:: Faith Today: Easter Season ::
(click to order)
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Today's Mass :: Divine Office :: Divine Mercy :: Saints :: News & Inspiration :: Intentions
Wishing you a Blessed Easter Season
"Jesus said: 'My sheep hear My Voice; I know them, and they follow Me.'"
"We are His People, the sheep of His Flock."
"What Happens at Mass" Today's Mass
READINGS: usccb.org/nab/042510.shtml
+ FIND A MASS: (MassTimes.org)
+ "Jesus said: 'My sheep hear My Voice; I know them, and they follow Me."
+ "We are His People, the sheep of His Flock."
+ "I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of Salvation to the ends of the earth."
+ "I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb ..."
+ DailyGospel.org Saintly historical commentary, Fourth Sunday of Easter
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GOSPEL: John 10:27-30
USCCB brief reflection
on
this day's Readings,
April 25
http://www.usccb.org/video/
reflections.shtmlJesus once again describes Himself as Shepherd, with us as His Flock:
"My sheep hear My Voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them Eternal Life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand."
Note how being saved is not simply an intellectual process, but a knowing familiarity with Jesus, a personal relationship.
"The Gospel of John"
by Dr. Scott Hahn
(click to order)One might reflect upon how a life of Prayer, Sacrament, encountering Holy Scripture, and acts of Christian Love and Service help the believer grow in their relationship with Christ, to condition us and transform us to better hear Him, to better recognize His Voice as we travel along the Path of Conversion and the Path of Discipleship.
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament © 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., at times enhanced to provide additional capitalization. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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FIRST READING: Acts 13:14, 43-52
Saints Paul and Barnabas in Antioch; Light to the Gentiles proclaiming the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth
Filled with joy and the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul and Saint Barnabas preach the Gospel in Antioch, starting with the Jews, who flock to hear and follow them. Almost the entire city gathers to hear the Word of the Lord, which spreads throughout the region.
Paul and Barnabas reiterate how it is necessary to preach to the Jews first, and also the Gentiles. Even when jealous opponents stir up persecution against them, they simply shake the dust off their feet in protest against the persecution, and are "filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."
Saint Paul reaffirms how Christianity is to convert the entire world, and how they are obeying a Command by God to serve as instruments for spreading the Gospel:
... the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.
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"Praying the Psalms
with the Early Christians"
PSALM 100:1-2, 3, 5
We are God's People
Psalm 100 proclaims: "We are His People, the sheep of His Flock."
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SECOND READING: Revelations 7:9, 14b-17
Multitude of the Saved, before the Throne of God and the Lamb
The Apostle John has a vision of an innumerable multitude of people from all places standing before the Throne of God and the Lamb.
An elder explains to John that this multitude survived the time of great trial, and now are constantly in God's Presence worshiping Him:
"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.
"For this reason they stand before God’s Throne and worship Him day and night in His Temple.
God shelters them, the Lamb shepherds them, and God comforts them, wiping away every tear:
"The One who sits on the Throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
So we see the unfolding nature of the Salvation of this multitude. There is a time of great trial, which they survive (recall how, elsewhere, there is the explanation that they who persevere to the end will be Saved.)
Once saved, they stand in God's Presence, worshiping Him. God protects them, they no longer suffer from want, and God wipes away their tears, comforting and relieving them of their suffering. The Lamb, Jesus Christ, shepherds them.
Note that:
+ while some refer to 144,000 being saved, Revelations' reference to that subset of indidivuals is followed by this reference to an innumerable multitude
+ the multitude are of all nations, places, and languages
+ in today's First Reading, the Apostle Paul reaffirms how the Gospel is to spread to the ends of the earth, and here we see how the multitude before the Throne are indeed from all nations; recall also how Jesus tells His Apostles, "Go forth and Make Disciples of all the lands"
+ in today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us how His sheep hear His Voice, how He knows them and they follow Him; here, the multitude are shepherded by the Lamb, Christ
+ note how the multitude references are not necessarily the entire multitide of those Saved; the elder who speaks to the Apostle John explains how these are those who survive the time of great distress; one might reflect upon whether this refers to the trials at the end of the Age, and this multitude are those of that time
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Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours)
Liturgy of the Hours
Volume II:
Lent-Easter Season
In the final prayer for Night Prayer, a prayer to the Blessed Mother, one of the possible selections during Easter Season is:
Queen of Heaven rejoice, Alleluia.
The Son Whom you merited to bear, Alleluia, has Risen as He said, Alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia!
For the Lord has truly Risen, Alleluia.
Night Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours, According to the Roman Rite, Vol. II, Lent - Easter Season, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1975, at 1648.
In the Office of Readings for this day, Saint Gregory the Great preaches on Jesus as the Good Shepherd:
I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own — by which I mean, I love them — and my own know Me. In plain words: those who love me are willing to follow me, for anyone who does not know the turth has not yet come to know it.
