Mabuting Pastol: Dakila't Huwaran

    

Ikaapat na Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay / Linggo ng Mabuting Pastol

21 Abril 2024

 

Unang Pagbasa: Gawa 4:8-12

Salmong Tugunan: Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29

Ikalawang Pagbasa: 1 Jn 3:1-2

Mabuting Balita: Jn 10:11-18

 

Pagninilay

Ni: Bro. Emerson C. Maala

Katarungan, kababaan, payak na pamumuhay. Ito ang mga katangian na nais ituro ng seminaryo ng Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol sa aming nga hinuhubog sa pagpapari. Laging paalala ng tagapagtatag nito na si Bihop Felix Perez sa mga seminarista, “Be like a Mabuting Pastol.” At sa aking patuloy na paglalakbay sa probinsiya ng Palawan, ipinakita sa amin ng aming paring tagapatnubay, na isa ring Ka-tahanan, ang halimbawa ng Mabuting Pastol. Ipinamalas niya kung papaano mamuhay nang may katarungan, kababaan at kapayakan. Ngayon lang din ako halos nakakita ng paring simple lang. Natutulog sa papag ng walang kutson, kasa-kasama namin sa pag-iigib ng tubig, paglilinis at iba pang gawain.

Ngayong ika-apat na Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay ay ipinagdiriwang natin ang Linggo ng Mabuting Pastol o ang Good Shepherd Sunday at World Day of Prayer for Vocation. Sa Mabuting Balita, sinabi  ni Hesus na Siya ang Mabuting Pastol, handang mag-alay ng buhay alang-alang sa kapakanan ng kanyang kawan. 

Sa aking pagninilay, ipinapakita sa akin ng Diyos ang tunay na kahulugan kung ano ang isang Pari, ang maging katulad ng Mabuting Pastol: may Katarungan, Kababaan at Payak na pamumuhay. At dito sa probinsiya ng Palawan ay ipinakita sa akin ang tunay na pagiging Pastol sa kawan. Malaki din ang nabago sa aking perspektibo kung papaano maging isang tunay na lingkod ng Diyos. Noon, akala ko, ang pari ay para lamang sa mga sakramento: magmimisa, magpapahid ng langis, magkakasal, atbp. Ngayon, ang tunay na kahulugan nito para sa akin ay pagmimisyon at paglabas ng simbahan patungo sa pinakamahirap na lugar at makipamuhay din sa kanila, katulad ng Mabuting Pastol. Gayundin ang hamon nito sa lahat, ang maging Mabuting Pastol bilang magulang sa mga anak, mga naglilingkod sa gobyerno, sa ating mga kaibigan, at higit sa lahat, bilang mga Kristiyano na sumusunod kay Kristo.

Panalangin

PANALANGIN PARA SA BOKASYON mula kay Papa Francisco

Panginoon ng anihan, pagkalooban Mo ng lakas ng loob ang mga kabataan na tumugon sa Iyong panawagan. Buksan Mo ang kanilang mga puso sa mga dakilang kaisipan at bagay. Kasihan ang lahat ng Iyong mga alagad ng magkaayong pag-ibig at pagbibigay sapagkat ang Bokasyon ay sumisibol sa mabuting lupa ng mga tapat na tao. Isalin Mo sa mga nasa relihiyosong pamumuhay, parokya, ministry at pamilya nang may pagtitiwala at biyaya ng maghihikayat ng iba upang yakapin ang malakas at marangal na landas ng nakatalagang buhay para sa Iyo. Pagbuklurin Mo kami kay Hesus sa pamamagitan ng panalangin at sakramento, upang magawa naming makipagtulungan sa Iyo sa pagtataguyod ng paghahari ng Iyong awa, katotohanan at karunungan.

