Celebrating Good Shepherd Sunday with Our Content Heart of Joy amidst the Novel Corona Virus Pandemic - Fourth Sunday of Paschaltide A

Now we are on the Fourth Sunday of Paschaltide. And it is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday.

Ever since Paschal Vigil Mass celebration, the Sunday Gospel readings thus far (Matthew 28:1-10; John 20:1-9; John 20:19-31; Luke 24:13-35), have guided us from the initial fear and confusion with the empty tomb to the fresh joy and contentment with the risen Christ. The Gospel reading for the last two Sundays remind us that the risen Christ sought out his disciples, who were lost in fear and confusion, upon rising from the dead. He rescued the disciples' souls from the verge of spiritual death through the Holy Spirit in his gentle breath, through the Word, and the breaking of the Bread. With this in mind, let us ask ourselves this question, before we unpack today's Word of God. 

Are you content with your life in general? ¿No falta nada en tu vida?

Right now, amidst this ongoing the covid-19 global pandemic caused by novel cononavirus, it is very difficult to feel “content” as there are so many concerns to deal with.  We have been constantly bombarded with conflicting and confusing information about the covid-19 pandemic around the clock.

This reality rather amplifies our anxiety, as we are already anxious enough in navigating the uncharted reality in dealing with this novel zoonotic virus pandemic, to which human immune system tends to react in panic, called cytokine storm. Confused our own immune system blindly attacks our own cells and kills us, in reaction to this novel virus.

Also to our immune system, his reality is full of uncertainty, prompting our immune cells to indiscriminately attack everything as they go in panic. In this situation, we keep wondering when our life will return to normal or if life would get back to normal, as our immune system finally learns how to attack the virus only. In this time of uncertainty and confusion, we often find what we have thought as a hopeful information turns out to be nothing but a false hope. At the same time, we often worry about how we keep our food on the table, keep the roof above our heads, and all that basic needs to live, as we are facing a record high unemployment due to the pandemic.  In this challenging reality, how can we find contentment and stay focused on a truth without confusion?

  

This is a real challenge to us today, as we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, Fourth Sunday of Paschaltide, amidst of the pandemic-caused anxiety-provoking uncertainty.

It seems that the pandemic has robbed everything that we used to enjoy. And, it has taken away all the things we have taken for granted. It all happened rather so fast, as we have seen a swift exponential growth of covid-19 patients in the last two months.

Now, in this reality, how do we reflect ourselves upon this Good Shepherd Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm refrain, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want (nothing I lack)”(Psalm 23:1).

With this in mind, let us explore the Liturgy of the Word for the Good Shepherd Sunday of this year (4^th Sunday of Paschaltide, Cycle A).

The First Reading (Acts 2:14a, 36-41) describes how Peter’s Pentecost speech had affected the audience, many of whom had thought Peter and other disciples were drunk with wine on that day. In the First Reading of the previous Sunday (Third Sunday of Paschaltide, A)(Acts 2:14, 22-33), we read Peter’s Christological discourse, reflecting Jesus’ Paschal Mystery, in his Pentecost speech. So, this Sunday’s First Reading shows how what Peter spoke about Jesus and his Paschal Mystery, had impacted people who heard. It resulted in 3,000 of them joining Peter and the rest of the disciples on the spot, as the speech cut to the heart.  Though not everyone at the scene was moved by Peter’s speech, the majority just could not help but know how they also could be like Peter and the rest of the disciples.

 Did they want to look drunk with wines amidst the daytime? No. Rather, they wanted to have their share of the fire burning in Peter’s heart.  The fire burning in Peter’s heart, prompting him to speak about Jesus, itself is a direct effect of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.  In response to their inquiry to be like him, Peter simply told them to repent and be baptized to be forgiven for their sins and to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And, 3,000 of them sought to be baptized and joined him.

This is a description of the day one of the Church, on the very day when the Church was born with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

In response to this, we sing, “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want”.

So, what does Peter’s speech have something to do with a shepherd, who can fill the needs of his sheep to connect the First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm?

Simply put it, in this Pentecost speech, Peter was already acting as a shepherd, as Jesus had entrusted. In this role, Peter began his service to the Lord as the first Pope. And, by this speech, Peter was calling new sheep to come to the fold, which is the nascent Church. In a way, this is the first recruitment of new members for the Church to grow, elaborating on Jesus, who recruited him and his brother, Andre, and his fishing buddies in Capernaum, Galilee, when Jesus himself began his public ministry.  In order to understand Peter’s role as a shepherd, entrusted by the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, we need to remember that Jesus gave Peter the keys of his Kingdom (Matthew 16:13-19) and that risen Jesus wanted Peter to serve as the entrusted shepherd after his ascension (John 21:15-19).

And, the First Reading texts from last Sunday (Acts 2:14, 22-33) and this Sunday (Acts 2:14a, 36-41 ) show that Peter began his service as the first shepherd of the newborn Church, entrusted by Jesus the Good Shepherd.

