4td Sunday of Easter (B) - Good Shepherd Sunday

First reading: Acts 4:8-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118
Second reading: 1 John 3:1-2
Gospel reading: John 10:11-18

"For this sheep I will give My life."

The first three Easter Sundays narrate to us the Resurrection of
Jesus and His appearances to His followers: the first spoke of the
empty tomb; the second spoke of Him appearing to St. Thomas; and
in the third Sunday, we learned of Jesus reappearing to the
disciples whom He walked with on the way to Emmaus. This fourth
Sunday of Easter, we shall hear proclaimed in the Mass, how Jesus
is our Good Shepherd - One who will lay down His very life for us.
And Jesus does not limit His being Shepherd to our families and
our communities only. He knows that there are also other sheep He
must bring into our sheepfold - so that as they hear the voice of
Jesus, there shall then be one flock, and one Shepherd.

Many of us are familiar with the term "black sheep". And we know
that in some families, the members of those families treat one
member as the "black sheep of the family" - one who has followed
a direction of error and sin. But whether there is a "black
sheep" in some families we know, or even in our own families, we
are not to lose hope or give up on this person. Jesus, the Good
Shepherd does not give up on any one - no matter how sinful or
evil he has become (as long as there is a desire to repent from
his ways and turn back to God). If any sheep has strayed from the
sheepfold of God, our Good Shepherd will go out of His way in
search of that "black sheep".

This is how great the love of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has for
each and every one of us: that even while we were still sinners,
He gave the gift of His life, so that we may be saved from our
sins. The Good Shepherd cares for each and every one of His sheep
in the sheepfold, and even goes far and wide, to bring those who
do not belong to the sheepfold, into His own special care, love,
attention, and protection.

As followers of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, we too are called to
shepherd our brothers and sisters - to shepherd them to what is
right and lead them to the love of Christ. This we can do in very
simple ways - through creating a space for silence and reflection,
to use words of sincere gratitude, to beam and give a pleasant
smile, or to brighten up the day of others with a friendly and
bright smile.

3rd Sunday of Easter (B)

First reading: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 4
Second reading: 1 John 2:1-5
Gospel reading: Luke 24:35-48

"You are witnesses of this."

The Sunday gospels in the liturgical season of Easter, are mostly
presentations of Christ's resurrection appearances to His Apostles
and disciples. In this Sunday's resurrection appearance, Jesus
appeared again to the disciples He walked with on the road to
Emmaus. As He always does, His greeting begins with "Peace to
you". When the disciples became alarmed at His presence -
thinking He was a ghost - Jesus invited them to realize that He
had flesh and bones. Then Jesus asked if they had anything to
eat. When they were at table, He again opened their minds to the
understanding of the Scriptures - with particular attention to the
words written by the prophets about Him (that He would suffer and
then be raised from the dead on the third day).

"You are witnesses of this."

Because the apostles and disciples were actual witnesses to the
passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, they were willing to
suffer for the faith, in the same way that their Master did. This
is what baffles many non-Christians. If the apostles and those
close to Jesus were willing to die as martyrs of the faith, then
the impact of Christ's resurrection and the eventual sending of
the Holy Spirit, was a true reality they actually saw and
experienced. And this Spirit of Christ's self-sacrifice out of
love for the Father and for the world, flowed over not only to the
Apostles and the disciples who actually saw Jesus, but also to all
the members of the Church, in her growth and development in
history.

Though we are not actual witnesses of the events that transpired
in the time of Jesus, we can be assured of the same quality of
faith as the Apostles and the disciples had of Jesus, from what
Jesus said to St. Thomas: "Blest are they who have not seen and
have believed". Our faith in the Risen Lord as an individual or
a family, is rooted in the context of the Eucharistic community
we are part of and belong to. Every time we celebrate the
Eucharist with the priest-presider, the readers, the communion
ministers, the choir, and all who contribute to the worship of
the Lord on Sunday, we also become witnesses of Jesus - as the
bread and wine become His Body and Blood.

2nd Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday

First reading: Acts 4:32-35
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118
Second reading: 1 John 5:1-6
Gospel reading: John 20:19-31

"Peace be with you."

The gospel for the 2nd Sunday of Easter tells the story of Thomas,
who did not at first believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.
He was absent when Jesus, in His Risen form, appeared before His
companions. But when Jesus came back and Thomas was now with his
companions, he came to believe in Jesus rising from the dead. And
Jesus told Thomas, "You became a believer because you saw me.
Blest are they who have not seen and have believed".

