DAILY MASS REFLECTIONS TUESDAY FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER

Daily Mass Reflections Tuesday Fourth Week of Easter: First Reading Acts of the Apostles 11:19-26; Gospel Reading John 10:22-30

First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 11:19-26.

Those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the Church in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year, they met with the Church and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.

Responsorial Psalm.

R.    All you nations, praise the Lord.

His foundation upon the holy mountains

    the LORD loves:

The gates of Zion,

    more than any dwelling of Jacob.

Glorious things are said of you,

    O city of God!

R.    All you nations, praise the Lord.

I tell of Egypt and Babylon

    among those who know the LORD;

Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:

    “This man was born there.”

And of Zion they shall say:

    “One and all were born in her;

And he who has established her

    is the Most High LORD.”

R.    All you nations, praise the Lord.

They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:

    “This man was born there.”

And all shall sing, in their festive dance:

    “My home is within you.”

R.    All you nations, praise the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation.

Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;

I know them, and they follow me.

Alleluia, alleluia.

John 10:22-30.

It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So, the Jews gathered round him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Gospel Reflection.

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, today’s first reading shares with us the spreading of faith in Antioch. It all began with the persecution and the martyrdom of St. Stephen. Because of that severe persecution believers fled to different places and one particular group went to Antioch. They started to share the Gospel with those who were with them. Though many of them talked about Jesus only to Jews, some shared their faith with the Greeks. And the Holy Spirit helped them to understand the Gospel message and faith grew among them.

Here we should remember just ordinary people shared the Gospel message to them. St. Chrysostom said one of his homilies about it like this: “Notice that it is grace which does everything. And also reflect on the fact that this work is begun by unknown workers and only when it begins to prosper do the Apostles send Barnabas” (Hom, on Acts, 25). The faith grew in the ordinary circumstances, Holy Spirit is in work always. Now, once the Barnabas reached Antioch, he taught them even the Gentile Christians about the faith and told them to remain in steadfast faith.

Another thing we see in this reading is the beginning of St. Paul’s Apostolic Mission. He began his mission from here, Barnabas invited him to Antioch and they remain there for one year and taught them the Gospel values. In Antioch, the disciples were for the first time called Christians. Some Fathers of the Church see this name as a further indication that people do not become disciples of the Lord through human causes. “Although the holy Apostles were our teachers and have given us the Gospel of the Savior, it is not from them that we have taken our name: we are Christians through Christ and it is for him that we are called in this way” (St Athanasius, Oratio I contra arianos, 2).

In the Gospel, we continue to reflect on the theme “Jesus the Good Shepherd.” Today Jesus says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.” The sheep of Jesus is those who believe in him and live in a personal relationship with him. Unlike those who always doubt about him and questions him, Jesus’ disciples know that he is the Messiah because they know him personally through faith. Jesus reveals that the “pasture” to which he leads his sheep is eternal life. He came to give life in abundant excess, and his faithful followers shall never perish spiritually or, ultimately, in any other way. His remark, No one can take them out of my hand, refers to the shepherd’s protection of the sheep from the wolf, for the same verb translated “take . . . out” here also refers to the wolf who “catches” the sheep (10:12). As the psalmist prays, “Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Ps 23:4).”