No, Peter cannot completely fill the place of Jesus in his shepherding. Nevertheless, entrusted by Jesus the Good Shepherd and empowered by the Holy Spirit, Peter’s shepherding ministry represents the quality of the Good Shepherd.

Christ’s Good Shepherd quality reflected in Peter’s pastoral leadership from the day one of the Church, reflected in the First Reading, we sing Psalm 23, in response. In the pastures and the fold of the Good Shepherd, to which Peter, the  First Pope, the first shepherd, entrusted by the Good Shepherd, there is nothing lacking and nothing to be afraid, because where the Good Shepherd leads us, his sheep, through Peter’s pastoral leadership, represents the Kingdom that he reigns as the King.

Now, reflect how this can apply to our situation now.

Would it mean that Peter the entrusted shepherd by the Good Shepherd would lead us to a place free from worries about novel corona virus and paying all these accumulating bills?

No. No such a naïve utopian illusion.

Remember, the Second Reading from the Second Sunday of Paschaltide, Divine Mercy Sunday, (1 Peter 1:3-9), Peter, the first representative of the Good Shepherd had made it clear that we may have to endure trials as we move to the Kingdom, where the Good Shepherd is the King. In this text, Peter also assured that we will rejoice, in spite of having to facing and dealing with tribulations in life, as long as we keep faith, generating hope.

Reflecting these words of Peter, the first representative of the Good Shepherd, from the Divine Mercy Sunday Second Reading on Cycle A, we can joyfully sing Psalm 23, amidst of this pandemic trials, in response to the Word of the Good Shepherd.

In the Gospel Reading today (John 10:1-10), the Good Shepherd, Jesus, himself speaks to us his relationship to us. It is a very important message, because our Good Shepherd expresses his concerns for us, as we can easily fooled by tricks of false shepherds and go astray.  In our current situation, this is so true, as we have been oversaturated with fake news about covid-19, and many have been confused and misled to dangerous situations.

So, Jesus the Good Shepherd, the true shepherd, reminds us that he is the only gate, through which we enter (John 10:9). This also reminds that he is the only way to the Father (John 14:6).  And, it is so important that his sheep only listen to him but no one else. Thus, we must vigorously exercise this gift of the Holy Spirit – discernment (1 Corinthians 12: 10).  We need to examine what we receive to make sure it is not a misleading thing from Satan but from the Good Shepherd ( cf.  1 Thessalonians 5:20-21; 1 John 4:1).  Yes, it all involved with the Holy Spirit. That is why Peter said to those who wanted to follow him in the way of the Good Shepherd upon his Pentecost speech, “receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit”(Acts 2:38).  If we did not have the Good Shepherd and did not listen to him, we would be at greater risk to be fooled by fake shepherd sent by Satan to destroy us.

In today’s Second Reading (1 Peter 2:20b-25), Peter, the first representing shepherd of the Good Shepherd, explains why our Good Shepherd suffered and sacrificed as Passover sacrificial lamb, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the word, as John the Baptist called (John 1:29).

Though it is not in today’s Gospel reading text, Jesus further explains that he , the Good Shepherd, lays his life down for his sheep (John 10:18), as we will read on Good Shepherd Sunday next year (Cycle B). And, it is to fulfill Isaiah 53, as we have reflected during Paschal Triduum.

Peter reminds that we are healed by the wounds of the Good Shepherd, who has laid down his life for us (1 Peter 2:24; cf. Isaiah 53:5), even though we have been lost sheep and gone astray and gotten hurt (1 Peter 2:25; cf. Isaiah 53:6). So, Peter calls our Good Shepherd, who has entrusted him to take care of his sheep (John 21:17-19), calls the Good Shepherd also as the guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).

Now that we know not only about our Good Shepherd, who is also the guardian of our souls, but also that we are again reminded of why the Good Shepherd of ours laid down his life as the Lamb of God. And, we are aware that we are blessed to receive all the benefits of his sacrifice.  Do we still lack anything?

We would constantly feel lacking and discontent as we go astray, being misled by false shepherd and evil spirit, if we do not receive the Holy Spirit with its gifts, including discernment.

Our Good Shepherd, the guardian of our souls, always speaks to us, through the Holy Spirit and through his entrusted shepherd, like Peter, the first Pope, as he also continues to speak his truth through the Word.

 Now, do you hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, who had laid down his very life as the Lamb of God, shedding his blood, to free us from the bonds of sins, and follow his voice? Or, given the current situation of uncertainty to cause anxiety and confusion, are we overwhelmed with noises of fake news about the novel corona virus? Do you still lack something to navigate through this uncertainty amidst this still unfolding pandemic? 

 It depends on how we see ourselves in relation to the Good Shepherd.

With hope, generated through our faith in the Good Shepherd, let us sing Psalm 23, again, as we gratefully hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, the guardian of our soul.

Dondequiera que estemos con nuestro Buen Pastor, no hay nada que temer y no hay nada que falte.