One of the tools used by bible scholars to interpret the meaning
of a gospel passage is to count how many times a word or phrase is
mentioned many times over in the passage. In this gospel passage,
we find "Peace be with you" mentioned three times. Then the root
word "believe", and all its word variants, are mentioned five
times. With these findings, we can generally say that the themes
the evangelist John wanted to convey and present to his readers
are "peace" and "faith".

The message of the Risen Lord to His apostles and to us, is a
message of peace. After experiencing so much violence and abuse
on His person, Jesus proved to be victorious by rising again and
teaching us to follow a path of peace. It is indeed very good
and inspiring to know how such great mercy exists in the person of
Jesus of Nazareth - who despite being crucified, forgave His
executioners, and now in His Risen form brings a message of peace.
If we with to really follow Christ, then we too must forgive those
who victimize us, and like Jesus, be a herald of peace. It is
only by God's pure gift of grace that we can do as Jesus did.

The key to being a herald of peace is faith in the person of Jesus
Christ. We are therefore called not to doubt like Thomas, but to
have great faith in the power of the Resurrection. We can be
merciful and forgiving only by being rooted in Christ, the Divine
Mercy. If we learn to be merciful and forgiving every day of our
life, we shall obtain the peace that only Christ can give (and
which our world cannot give in the same manner as Jesus can). Let
us therefore always pray and remember the prayer of St. Francis of
Assisi, "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace."

Easter Sunday of the Lord's Resurrection

First reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118
Second reading: Colossians 3:1-4
Gospel reading: John 20:1-9

"He saw and believed."

The gospel for Easter Sunday is taken from the gospel of John. It
narrates the discovery of the empty tomb. The story is familiar
to us:

• Mary Magdalene goes out early in the morning to visit the
  tomb, and sees the stone moved away from its entrance
• Mary Magdalene running (probably with some anxiety) to tell
  Simon Peter and John (the disciple Jesus loved) and tells them
  the news that Jesus' body had been taken away!
• Peter and John running side by side to the tomb area, with
  John (who was very much younger) outrunning Peter, and reaching
  the tomb first
• John now at the entrance of the tomb, bending down to peer in,
  and seeing the burial wrappings of Jesus on the ground
• Simon Peter finally arriving, entering the tomb (being older
  and more responsible), and examining the burial wrappings and the
  piece of cloth that covered Jesus' head (which was rolled now up
  to one side of the burial place)
• John following Peter now and enters the tomb
• After seeing all that was in the tomb, John believes

If we place ourselves in this gospel scene using our imagination,
what would we have thought, felt or have done? Imagine ourself
as one of the disciples close to Peter and John. When we hear the
news from Mary Magdalene, what would our reaction be? Probably
like Peter and John: we want to find out what happened. How fast
can we run? Can we outrun John or can we outrun Peter? And as we
enter the tomb with Peter and John, what would be the first thing
that would enter our mind? Would we believe like John, or would we
be like Peter and observe very well what the empty tomb presents?

Faith is a gift. And it is a gift not given to everyone. That is
why we are called to be thankful to God for the gift of faith He
has given us. All throughout His ministry, Jesus has always
emphasized the importance of faith. It was faith in Him that has
healed the blind, the lame, the deaf-mute, and all those who
sought His help in behalf of their sick loved ones

How strong is our faith in Jesus? We must remember that even Peter
sank (for lack of faith) after walking on the water to meet Jesus,
because he lost courage when he saw the waves growing stronger
around him. And we must remember also that John too failed to
keep awake, watch and pray, when he was (together with Peter and
James) with Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. If both
these men who were already close to Jesus, still lacked faith for
a time, then how much more we who are centuries apart from that
historical place and event?

If our faith in Christ may be weak for a time, we can however pray
for the gift of a stronger faith in Him. We should especially
make this prayer more prominent in our lives as Christians when we
experience trials, difficulties, great losses, and the common
storms of life which we all share through our basic human
condition. If we patiently endure the trials we have in life with
faith, pray to God for the strength to bear our crosses, then
eventually, after doing God's will, we will receive His promise of
eternal life. Jesus has become man for our sakes to show us the
Way to Life, i.e.: to deny our selves, take up our crosses and
live a self-sacrificing lifestyle out of love for our family,
respect God and the Church, obey the state and its laws, love our
neighbors as ourselves, and pray for our enemies. By following
this Way of Christ, we shall grow in greater faith every day and
finally when we are called to leave this world, we shall share
in Jesus' heritage and receive God's promise of eternal life.

Good Friday

First reading: Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31
Second reading: Hebrew 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Gospel reading: John 18:1 - 19:42

"Now it is finished."

