Sunday:       4 TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (World Day of Prayer for Vocations)
Date:         May 14, 2000
Year:         B
The readings: [Acts 4:7-12; 1 Jn. 3:1-2; Jn. 10:11-8]
The message:  I lay down my life for my sheep.
Prepared by:  CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY
Total words:  1791

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Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, today, the faithful of the Holy Catholic Church are united as one throughout the world to pray for religious vocations. Being of one mind as Jesus and the Father are of one mind, the faithful are calling upon the grace of the Lord to shine on His Church by blessing it with an abundance of religious vocations.

This special day harmonizes with the holy readings that we have just heard. As Jesus is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for we who are His sheep, those who are called to the religious life in service to the Lord wholeheartedly and continuously embrace a life of self-denial for the spiritual well- being of the Church and its followers.

In today's First Reading, we heard how Peter and John answered their calling to serve the Lord Jesus. Having been arrested for preaching the resurrection of the Lord, they stood before the rulers, the elders and the scribes to account for their actions. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter answered that his actions of good works were performed in the Name of Jesus Christ Who had been crucified and raised from the dead by God.

Using the opportunity that avail itself to testify in the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Peter added that Jesus, the Stone that was rejected by the authorities, the builders, had become the Cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other Name under Heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.

In his discourse, Peter referred to the rulers, the elders and the scribes as the "builders." Giving credit where it is due, Peter acknowledged the authority of the leadership of the Jewish People. He was speaking to those who had been called to lead God's people, to teach the Scriptures, the Ten Commandments, the Mosaic Laws and the righteousness of the Lord. As teachers, they were the builders of God's people under the Old Covenant of the Laws of Moses.

Peter informed the builders of God's people that they had erred in their interpretation of the Scriptures regarding the coming of the Messiah. As the leaders of the people, they had rejected Jesus, the promised Messiah, He who was the Cornerstone of God's people, the Church.

As you must realize, those to who Peter was speaking were like our bishops, our judges and senior officials of the government. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter spoke boldly. While attempting to open their minds to spiritual truths, Peter was fearless of what the authorities thought. He had a greater fear of failing to do the work of the Lord than of offending those who were listening to his discourse.

In his discourse, Peter stated, "There is salvation in no one else..." Our living faith teaches us that our salvation is through Jesus, He who is the one Mediator between God and man. [1 Tim. 2:5-6] It is through Jesus alone that we find the forgiveness of sins that leads to our salvation. This forgiveness of sins is found in the Church Sacrament of Confession that Jesus has instituted on earth.

A few months ago, it came to my attention that some of the faithful were claiming that salvation could be obtained by another way than through Jesus who is the one and only Mediator between God and man. They were promoting private messages that originated from the United States. These private messages claimed that one could bypass Jesus and go directly to God the Father. They further claimed that if one was to call out just once in their lifetime on the word "Father," they would be saved. In other words, these private messages were denying the necessity of salvation through Jesus and the Sacraments that He has instituted on earth through His Church. What a deception!

According to Canon Law # 823, as a priest I am obligated to safeguard the integrity of the faith. As such, I have a duty to condemn these writings (MAY OR MAY NOT OMIT "of Mother Eugenia") which harm the true faith by deceiving those who believe in them.

Moving on to the Second Reading from the First Letter of John, we are reminded of the love of God the Father for us. So great is the love of God that it results in our being called His children.

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Jesus. In the eyes of many, it is "strange" that those who are called to the religious life choose to be celibate. It is strange that many of them live in poverty, renouncing worldly possessions. To them, it is strange that someone would renounce their free will by making the vow of obedience. To these of worldly minds, they fail to perceive the beauty of self-denial and self-giving in the love of God. Those of the world do not understand those who give themselves to the religious life because, contrary to their claims, they do not know Jesus.

As God's children know, we do not know what we will be like after the resurrection of the bodies because it has not been revealed to us. What we do know is that we will be like Jesus glorified. Our eternal life will not involve having a physical form because Jesus no longer has a physical body. This is known by the fact that He is no longer physically present in this world in human form. Nor will we be spirits because Jesus and His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, are two separate Divine Presences in God.

