Fourth Sunday of Easter
| First reading |
|---|
| Acts 13:14,43-52 |
Paul and Barnabas carried on from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to synagogue on the Sabbath and took their seats.
When the meeting broke up many Jews and devout converts joined Paul and Barnabas, and in their talks with them Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had given them.
The next sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. ‘We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said:
I have made you a light for the nations,
so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.’
It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.
But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium; but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
When the meeting broke up many Jews and devout converts joined Paul and Barnabas, and in their talks with them Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had given them.
The next sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. ‘We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said:
I have made you a light for the nations,
so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.’
It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.
But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium; but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
| Responsorial Psalm |
|---|
| Psalm 99:1-3,5 |
I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. One of the elders said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.’
| Gospel | John 10:27-30 |
|---|
Jesus said:
‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’
Reflection
By Fely C. Santiago
By Fely C. Santiago
“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me”
We would hear many people say, “God did not answer my prayers.” But have we really learned to LISTEN to God? Normally when we pray we do all the talking. Lord give me this, give me that. We feel uncomfortable in silence. We get used to all the talking because we want to be in control. Let go. The Lord is asking us to be STILL. Let us spend time with the Lord in SILENCE. Be aware of His presence. Be conscious of the outpouring of His limitless LOVE for us.
“Jesus’ voice is unique,” Pope Francis says. “If we learn to distinguish it, He guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond even the abyss of death.” It is that path that my heart longs to follow, to listen to the voice of Jesus calling to me. And when I finally realize I have lost my way and wandered off the path, I can follow that voice to be safe and secure.
Robert H. Schuller wrote a book, “Positive Prayers for Power-filled Living, where he talked about the different ways God answers our prayers. He said that when you are not right, God says, “NO”. When the time is not right, God says, “SLOW”. When you are not right, God says, “GROW”. And when everything is all right, God says, “GO”
When you grow in intimacy with the Lord, you will learn to be still at all circumstances knowing that God has the BEST for you. He has never, never forsaken us. He loved us so much that He even died on the cross out of His great love for us. Allow Him to care for you. “Slow down” and do not to rush through life. TRUST Him. Listen to Him. If we hear His voice, let us follow Him..
At any time of the day or night we can call on Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He is always waiting, listening for our call. What a wonderful blessing. No phone needed, no e-mails, just a whisper.
We would hear many people say, “God did not answer my prayers.” But have we really learned to LISTEN to God? Normally when we pray we do all the talking. Lord give me this, give me that. We feel uncomfortable in silence. We get used to all the talking because we want to be in control. Let go. The Lord is asking us to be STILL. Let us spend time with the Lord in SILENCE. Be aware of His presence. Be conscious of the outpouring of His limitless LOVE for us.
“Jesus’ voice is unique,” Pope Francis says. “If we learn to distinguish it, He guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond even the abyss of death.” It is that path that my heart longs to follow, to listen to the voice of Jesus calling to me. And when I finally realize I have lost my way and wandered off the path, I can follow that voice to be safe and secure.
Robert H. Schuller wrote a book, “Positive Prayers for Power-filled Living, where he talked about the different ways God answers our prayers. He said that when you are not right, God says, “NO”. When the time is not right, God says, “SLOW”. When you are not right, God says, “GROW”. And when everything is all right, God says, “GO”
When you grow in intimacy with the Lord, you will learn to be still at all circumstances knowing that God has the BEST for you. He has never, never forsaken us. He loved us so much that He even died on the cross out of His great love for us. Allow Him to care for you. “Slow down” and do not to rush through life. TRUST Him. Listen to Him. If we hear His voice, let us follow Him..
At any time of the day or night we can call on Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He is always waiting, listening for our call. What a wonderful blessing. No phone needed, no e-mails, just a whisper.
Prayer
Father God, thank You for helping me to listen to Your voice. When I am too busy and distracted, I cannot hear You calling me to come home to the warmth of Your love. Whether I pay attention or not, I know You are waiting there for me, always, with Your open arms and Your endlessly loving gaze. Help me to take time each morning to sit in the quiet with You and to thank for this great gift of Your love. Help me recognize Your voice and to recognize that Your guidance and comfort are all that I need. Open my heart at all times to listen to You. All this I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen .
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