The gospel passage for Good Friday spans two chapters in the
gospel of John. It starts with Jesus and His disciples going
across the Kidron valley and then entering a garden in that area.
At the end of the gospel passage, there is also mention of a
garden - in which is found an empty tomb for Jesus to be buried.
Between the beginning of this gospel, and up to the end of the
passage, we all know the story by heart. But it is different when
we hear it proclaimed on Good Friday. Good Friday may be seen as
the most solemn day of all the days in our liturgical calendar. It
is so solemn, that everyone behaves accordingly. When we come to
that part where it says: "When Jesus took the wine, He said, "Now
it is finished. Then he bowed His head, and delivered over His
Spirit", the whole congregation is requested to kneel down in deep
respect, and silently acknowledge in our hearts the great self-
sacrificing love God has for each and every one of us.

Jesus had a very short public life. Traditionally, it is said to
be three years (with his death at age thirty-three). But it was a
public life fully spent in the service of all humanity and in
obedience to the Father's will. In those short years, Jesus has
healed so many people - from all sorts of ailments and even from
evil (demonic possession). He has taught and preached so many
times - on top of a mountain, before a very large crowd, and most
often during simple meal gatherings. And the miracles and wonders
He has performed amazed not only His apostles but also others. And
probably His greatest miracle was the raising of Lazarus from the
dead. There is a popular movie that had made this miracle story
into a very dramatic scene in which everyone who views the scene
would feel an intense mixture of great awe, joy, and excitement.

Jesus has said, "Now it is finished". But His mission has not
ended. As we await Him buried in the tomb, to rise again on Easter
Sunday, we will know that what He "finished", we have to continue.
And the first among those who will immediately continue His
mission are the apostles. But that is a story that will have to
wait for now. What we are called to reflect upon this Good Friday
is the great sacrifice God has performed for all of us. For God
so loved all of humanity and all of creation, that He gave His
only Son Jesus, to die on a cross, so that we may realize our
faults and sinfulness, and look to Christ as the source of grace
and salvation.

Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper - Holy Thursday

First reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel reading: John 13:1-15

"As I have done, so you must do."

The gospel for the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper is a story
on what Jesus did during the last meal He had with His apostles:
He rose from the meal table, took off His cloak, picked up a towel
to tie it around Himself, poured water into a basin, and began to
wash His disciples' feet. When He came to Simon Peter, Peter did
not accede at first. Since he knew Jesus to be his Master, he
refused to be washed. When Jesus however explained that this
action will give Peter a share in His heritage, Peter overreacted
and now wanted his hands and his head washed as well! Knowing
Peter well, Jesus told him plainly that only his feet needed to
be washed. So, Jesus finished this prophetic action, and put His
cloak back on, then reclined at table once more.

This act of washing the apostles' feet, is a concrete expression
of what Jesus had been preaching to His people: "that the Son of
Man came not to be served, but to serve." What is also moving in
this washing of the feet is that Jesus had integrated the truth
of humble service in His institution of the Eucharist. As we will
soon celebrate the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, the priest-
presider will also do what Jesus did: he will wash the feet of
twelve selected members of his parish. He will follow Jesus'
command: "As I have done, so you must do."

What does "washing each other's feet" mean for us today? As we
celebrate the Eucharist more often, we receive more frequently the
Body and Blood of Jesus - the very life-force of God which makes
us all act in humble service towards each other, especially to
the members of our family, the people we work with, and the people
we interact daily as we go about the tasks and responsibilities of
everyday. It is in these interactions with people that will call
us to obey the command of Jesus that we do as He has done. In
imitation of Jesus, we forget our self and see what would be good
to the significant persons in our state of life, and especially
to the poor whom we know in our neighborhood.

Wednesday in Holy Week

First reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69
Gospel reading: Matthew 26:14-25

"You have said so."

Wednesday in Holy Week is traditionally called "Spy Wednesday"
because we are given a narration of who the betrayer of Jesus will
be.

The gospel begins with Judas Iscariot asking the chief priests
what he will get in return for handing Jesus over to them. And the
chief priests said, 'thirty pieces of silver'. With that answer,
Judas then sought an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples
asked Jesus where He wants the celebration of the Passover to be.
Jesus gave instructions to His disciples and they did as He
ordered. As night time approached, they were all reclined at
table. Jesus then revealed to all, that one of them would betray
Him. One after another they began to say to Jesus, "Surely it is
not I, Lord?" When it was Judas Iscariot's turn to say, "Surely it
is not I, Rabbi?", and Jesus said, "You have said so."

"You have said so." All of the apostles said one after another,
"Surely, it is not I, Lord?". But when it was Judas who said the
same to Jesus, Jesus knew what was in his heart. Jesus can
discern clearly and see through the hidden intentions of Judas.
By Judas' own words, his heart and the darkness of his soul was
revealed.

