First Reading: Acts 13:14, 43-52
Reflection:
The events in this Sunday’s first reading took place during the Apostle Paul’s first missionary journey. Perga and Antioch in Pisidia were in Asia Minor (which is modern-day Turkey). Although this area was predominantly Gentile (as were most places Paul traveled), Paul’s practice was to first go to the synagogue in the city to preach the gospel to the Jews there. As was typical of many of Paul’s experiences, some of the Jews embraced the message that Jesus is the Messiah, but many, including the Jewish leaders, rejected the message and the messengers. As a result of their hardened hearts, Paul proclaimed that he and his companions would “turn to the Gentiles.” As he indicates, it was always God’s plan to include the Gentiles in the covenant family of God, but in the blossoming of the Church in its early years this was something new and shocking to the Jews. Here, as was the case at other times, it was the rejection of Jesus by the Jews that sparked the movement of spreading the message to the Gentiles. That is not to say that Paul stopped preaching the Gospel to the Jews, for he continued to do so everywhere he went. Still, Paul was a missionary to the Gentiles and he experienced more reception to the message of the gospel from the Gentiles. This evidences that the gospel is for all peoples of all times.
Second Reading: Revelation 7:9, 14B-17
Reflection:
In the Apostle John’s vision of heaven he saw an innumerable amount of people from “every nation, race, people, and tongue” being received into the kingdom of God for eternal rest after suffering severely on earth for their faith (they “survived the time of great distress”). The diversity of this group indicates the universality of the faith. By referring to the Church as Catholic, we proclaim this reality, for the word “Catholic” means universal, indicating that the Church is for all peoples of all times and cultures. Through the Church, all are called to become saints. The sanctity of people in John’s vision is indicated by their white robes. They have become holy through the “blood of the Lamb.” In other words, Jesus’ death on the cross is the means by which they (and us) could be purified and ready for heaven. In fact, Jesus is the only way to heaven. Therefore, let us follow Him and seek the same goal that the many saints who have gone before us have received: eternal life in heaven.
Gospel Reading: John 10:27-30
Reflection:
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. All Christians are His sheep. This analogy illustrates the essential nature of the Christian life—following Jesus. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus will never lead us astray. He will take care of us, provide for us, and help us in times of need. He will even seek after us when we stray, as is illustrated in the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7). He is the perfect shepherd. But what is the role of the sheep? Good sheep listen to the shepherd. They follow the shepherd wherever he goes. This is because they trust the shepherd. They’ve come to know his voice and are able to distinguish it from all other voices. Thus, Christians are called to know the voice of our shepherd, Jesus. We must come to know Jesus personally in order to be able to do so. This involves regular prayer, reading the Scriptures, and learning the teachings of the Church. In doing so, we can come to discern Jesus’ will for our lives. Then, we can faithfully follow His will. We can walk in relationship with Him and follow Him wherever He leads us. And where, ultimately, is He leading us? Jesus is leading us to eternal life in heaven, where we “shall never perish.” He is leading us into perfect union with Himself, who is one with the Father. That’s an incredible deal! Jesus offers to lead us to heaven and protect us from anything that could take us from Him. Our job is to follow His lead. And that’s the difficult part. So often we want to be in the driver’s seat of our lives. We think we know where we are going, but we end up getting lost and lead ourselves far away from God. If we can simply pull over and let Jesus get into the driver’s seat, then we will not go astray. Jesus will take us to exactly where we need to be: union with God. We simply must listen to His perfect, guiding voice, and let Him lead us to heaven.
Application:
- Do you desire to be a saint? Is getting to heaven the most important thing in your life? Take time to reflect on your priorities. Is Jesus at the top of the list? He is the Good Shepherd and will not lead you astray. Take time to listen to Him and follow Him wherever He leads you.