Tinig ng Mabuting Pastol

  

 Fourth Sunday of Easter

(Ikaapat na Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay)

08 May 2022 

 

First Reading (Unang Pagbasa): ACTS (Gawa) 13:14, 43-52

Responsorial Psalm (Salmong Tugunan): PS (Slm) 100:1-2, 3, 5

Second Reading (Ikalawang Pagbasa): REV (Pag) 7:9, 14b-17

Gospel (Ebanghelyo): JN 10:27-30

 

Reflection (Repleksyon)

By (Ni): Renato C. Vibiesca

 

Sa pagninilay natin sa Ebanghelyo ngayon, malinaw ang pakahulugan na mahalagang napakikinggan nating lagi ang boses o tinig ng Diyos tulad ng mga tupa na alam na alam nila ang tinig ng kanilang mabuting pastol. Sa pamumuhay natin, paano nga ba natin napakikinggan ang tinig ng Diyos? Kung Siya ay tumatawag, ano ang sinasabi Niya?

Kadalasan, sa pagdalo sa banal na Misa sa simbahan o tuwing nananalangin tayo ay iniisip natin na napakikinggan natin ang salita ng Diyos. Siyempre, hindi naman direktang naririnig ng ating mga tainga ang boses ng Diyos; kadalasan ay sa pamamagitan ng pakikinig ng Ebanghelyo sa Biblia o sa sermon ng Pari sa Misa o sa magandang inspirasyon o munting tinig sa ating isip sa tuwing nagninilay tayo habang nagdarasal. Pero tulad ng mga tupa sa kanilang mabuting pastol, alerto tayo kapag naririnig na ang boses ng Diyos sa iba pang bahagi ng ating pamumuhay. Halimbawa'y nakakakita tayo ng ating kapwa na higit na nangangailangan, malinaw na napakikinggan natin ang tinig ng Diyos na dapat tayong tumulong. Ito 'yung mga pagkakataong madadama mo ang awa, mararamdaman mo ang sidhi ng pagmamalasakit sa kapwa, napakalakas na tinig ito ng ating mabuting pastol kung kaya't tumatalima tayo agad sa gusto niyang ipagawa. Hindi ba't kung minsa'y kahit walang-wala ka na sa buhay pero kung may nakita kang mayroong higit na nangangailangan ng iyong tulong, halimbawa'y ang kamag-anak mo o kapitbahay mo na nagugutom dahil walang kinita sa isang araw, mas pinipili mo pa ring tumulong sa abot ng iyong makakaya. Ang munting sakripisyo natin para sa kapwang higit na nangangailangan ay nakikita ng ating mabuting pastol. Sinasabing kilalang-kilala ng mabuting pastol ang kanyang bawat tupa at lagi silang sumusunod dito.

May mga pagkakataon naman na ang tinig ng mabuting pastol ay tinutulungan tayo na magpasya nang tama. Napapansin n'yo ba ang parang may bumubulong sa ating kalooban kapag nahaharap sa isang pambihirang sitwasyon na dapat magdesisyon? Tila napipigilan tayo sa tiyak na kapahamakan sa tuwing ating napakikinggan ang tinig ng Diyos na nagpapahiwatig sa ating konsensiya. Isang halimbawa ang pagkakaroon ng tamang desisyon kaysa magpadala sa pagkakataon na makapanlamang sa iyong kapwa o tahasang magnakaw ng hindi sa iyo o manlinlang ng maliliit na tao. Ito 'yung pakikinig sa munting tinig ng Diyos na dinadala ka sa paggawa ng higit na kabutihan. Tulad bukas, araw ng pambansang eleksyon, higit na dapat nating pakinggan ang tinig ng Diyos upang maging tama ang ating desisyon sa pagpili ng mga bagong mamumuno sa ating bansa.

Dahil nga lantad sa Diyos ang bawat detalye o kaliit-liitan mang pangyayari sa ating buhay, na wala tayong maikukubli sa mabuting pastol, minamarapat nating lagi tayong sumusunod sa Kanya. Bakit lagi nating sinusundan ang Diyos? Dahil Siya lang ang makapagbibigay ng walang hanggang buhay na hindi kailanman makukuha pa sa atin. Kung ikukumpara sa kalagayan ng ating bayan, kadalasan ay nalilinlang tayo ng mga mabubulaklak na pananalita ng mga kandidato na nagsasabi kuno ng pag-asa pero napapahamak naman tayo kalaunan kung sila ay nakaluklok sa puwesto. Sa Ebanghelyo ay binibigyan tayo ng pag-asa ng kasiguraduhan na hindi tayo mapapahamak o maliligaw ng landas kung hawak ng Diyos ang ating mga kamay. Ang mismong Diyos Ama rin ay nagbibigay ng kasiguraduhan para sa atin, dahil higit na dakila ang Diyos Ama sa anumang bagay sa mundo. At sa huli ng Ebanghelyo ay pinatutunayan na ang ating Panginooon Jesus at ang Diyos Ama ay iisa. Kaya't kapit lang tayo lagi sa ating Panginoong Jesus, sa ating Diyos Ama.