* * *
Again He says: My sheep hear My Voice, and I know them; they follow Me, and I give them Eternal Life....
Office of Readings, Fourth Sunday of Easter, The Liturgy of the Hours, According to the Roman Rite, Vol. II, Lent - Easter Season, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1975, at 753 (italics in original).
Saint Gregory the Great goes on to exhort us to pursue a Path towards Eternal Life:
So our Lord's sheep will finally reach their grazing ground where all who follow Him in simplicity of heart will feed on the green pastures of Eternity. These pastures are the Spiritual Joys of Heaven. There the elect look upon the Face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the Banquet of Life for ever more.
Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures where we shall keep Joyful Festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our Faith, and long eagerly for what Heaven has in store for us. To love thus is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that Heavenly Feast.
Ibid. at 753-754.
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Saints of the Day, Saints of April
+ "Saint of the Day" by the USCCB
+ "Saint(s) of the Day," from St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Washington, D.C.
+ "Saint of the Day" by AmericanCatholic.org
(Franciscans; on rare occasions, slightly different than the official feast day)
+ Saints with Feast Days in April
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News & Inspiration
Saint Bonaventure:
The Soul's Journey
into God
(click here to order)
+ Saints News: Saint Bonaventure: A Man of Action and Contemplation - Pope Benedict XVI
+ Lent: Catechism of the Catholic Church
+ Lent: Papal Message for Lent 2010
+
Bioethics: Human Dignity and Natural Moral Law
+ Abide in God and Keep His Commandments: Pope Benedict on John Chapters 15-16
+ Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes: Pope Benedict tells Church to evangelize and care for the sick in body and spirit
+ Saint Anthony of Padua: Example to preachers, one of most popular Saints ― Pope Benedict XVI Audience
News Links
:: USCCB: Bishops Call For Extension Of Trade Preferences For Haiti As Part Of Long-Term Recovery Support
:: USCCB: Bishops Call for Bipartisan Action to Advance Health Care Reform That Protects Human Life and Dignity
:: USCCB: Series of Seminars Slated to Introduce Revised Translation of Roman Missal
:: USCCB: Archbishop O’Brien Speaks At Summit Aimed At Eliminating Nuclear Weapons
:: CNS: Pope expresses sorrow over murder of Christians in Iraq
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Prayer Intentions
Pray for the Holy Father and his intentions: Ecumenical Dialogue, Christian Perseverance in the Face of Persecution ― Pope Benedict XVI's April 2010 Prayer Intentions
April 2010
+ General Intention: ecumenical dialogue - "That every tendency to fundamentalism and extremism may be countered by constant respect, by tolerance and by dialogue among all believers."
+ Mission intention: Chrisitan perseverance in the face of persecution - "That Christians persecuted for the sake of the Gospel may persevere, sustained by the Holy Spirit, in faithfully witnessing to the Love of God for the entire human race"
... and recall that praying for the Holy Father and his intentions also is among the set of conditions when undertaking to earn an indulgence ... along with receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), receiving the Eucharist, and being free from attachment to sin, along with the other special action for which the indulgence is granted, such as reading Holy Scripture devoutly for at least a half-hour ...
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Additional Faith Central Prayer Intentions
+ For additional support and guidance for the development of Faith Central: Catholic Home on the Web
+ For victims of storms other natural disasters
+ To know and do God's Will
+ For the unemployed to obtain honorable work and a dignified wage sufficient to meet their needs and those they provide for
+ For the elderly and infirmed, their protection by the Blessed Mother, and that they be treated with respect, dignity, and love.
+ For respect for human life and the dignity of the human person, from their creation
prior to conception, to natural death.
+ That God's Will be obeyed by all actions of government and all government-related actions of the populace
+ For an end to the recession, and for all humanity to work together to bear fruit in service to the needs of all
+ For those of means to divert resources to help those in the human family, locally or abroad, who are hungry, starving, or homeless
+ For peace in the world, and the conversion of the hearts of terrorists.
+ For peace in the world in families, especially for women and men facing crisis pregnancies, their preborn children, and those assisting them, especially their relatives and those volunteers and professionals dedicated to prolife work.
+ For the conversion of the hearts of sinners.
+ For the Faithful Departed, especially the relatives of those
praying and those they have met or have known.
+ For the Faithful Departed, especially those with no one praying for
them.
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Keywords: Jesus Christ, Catholic, Saint Paul, Saint Barnabas, Antioch, Jesus the Good Shepherd, Gospel of John, Psalm 100, Revelations, Saint John the Apostle, Acts of the Apostles, Divine Office, Saint Augustine, Regina Caeli, Liturgy of the Hours, Daily Readings, Mass, Catholic Faith, Christian, Pope Benedict XVI, Holy Father, Prayer Intentions, Catholic News, Scott Hahn
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