4th Sunday of Easter - May 12, 2019 (Thoman)

Scripture used: Acts 13:14, 43-52, Rev. 7:9, 14b-17, Jn 10:27-30

I. I am always amazed when I meet someone who has faced extreme adversity in
life and still they remain faithful. Adversity like long-term illness, tragedies of
death in their family, rejection by employers or family, the loss of a child,
mistreatment and abuse…extreme challenges that most people do not have to
deal with. Still they remain faithful.

And I wonder how and why. Why not abandon faith in God? Instead, it seems,
faith becomes their resource. They lean into their faith and become stronger. It
is faith which gets them through.

I have a niece who has had a lifetime of dealing with an unusual medical
condition; in spite of the odds, she has done well. But she has become rather
noncommittal about faith. It’s not that she’s anti-faith, or anti-God. But she
hasn’t become a fervent disciple either. In my heart I wish she would have a
deeper faith, because I think it would be a great source of strength for her.

II. We see happening a lot in the book of Acts. In fact, it kind of becomes a recurring
theme: Paul and some of the other first disciples meet one obstacle after another
and still they soldier on – undeterred by the rejection and persecution.
Paul brought the message of Jesus first to his own people, the Jews. Some
listened, a lot rejected him outright and some persecuted him. But instead of
giving up, he said, “Ok, I’ll go to the gentiles then.”

The drive behind this is the movement of the Holy Spirit. They are always
following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. That is what gives them strength and
undaunted courage.

III. It is not easy to remember this, or to do this, when we are in the midst of
adversity. We can easily become confused – disoriented – angry – reactionary.
But with some perspective we begin to realize this adversity may also be a
moment of grace. That is what is being talked about in the second reading from
the Book of Revelation, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great
distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb.”

Instead of going away from God and from faith, they have leaned into faith as
their only resource, their only hope and source of strength.

There’s an article in The Witness this week about Pope Francis visiting
Bulgaria and presiding at a First Communion Mass. Bulgaria is only about 1%
Catholic. In addressing the people he said, “Jesus is alive and here with us; that is
why we can encounter him today in the Eucharist. We do not see him with our
physical eyes, but we do see him with the eyes of faith.”

Those who go through times of crisis see Christ with the eyes of faith. There,
they find strength.

IV. Today, as we observe Good Shepherd Sunday, we reflect upon how steadfast
Jesus is in being faithful to his flock.
In the scriptures, the love, the compassion, of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is
seen over and over again:

  • He took special care of the physical needs of the sheep by curing their
    blindness, their laments, their leprosy
  • He provided wine for a young couple beginning their married life
  • He reached out to the Roman official by healing his servant
  • He listened to people
  • He taught people about God
  • He invited people to experience the fullness of life

It was a compassion which he continues to share with us – perhaps most
especially in our challenging times.

The relationship we have with Jesus remains when we trust the Good Shepherd.
By persevering over the course of time we will come to know the shepherd.

V. Paul and Barnabas and the others were undaunted by the opposition which they
experienced. Instead they were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. They had learned
to rely upon the Good Shepherd.

We come now to this Eucharist so we can know the same joy and the same
happiness. We come now to this Eucharist so we can know the shepherd.

 

--Fr. Dwayne