Prayer (Panalangin)

Panginoon Jesus, lubos ang pasasalamant namin sa pagkilala at pagkalinga Mo sa amin bilang Iyong mga tupa at ganoon din sa pagkakataong sumunod sa Iyo bilang aming Mabuting Pastol. Hayaan mong umapaw ang biyaya sa aming kalooban upang madinig naming lagi ang Iyong tinig sa anumang landasin ng aming buhay. Amen.

I Do Believe, Lord

Fourth Sunday of Lent 22  March 2020
First reading 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve that I have rejected Saul from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and set out. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Samuel asked, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.”

Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”

Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Second reading                                                  Ephesians 5:8-14

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Gospel                                                                   John 9:1-41

As Jesus went along, he saw a man who was blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, who had already agreed that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask himself.”

Yet again they called the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” They then asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!  We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he listens to whoever worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.”

Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped him. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Reflection

By Fely C. Santiago

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”

  

Covid19 is real. It has filled us with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. It has really put people to a STOP. Stop socializing, stop big events, stop parties, stop going to the malls, stop businesses, stop traveling, and even have to stop Masses on Sundays! I will surely miss my daily Mass!

But amidst all these fear, anxiety, and uncertainly, we need to keep the faith. And the word from the Responsorial Psalm gives us hope. “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side. With your rod and your staff that give me courage.” We may be walking right now in the dark valley. We do not know where we are going. We do not know when the light will shine again. We are afraid. It’s so dark. It’s so scary.  But one thing is for sure, the Lord is our Shepherd. He will take care of us. He will carry us through this. He will never abandon us. He will guide us. He will heal us. He never fails. He is our Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. He will provide us with strength, with courage, and yes even provide for our food every day. So there is no need for panic buying! He is always with us and will surely take us out of this darkness we are experiencing right now. We just have to believe. Keep trusting the Lord. Hopefully this experience will bring us closer to God our Father. 

Maybe this is also the time that the Lord is calling everyone to pray, to go back to Him, to put Him again on the Throne, to humble ourselves and submit to the will of our Heavenly Father. His very own Son our Lord Jesus Christ submitted to the will of His Holy Father.  This is really the essence of Lent: to repent and go back to God. Really at the end of the day, we are not in control. This Covid19 does not exempt anyone. Whether you are the president of a country or an ordinary citizen you can get affected. But I truly believe in Romans 8:28 “all things will work for good to those who LOVE the Lord.” So we just have to stay in faith. One day, this too will pass and we can look forward to the Resurrection, Easter Sunday where suffering will end. We will be triumphant because the Lord is our Shepherd!

Prayer

Father God, thank You for allowing us to experience darkness in our lives. To experience suffering so we realize we are not in control. Thank You that You are our God who never fails us, who loves us, and who is very merciful to us. Forgive us our sins and humble ourselves before You. Fill us with Your love and mercy so we can also share this love and mercy to others. Increase our faith and trust in You. All this we pray, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

One of the Sheep

Fourth Sunday of Easter

12 May 2019

First reading                                                                        Acts 13:14, 43-52
Paul and Barnabas went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down,. When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul. Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Geniles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'”
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region. So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Second reading                                                        Revelation 7:9, 14-17

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that nobody could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Gospel                                                                     John 10:27-30

And Jesus said to his disciples: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and nobody can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

Jean Vanier was a young philosophy teacher in Canada when he decided to move to France in the 1960s. When asked, he simply said he wanted to "follow Jesus and discover the message of the Gospel”. Invited by a priest friend to an institution for mentally handicapped men where he was chaplain, Jean saw for himself the condition of people with learning disabilities. He then decided to invite two handicapped men to his home. Jean's sharing of everything of him to these two men became the nucleus for L'Arche (the ark),  "a worldwide federation of people, with and without learning disabilities, working together for a world where all belong" (https://www.larche.org.uk/). At present, there are 147 communities (in 35 countries) affiliated with L'Arche. In the UK, there are 258 adults with learning disabilities supported by this community.

