settled you for you to take your fill, are not various kinds of grasses and green things, among which some are sweet to the taste, some extremely bitter, which as the seasons succeed one another are sometimes there and sometimes not. Your pastures are the words of God and his commandments, and they have all been sown as sweet grasses. These pastures had been tasted by that man who said to God, 'How sweet are your words to my palate, more so than honey and the honeycomb in my mouth!'" (excerpt from Sermon 366,3,1)
More Homilies
April 22, 2018 Fourth Sunday of Easter