There are two things that the Holy Bible tells us. First of all, after the resurrection of the dead, at the twinkle of an eye, our bodies will be transformed into imperishable and immortal bodies. [1 Cor. 15:52] Secondly, those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. [Dan. 12:3]

Today's reading from the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John reminded us through the spoken words of Jesus that He is the Good Shepherd. What is the difference between the Good Shepherd and the hired hand? When the hired hand sees the wolf approaching, he abandons the sheep. After all, why should he risk his life for what is not his? But, the Good Shepherd, He lays down His life to save His sheep from the approaching wolf. So loving and caring is the Good Shepherd that when He sees one of His sheep is missing, He will leave the ninety-nine who are safe to go and find His missing sheep.

Similar to this, those who answer their religious calling have a duty to safeguard the faith of the children of God, the believers of the Church. When they see a lost child who has been misled away from the Body of Christ, they have an obligation to reach out to this child so he or she may be reconciled with God, with the Church and with the faithful. This will ensure that every child shall bear spiritual fruits. This will ensure that when the Heavenly Father prunes the Tree of Life, He will not remove this child as a dead branch that should be burned.

Jesus said that He knows His own and they know Him. Jesus knows each and everyone of us by our first name and we know Him by His first name, Jesus.

Jesus also said that He has other sheep that do not belong to the fold. He must bring them also and they will listen to His voice. Consequently, they will be of one flock, having one Shepherd.

When Jesus spoke of His other sheep, He was referring to the Gentiles who at the time were not inheritors of the Old Testament promises of God for His chosen people. He was referring to all the people throughout the world, no matter their language, their nationality, their race or their culture. All are called to be of one flock, to have one Shepherd. Through faith in Jesus and the Sacrament of Baptism, all are born again of the godly seed to belong to the One Body of Christ. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, all are equal as children of God.

The Heavenly Father loves His Son Jesus because He voluntarily laid down His life for all of mankind. Jesus laid down His life so He can take it up again.

Equally, the Heavenly Father has a special love for those who voluntarily give their lives in the service of the Lord Jesus through the Holy Catholic Church. While not all lay down their lives by being called to martyrdom, all those who embrace the religious life are fully aware that their calling may send them to foreign missions where they may become martyrs.

Since today is the World Day of Prayers for Vocations, I would like to take a moment as a humble instrument of the Lord to draw to God those who think they may have a calling to the religious life.

If any of you are contemplating the religious life, being frequently inspired by the Holy Spirit to reflect on this possibility, then I would like to hear from you.

If any of you enjoy a burning desire to serve the Lord by tending to the sheep, even as a lay missionary, then I would like to hear from you.

If any of you entertain a spiritual mind that is continuously compelled to reflect on spiritual things, being in this world but not of this world, then I would like to hear from you.

If you suspect for a moment that the Lord Jesus is calling you to care for His sheep, then I urge you to investigate the nature of this suspicion. If you are called to the religious life and you answer your call, you will have fulfilled your calling according to the will of God. If it is determined that you are not called to the religious life, at least you will gain the peace of mind in knowing that the religious life is not for you, that God has simply blessed you with a very spiritual mind.

As we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, may our spirits be strengthened by the Word of God and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that we are about to receive. And let us humbly ask the Heavenly Father for His grace to shine on our Parish by the power of His Spirit so we may be blessed with religious vocations to fruitfully continue the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ among His children.

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"While Peter and John were speaking to the people about the resurrection of Jesus, the captain of the temple arrested them and placed them in custody.

The next day the rulers, elders and scribes assembled. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, 'By what power or by what name did you do this?' Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, 'Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.

This Jesus is the 'stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.' There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved." [Acts 4:7-12]

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Second Reading...

"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is." [1 Jn. 3:1-2]

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Gospel Reading...

"Jesus said to the Pharisees: 'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away - and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father." [Jn. 10:11-8]

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