Apart from founding L'Arche, Jean was an author of several books, a retreat leader, and speaker.  He once said “There’s something incredibly beautiful in the Gospel message, but at the same time incredibly demanding. And yet, it’s not demanding. It’s the place of joy, because we know that we can’t do it ourselves. It’s when we think we have to do it by ourselves that everything becomes heavy.”

Jean passed away on 7 May 2019 at the venerable age of 90. He is, for me, one of the sheep that heard the Good Shepherd's voice and followed Him. 

How about us?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, You have called us to particular vocations and ministries.  At times we think of these as our own. Help us to remember that we cannot do it ourselves; that we need You. Grant us the grace to be humble enough to always hear Your voice and follow You. Amen.

May Jean's soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. 

My Good Shepherds

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

22 July 2018

First reading                                                                     Jeremiah 23:1-6
The Lord says, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: “It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings,” says the Lord.
“Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing,” says the Lord.
“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.'”

Second reading                                                     Ephesians 2:13-18

Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Gospel                                                                     Mark 6:30-34

The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

Reflection

By Ma. Rosalina S. Flores


I was born in Manila, but grew up in a far barangay of Cahigam in Rosario, Batangas. I had a simple life and a happy childhood, then. I played under the heat of the sun and enjoyed the cool wind breeze at night. For the whole month of May, I remembered myself picking flowers to offer to Mama Mary for the Flores de Mayo. I really took so much effort to be present each night because of the candies being distributed right after praying the rosary and singing Marian songs in our small chapel. I was so naive that time, not knowing the importance of that tradition.

But, things began to change when a nun named Sister Fe started to preach in our school. Every Monday, she gave an hour talk to us Grade 1 students about the Catholic faith. I didn't realize that I was so curious about the teachings until I bagged the Best in Religion Award during our recognition. Not only once but four times in my elementary years - from Grade 1 to 3 and Grade 5.

From then on, I valued more the Flores de Mayo. I even volunteered to lead the praying of rosary each night. Candies were not my motivation in going to the chapel anymore. Thanks to Sister Fe who enlightened me. She was also the same person who prepared me for my First confession and communion. The very first time I received Holy Communion felt like heaven, being united with Christ. Therefore, I looked forward for more, but circumstance didn’t allow me to, since we lived far from the town. We could not attend Mass every Sunday, and that broke my heart. Good thing that an FM radio station in Lipa City had a live broadcast of the Mass being officiated by then Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles every Sunday at 7:00 o' clock in the morning. From the live radio broadcast, I was able to learn many things that nurtured my faith. I may not be able to receive Christ's body, but His presence already filled me. So again, thank you for the good shepherd in the person of Archbishop Arguelles that God sent me.

All the readings for today clearly tell us how loving and merciful is our Lord. He cares so much for His people as He personally shepherds us, aside from also giving us the priests and consecrated persons that lead us to Him. Jesus saw the vast crowd who were like lost sheep that need to be shephered. So He gave us the priests and consecrated persons.

Today as we continue to reflect on God’s words, may we spend time to thank our shepherds and promise to pray for them as they are also tested in their faith at times.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for giving me good shepherds because You saw our need to be guided and led to verdant pastures. We promise to cultivate the faith You have given us as we also lead others who might need the same guidance like us. And we shall also pray for the shepherds You have chosen through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Can You Identify the Shepherd’s Voice?

Fourth Sunday of Easter 
(Good Shepherd Sunday)

22 April 2018

First reading                                                                       Acts 4:8-12
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.
This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Second reading                                                        1 John 3:1-2

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what 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 will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

Gospel                                                                     John 10:11-18

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.

