Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Today Jesus gives us one of the most beautiful images in all of the Gospels: Jesus the Good Shepherd. His sheep know his voice, and they follow his voice. He protects his sheep from the robbers and thieves who come to destroy them. I know that I like to picture myself as one of Jesus’s sheep, following him to the green pastures of Heaven.

When a baby is born, that baby knows the voices of his or her parents, maybe grandparents, possibly a few other people. The baby knows that these voices are safe, because the baby has heard those voices before. New voices confuse or even frighten the baby. As the baby grows from youthhood to adulthood, the child starts deciding which voices to listen to and which voices to ignore. Instead of listening to his parents, he listens to Hugh Hefner and decides to objectify women. Instead of listening to her grandmother, she listens to advertisements that tell her ‘everyone is doing it.’ Instead of listening to Jesus’s message transmitted through the church, we think that consumerism and materialism will bring us total happiness.

With this in mind, I have to ask myself: am I really one of Jesus’s sheep who recognizes his voice? When Jesus calls us, do we listen to him, or do we listen to someone else? Am I listening to the voices of the world instead, and following them? If I am following Jesus, I can enter into the gates of Heaven, but if I am following a robber, I will only enter the gates of sin, death and hell. We have to realize that if we listen to the world and the devil for too long, it will be very, very difficult to hear Jesus’s voice over all the noise.

In both the first reading and second reading today, Peter is instructing the faithful in how to live a life where we follow Jesus instead of the world. We find the first few steps in the first reading. In the first homily recorded, Peter tells those gathered—and us today—to save ourselves from “this corrupt generation” by repentance and baptism. Through this gift, we receive the Holy Spirit who aids us in living a good, Christian life. After preaching the Good News of Christ’s fulfillment of the Scriptures, Passion and Resurrection, Peter called the people to action, and they acted. Over 3000 people were baptized that very day.

The second reading is from Peter’s first letter. In it, he holds up Christ as an example for how to live a holy life. We must suffer patiently, offering our suffering to God. We must live the beatitudes, not returning insult for insult, judging justly, and living righteously. Then Peter tells writes two of the most profound lines in the New Testament, “By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”

Christ saved us, and wants us to live with him forever in complete happiness, but we must listen for his voice in order to do this. Sometimes he will ask us to live in a way that is difficult, that we might not think is very good, but if we listen to Jesus, and follow him, we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When things are difficult, we can always remember that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, “walks ahead of [us], and [we] follow him.” No matter where Jesus asks us to go, he has already been there, and that is a great comfort.

Like a baby who trusts the voice of his or her mother and father, let us trust the voice of Jesus, because it is those who are childlike to whom Jesus promised his kingdom.

Un resumen en español

Como los bebes escuchan a sus padres, tenemos que escuchar para la voz de Jesús. San Pedro nos dijo unas instrucciones para vivir en Cristo. Necesitamos seguir los mandamientos y vivir las bienaventuranzas. Cuando vivir la vida cristiana, podemos escuchar la voz de Cristo.

Today’s Readings: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; 1 Pt 2:20b-25; Jn 10:1-10

Reflexión pequeña para la cuartera domingo de Pascua

Cuando fuimos bautizados, Jesús nos llamó de una manera muy especial. Él nos perdonó y nos dio el regalo del Espíritu Santo. Este regalo del Espíritu Santo nos ayuda ser como Cristo, porque cuando somos como Cristo, podemos entrar al cielo. Creo que todos quieren ir al cielo.

Pero, ¿cómo nos ayuda el Espíritu Santo en maneras pertinentes? Me gustaría hablar sobre dos maneras.

La primera manera: Cristo nos perdona cada vez que vamos a confesión. Cristo quiere que vivamos en la luz, que vivamos con él. Él no quiere que vivamos en nuestros pecados. El Espíritu Santo nos fortifica contra los pecados y las malas cosas en el mundo. Entonces, podemos vivir con Cristo en la luz. A veces, es difícil vivir en la luz, pero Cristo y el Cielo merece la pena.

La segunda manera: Cristo es el buen pastor. Como un pastor, nos protege de los ladrones y los bandidos. Los ladrones y los bandidos, ellos vienen solamente para robar, matar, y destruir. Necesitamos permitir que Jesús nos proteja contra esos malvados. El Espíritu Santo nos da la gracia para identificar la voz de Jesús y para seguir la voz de Jesús. Con el Espíritu Santo, podemos seguir a Jesús por la puerta del cielo.

Cristo quiere que tengamos vida, y en abundancia. Envió a esa hora y continua a enviar ahorita el Espíritu Santo, para que nos ayude tener la vida abundante. Abramos nuestros oídos para escuchar la voz de Cristo y pidámosle al Espíritu Santo que nos ayude a escucharla y a seguirla.

Brief summary in English

Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit in our Baptisms to strengthen us and to help us live the Christian life.

Las lecturas del día: Hch 2, 14a. 36-41; Salmo 22, 1-3a. 3b-4. 5. 6; 1 Ped 2, 20b-25; Jn 10, 1-10