Good Shepherd Sunday
First reading: Acts 2:14a,36鈥�41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: 鈥淟et the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.鈥�
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, 鈥淲hat are we to do, my brothers?鈥� Peter said to them, 鈥淩epent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.鈥� He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, 鈥淪ave yourselves from this corrupt generation.鈥� Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.
Second reading: 1 Pe. 2:20b鈥�25
Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Gospel: Jn. 10:1鈥�10
Jesus said: 鈥淎men, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.鈥� Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, 鈥淎men, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.鈥�
In other words
Fr. Bar Fabella, SVD (Santa Catalina Parish, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro)
In Sta. Catalina Parish, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, my new parish assignment, I am genuinely inspired by a group of young professionals who dedicate their Sundays to teaching young children about the Catholic faith through biblical stories. They refer to these children as 鈥淢ga Munting Alagad ni Kristo鈥� (MAK) (roughly, Little Servants of Christ). This commitment requires them to sacrifice time for lesson preparation each week.
These young professionals are former members of the parish鈥檚 youth ministry. Although their careers now demand more of their time, they volunteer at a new level, different from their teenage years when they had more availability. Their involvement has deepened their understanding of Jesus, evolving from the basic catechism they received in elementary school to their active roles in the youth ministry, and now as young leaders in the community.
It鈥檚 commendable how they maintain the same enthusiasm. Just as Jesus knows His sheep, I hope the example set by these young professionals encourages others to deepen their knowledge of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and to cultivate intimacy in their faith journey toward abundant life within the safety of His care.