I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason 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 of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

BIBLE

Reflection

By Gary Tulabut

I have never been a shepherd, literally. In fact, I have not seen a sheep or a herd of sheep closer than probably 100 meters. Of course, being close to lamb chops on a buffet table does not count. So, I really do not know the characteristics of sheep and why Christ compared us to them.

The animals I am familiar with are ducks (because I used to tend our 100 plus ducks when I was a kid), carabao (because we used to have one to help my father in farming), chickens (we also had them in the farm), pigeons (my late uncle raised them), pigs (we used to raise one or two for a year in preparation for big events such as fiestas), cats, and, of course, dogs. 

All these animals, when domesticated or raised in farms are tamed once they get familiarized with whoever is handling or raising them. That is when they can identify the smell, the looks, sometimes the tools (like a basin or pale when I feed those ducks), and especially the voice of their masters. Well, I sometimes doubt that with cats except when they’re hungry. 

When my ducks see me holding a pale of darak (rice bran), they start following me. A simple “kruk-tik-tik-tik” sound gets the chicken excited and they knew food was coming. And dogs, we know how excited they can be when their best friend arrives. But by experience, I believe dogs’s senses of sight and hearing are better than their sense of smell. Because when  I come home, my dog barked until either I called its name or I showed up.

Christ compared us to sheep. According to a priest’s homily I heard long ago, the sheep is a dumb animal. But even as dumb as it is, just like the other animals I talked about, it can identify its shepherd’s voice. 

“I know mine and mine know me” says the Lord in today's Gospel. How do we know it is the voice of the Good Shepherd that is calling us? How do we know it is not the voice of the world? Much worse, the voice of the evil one?

Whenever we can identify a temptation as a temptation, we should know that we have not yet fallen astray because another voice is calling. That is a good thing because we are still familiar with the voice of our Shepherd. But when we cannot identify a temptation as a temptation anymore, maybe because it is done by everyone else, for example, then we forgot the voice of the Shepherd.

We need to be familiar with His voice. He has given us the tools to do so. Start with reading the Bible. Read more Catholic materials. Attend Catholic events and seminars. Frequently go to Mass, not only on Sundays. Receive applicable sacraments. Go to retreats. Be a member of a fellowship communities such as Couples for Christ, Singles for Christ, Light of Jesus and the like. These groups will lead us back to the flock whenever we are about to get lost.

At least, unlike the sheep, we can do something to make sure we do not forget the voice of the Good Shepherd.

Prayer

Lord, You died for us while we are still as stubborn as sheep. You gave Your life for us, Your sheep to bring us back to Your herd. Lead us to things that will make us know You more and be familiar with Your voice. And may everything we do glorify You. Amen.

My Shepherd

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 19, 2015

We are the people of the Lord, the flock that is led by his hand: come, let us adore him, alleluia.

First reading                                      Jeremiah 23:1- 6

‘Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered – it is the Lord who speaks! This, therefore, is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds in charge of my people: You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them.
  Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds – it is the Lord who speaks! But the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them, and will bring them back to their pastures: they shall be fruitful and increase in numbers. I will raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them; no fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost – it is the Lord who speaks!
‘See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –
when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,
who will reign as true king and be wise,
practising honesty and integrity in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel dwell in confidence.
And this is the name he will be called:
The-Lord-our-integrity.’

Psalm                                              Psalm 22:1-6

Second reading                              Ephesians 2: 13-18

In Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law. This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single Body and reconcile them with God: in his own person he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.

Gospel                                               Mark 6:30-34

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

Reflection

By Benj Santiago

“When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.”

One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 23. It reminds me of the Lord as the Good Shepherd. But being a shepherd in the time of Jesus was actually the lowest level of work one can have. It is a low paying, smelly, and difficult job. You need to tend the sheep and protect the herd from wolves and other predators in the field. You have to be a really good shepherd to do the job!