Loyalty is not perfect. And we see this even among the apostles
of Jesus. When Jesus was arrested, his apostles all fled. Peter
denied Him three times. And Judas was the cause of all this chaos
and commotion. If all had been perfectly loyal to Jesus, then we
might have an entirely different story altogether. But our human
flesh is weak (and Judas was tempted to disloyalty because of
money). And the words we speak betray what is in our heart. Have
you ever experienced saying something to another person and then
suddenly realizing that what you said betrays an inner anger,
envy, jealousy, or enmity? Our words can betray our soul. Let
us therefore take the message of the gospel to examine ourselves:
"In what ways have I betrayed the Lord Jesus? What have I said to
others that has led me to make Jesus suffer?"

Tuesday in Holy Week

First reading: Isaiah 49:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71
Gospel reading: John 13:21-33, 36-38

"And it was night."

The gospel account for Tuesday in Holy Week portrays a scene where
Jesus was at table with His disciples. There are many revelations
made in this gospel passage:

• Judas will betray Jesus to the chief priests
• The imminent passion, death and resurrection of Jesus
• Peter denying Jesus three times

With these revelations, we can reflect on the sinful nature of our
humanity - as expressed in the persons of Judas and Peter.

Sin is often equated with darkness. That is why when Satan
entered Judas, Judas left the table were Jesus and His disciples
were reclining, and walked away into the night. Judas left the
source of Light, journeyed during the night - leading himself into
the direction of sin. The sin of Judas even led him to despair -
making him lose all sense of hope.

On the other hand, Peter's denial of Jesus occured just before the
cock crowed three times - a time when the darkness of night was
soon to turn into the light of dawn. Could this be symbolic of
the truth that Peter's denial of Christ would eventually lead him
to repentance and thus follow the direction of the Light? Whatever
truth this symbol means, what is important is Peter never lost
hope in the forgiveness and mercy of Jesus. He repented.

In our lives as Christians, our sinful nature may sometimes lead
us to be tempted to betray Christ by our sinful actions, and to
deny Christ by our sinful words. What is important is that we
always acknowledge with humility our sinfulness before God and
the Church through the sacrament of penance and reconciliation,
and never lose hope in God's mercy. If we follow this direction,
we will be led to greater fidelity in doing God's will and follow
Him as we deny ourselves, take up the crosses of our state of
life, and imitate Christ's sense of self-sacrificing service to
our family and community.

Monday of Holy Week

First reading: Isaiah 42:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27
Gospel reading: John 12:1-11

"Many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus."

The gospel for Holy Monday narrates how Jesus spent some time in
the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, just six days before the
Passover. As he was given a dinner in the house, Mary took a
liter of perfumed oil, anointed the feet of Jesus, and dried them
with her hair. This action by Mary elicited an angry response
from Judas Iscariot, who saw only the expense of such an action,
rather than the love Mary expressed to her Master. Jesus then
defended Mary's action, and told Judas that this was to prepare
Him for His burial. This gathering of Jesus and His disciples in
the house of His three friends in Bethany, caught the attention of
the Jews in the area, who also gathered outside the house as a
large crowd, so that they could see not only Jesus, but also
Lazarus who was raised from the dead. Because of this great
miracle Jesus performed in Bethany (the raising of Lazarus), many
of the Jews were turning away from the teaching of the chief
priests, and started believing in Jesus. For this reason, the
chief priests plotted to kill Jesus - and Lazarus too!

This gospel account helps us to see how six types of people relate
with Jesus, in the persons of Martha, Mary, Lazarus, Judas the
Iscariot, the believing Jews, and the chief priests. The way
these six types of people related with Jesus in the gospel can
help us examine and search our hearts, and see its state in
relation to Jesus. Is our heart filled with a sense of service
like Martha? Is it filled with great respect and love like Mary?
Is it filled with special closeness to God like Lazarus? Or is
it filled with concern only for money and material expense like
Judas? Is our heart filled with faith, wonder, and awe like the
believing Jews? Or is it filled with envy, jealousy, and murder,
like the chief priests? We know that if we feel any of the
above towards our brothers and sisters, we are also feeling the
same way in relation to Jesus. For whatever we think, feel, or
do to the least of our brethren, we also do unto Christ.

Holy week is a time for us to be emptied of self and to be filled
with the Spirit of Jesus and more concern for others, especially
our immediate family. It is a time to examine our conscience,
and the state of our heart with regard to God, others, and our
own selves. Instead of the attitude of Judas and the chief
priests, let us instead be like Martha, who was filled with a
spirit of service to God. Or let us imitate the spirit of Mary and
Lazarus who were filled with love and closeness to God. And we
can also be like the believing Jews, who went out of their way to
seek Jesus, and marvel at the wonders God works through His Son.