Archive for April 20, 2013

April 21st 2013 – 4th Sunday in Easter

Posted: April 20, 2013 by CatholicJules in Sunday Reflections
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Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn

Shepherd and the Lamb

Readings:
Acts 13:14, 43-52
Psalm 100:1-3, 5
Revelation 7:9,14-17
John 10:27-30

 

Israel’s mission – to be God’s instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth (see Isaiah 49:6) – is fulfilled in the Church.

By the “Word of God” that Paul and Barnabas preach in today’s First Reading, a new covenant people is being born, a people who glorify the God of Israel as the Father of them all.

The Church for all generations remains faithful to the grace of God given to the Apostles, continues their saving work.

Through the Church, the peoples of every land hear the Shepherd’s voice, and follow Him (see Luke 10:16).
The Good Shepherd of today’s Gospel is the enthroned Lamb of today’s Second Reading. 
In laying down His life for His flock, the Lamb brought to pass a new Passover (see 1 Corinthians 5:7), by His blood freeing “every nation, race, people and tongue” from bondage to sin and death.

The Church is the “great multitude” John sees in his vision today. God swore to Abraham his descendants would be too numerous to count. And in the Church, as John sees, this promise is fulfilled (compare Revelation 7:9; Genesis 15:5).

The Lamb rules from the throne of God, sheltering His flock, feeding their hunger with His own Body and Blood, leading them to “springs of life-giving waters” that well up to eternal life (see John 4:14).
The Lamb is the eternal Shepherd-King, the son of David foretold by the prophets. His Church is the Kingdom of all Israel that the prophets said would be restored in an everlasting covenant (see Ezekiel 34:23-31; 37:23-28).

It is not a kingdom any tribe or nation can jealously claim as theirs alone. The Shepherd’s Word to Israel is addressed now to all lands, calling all to worship and bless His name in the heavenly Temple.

This is the delight of the Gentiles – that we can sing the song that once only Israel could sing, today’s joyful Psalm: “He made us, His we are – His people, the flock He tends.”

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: April 20, 2013 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Are the teachings of Jesus hard to follow and understand? Or is it because we hear and see them through our worldly senses? Through our wants our desires? We refuse to listen to the Truth when it hampers our ‘needs’ our ‘happiness’.

If we were to listen to the flesh, will we able to accept that a loving God came down to lay down his life for us? To suffer at our hands? To save us? To heal us from blindness? Deafness? Brokenness? Paralysis? To wash our feet? To cook and have meals with us? To raise us up death? And now to feed us of Himself that we may have true life?

By our faith and through the Spirit of God we see that all things are possible with God.

So do we turn our backs on Him in our disbelief? Holding on only to what we can taste, see, touch and feel? Understand?

Or do we turn towards Him and declare as our beloved St Peter did “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Amen

GOSPEL
John 6:60–69

60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you that do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. 67 Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”