In the Gospel today, Jesus secretly told the disciples to take a rest in a secluded place. They just came from a very successful out of town mission healing the sick and driving out demons. They were told to hop on their boat and go to a deserted place to rest their weary bodies and perhaps to have something to eat for there were so many people coming and going to them. But to their surprise, the people knew where they were going and went ahead of them by foot. Thus, when Jesus disembarked from His boat, His heart was moved with pity for He saw the crowd like a sheep without a shepherd. His heart was moved with pity because the priest and the temple authorities in those time who were supposed to guide the people, are not doing their job in pastoring and shepherding the flock. What happened next is really amazing: Jesus sat down and began to teach them many things.

The priests and yes, even the politicians who occupy power in the society can be considered as the modern day shepherds. The parishioners and the constituents are the flock.  In the family, the parents are the shepherds. In business and companies, the shepherds are the leaders, the managers. But unlike the shepherds of the past, most of aforementioned modern day shepherds are paid and some, very handsomely. The challenge is to follow the examples of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

We praise God for there are many who follow the model of Christ as the Good Shepherd. One of them that I do admire as my shepherd is Bro Bo Sanchez. He never tires and never gives up on anyone. He continually serves and cares for his community and his flock. Considering that he doesn’t get paid and in fact , even has to subsidize his ministry from his own earnings. Week after week, he spend time to preach to thousands of people who flock the Feast (this is what he calls the weekly gathering). Even after a long trip he wouldn't miss to meet up and pastor his flock that he truly loves!

Prayer

Dear Jesus, we ask You to continuously light our path and guide us in our ways that we may be like You, The Good Shepherd. We pray for more leaders and parents who will protect and guide their flock like You did. We pray that You will empower us with Your love that we may love the people we lead. One with Mary we make this prayer. Amen!

The Sheep and Shepherd

“ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”

First Reading:  Acts 2:14, 36-41

          But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him." And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Psalm: Psalm  23:1-6

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:20-25

          For what credit is it, if when you do wrong and are beaten for it you take it patiently? But if when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Gospel: John 10:1-10

          " Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Reflection
By Benj Santiago

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.”

When I feel fearful and lonesome, my favorite Psalm to reflect on is Psalm 23. I feel secured thinking that my Lord Jesus is my Shepherd. I google searched what a shepherd do and this is what I got. "A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards herds of sheep. The word stems from an amalgam of sheep herder. It also means: One who cares for and guides a group of people, as a minister or teacher."

This song or psalm is attributed to David, a shepherd boy who had been used by God to defend Israel from the Philistine giant named Goliath. As a shepherd, David defended his flock from the attacking lion and bear. As a shepherd, he led the flock of sheep to the green pasture. Jesus, a carpenter, used the imagery of a shepherd and the Pharisees did not understand why he has to use the imagery of a “gate”.

I am a regular attendee of the PICC Feast being led by Bro Bo Sanchez. My whole family, my flock, go to the Feast every Sunday. I feel the Lord’s loving presence in the Feast. My whole family is being led and being fed with the Word and the Holy Eucharist. We are being blessed by Bro Bo Sanchez’ talks on wide ranging topic from practical spirituality to financial management. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Shepherd and He is using Bro Bo to be our shepherd and in turn, we also are sent to be the shepherd to our family and to the people we meet.

Every opportunity to serve and lead people is an opportunity to demonstrate the kind of love and concern our Lord, the Good Shepherd, has for us. We, as Christians are commissioned by Christ to be a good shepherd to others. We can be like David who defended his flock against the lion and the bear. It can be as simple as leading people to attend the Holy Mass or attend a prayer meeting to get their souls nourished. Or it can be a practical help like guiding them in finances, or family life. We can be a good shepherd to our co-employees by guiding them how to perform to the best of their abilities. In the church organizations, we can also be a good shepherd to our co-workers by leading them through imitating Jesus Christ.

In everything we do be it small or big, be it our job, our family activity or a social cause, let us imitate the Good Shepherd. Let us lead and protect all the people we care for. Let us be led by Jesus so that we can lead others too!

Prayer

Our loving and awesome Father, we thank You for giving us Your Son Jesus Christ to be our Good Shepherd. We thank You for giving Jesus to lead us into the green pastures and restful waters. We ask You Lord to make us like Jesus for others; faithfully and lovingly leading others ultimately to You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.