Part 1 of 2
Daily Office Readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter: Year 1
Morning, Psalms 63:1 to 8, and 98; Evening, Psalm 103;
Wisdom 1:1 to 15; 1st Peter 5:1 to 11; Matthew 7:15 to 29:
“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (1st Peter 5:7)
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday! The Eucharistic Gospel today is from John 10. It is about the characteristics of what constitutes the Good Shepherd. The sheep of the fold have comfort in knowing the Good Shepherd is Present. They, and we, may have fears about what is going on, but we can place those fears on the Good Shepherd and then feel at peace. So Peter is correct, we can, and should cast all our anxiety on Christ Jesus. And then, my beloved of the Lord, go on about your life in peace knowing that your fears and anxieties are not for you to worry about any more.
Part 2 of 2:
Eucharistic Readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter: Year B
Acts 4:5 to 12; Psalm 23; 1st John 3:16 to 24; John 10:11 to 18:
“Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10: 11)
Although a shepherd is a human being, he becomes one of the sheep, and is accepted as one of them amongst them. Although the shepherd walks bi-pedal, and looks and smells different, the sheep accept him as one of them.
As far as a shepherd is removed from the sheep, even further is our Lord removed from us. Yet, he is our Good Shepherd. And, as removed as he is from us in all his glory, he lays down that glory for our salvation. While he is God in human form, he does not count equality with God, but gives it all up for our sake. He truly loves us and teaches us to love one another in the same way.
It is the “I AM,” part of the statement where He says, “I am the Good Shepherd,” that we should focus on. This, “I AM,” language, is the clear identifier of the God-self that Jesus is. God so loved us that God came among us as one of us, to save all who believed, in order that we might have eternal life. Let us all love, and co-shepherd one another as best we can.
Let us live to love, more than we just love to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 