HOMILY FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR A.

Acts 2:14, 36-41; Psalm 23:1-6; 1 Peter 2:20-25, John 10:1-10.

 

“THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      The 4^th Sunday of Easter is traditionally known as the “Good Shepherd Sunday” or the “Vocations Sunday”. This day is set aside to pray for vocations in the church that God may raise up for himself good shepherds for his vineyard because “the harvest is rich but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37).

·      Growing up, there was hardly any child who could not recite Psalm 23 from the beginning to the end without reading from the bible. We prayed it at the assembly ground, we wrote it as tests in schools, and we adopted it as our favourite Psalm clearly telling the world that Christ is our Shepherd and if the Lord is our Shepherd, there is nothing we shall want.

·      Today, our readings call us to a deeper commitment to the words of that Psalm. The responsorial psalm states that “the Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want” (Ps. 23:1). It means that God can only be our Shepherd if we willingly accept to be his sheep.

·      Dearly beloved, this acceptance to be God’s sheep while he is our shepherd should not be a mere verbal acceptance but an acceptance concretized in word and in deed.

·      In the first reading (Acts 2:14, 36-41), Peter clearly understood this fact that God was and is still his shepherd, therefore there is nothing he shall want and there is nothing that should scare him because he as a good sheep has a capable shepherd.

·      It was the confidence in God as his Shepherd that gave him the courage to preach and challenge the status quo. He announced to the people the urgency of repentance and because they saw his belief and conviction in the message and in the power of God, it led to the conversion of over 3000 people.

·      Dearly beloved in Christ, we must ask ourselves that since we became Christians, how many people have we positively affected, let alone led to genuine conversion and repentance. If Peter and the other disciples did it, then we too can do it. There is no reason to be afraid because if we are good sheep, then the Lord will surely be our good shepherd who will insulate us from the darts of the enemy.

·      For many who have not started enjoying the benefit of having Jesus as their good shepherd because they have not been good sheep themselves, they must today ask questions like the crowd in the first reading “What must we do?” (Acts 2:37). And the answer is simple, we must repent of our sins and misgivings and return to the sheepfold where Christ can shield and shelter us.

·      Dear friends in Christ, returning to the sheepfold could be extremely difficult, breaking away from our old life to a new life in Christ can be a difficult decision to make. To enjoy the privilege of a sheep from Christ our chief shepherd, then we must be prepared to make that sacrifice.

·      The second reading (1 Peter 2:20-25) reminds us that Christ himself, to become our shepherd suffered for us, died on the cross for us his sheep, and by so doing, left us an example to follow. Even though in the case of Jesus, he had done no wrong, he had to endure all these for our sake. Yes! We may have gone “astray like sheep but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25).

·      Friends in Christ, since our security, our provision, and protection lie in remaining in the sheepfold, in the gospel reading (John 10:1-10), Jesus expressly commands us to enter the sheepfold through the gate thereby warning us of the possibility of other self-acclaimed shepherds whose duty is to kill and destroy.

·      The sheep only listens to the voice of the true shepherd and one by one he calls each of us by our names and leads us out and he leads us while we follow. The question is since Christ is our shepherd, do we really know him? Do we listen to his voice? Do we follow his direction?

·      Today the Lord tells us that apart from being the good shepherd, he is also the gate to the sheepfold and anyone who enters through him will be safe, finding pasture. Because he has come so that we may have life and have it to the full.

·      Dearly beloved in Christ, Jesus invites us today to come back to him because he is always ready to be our shepherd. He is always ready to play his role as our creator and guide. Are we ready to come back to him?

·      The responsorial psalm tells us that “the Lord is our shepherd, there is nothing we shall want” (Ps. 23:1). It therefore, means that if we do not want to be in want, you must acknowledge Christ as your shepherd and return to the sheepfold because Christ cannot be your shepherd if you are not his sheep.

·      May God give us the grace to acknowledge Christ as our shepherd, so that we can enter under his protection and providence by listening to his voice and following his direction through Christ our Lord, Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!