"My sheep hear my voice" - Are we listening?

Fourth Sunday of Easter



In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we find Paul and Barnabas in Antioch teaching in the synagogue. There were Gentiles who had converted to Judaism there among the listeners and these people heard with joy that Paul was including them in God's plan for salvation.

Word quickly spread throughout the city and soon most of its people were gathering to listen to the words of eternal life that Paul and Barnabas preached.

The Gentiles, like we do today, recognized that one of the most powerful desires of human beings is to live forever. Because of the power of God's Word that Paul and Barnabas spoke, the Gentiles listened and came to believe that eternal life through Christ was meant for them also.

Those words reach us in today's Gospel reading also, as we listen to the loving and comforting words of Jesus as he comes to us as the Good Shepherd; a shepherd who knows his sheep and who calls to them in the voice they recognize. Jesus promises that if we listen to his voice and follow him, we will attain eternal life. That no one who follows him will be lost.

How do we hear the voice of Jesus in the midst of so many other voices and distractions that call for our attention in our busy lives?

We hear his voice by reading and meditating on the Scriptures. His voice calls to us from the Word of God. We believe that if we trust in that Word and follow His example, though we may face suffering and death as Jesus did, we know that He has also shown us the way to victory and resurrection.

We know that God loves us. He has told us many times, both through words and by his actions. After all, he sent his only Son to live among us and to die for us. As the psalmist writes:

"He made us, his we are
his people, the flock he tends." (Ps. 100)

Summit on Aging Conference ~ by Rosemary Overton

FREE!

Summit on Aging Conference

May 12, 2010
8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.


Pine Camp Cultural Arts Center
4901 Brook Rd.

Continental Breakfast included.

To Register:

Contact person: Diane Foster
Phone: 804 646 6939

Email: diane.foster@richmondgov.com

If You Love Me, Then Feed My Lambs, Tend My Sheep - by Ronnie Archer

Third Sunday of Easter

On this, the third Sunday of Easter, we hear of another appearance of the Risen Jesus to His apostles. We also hear in today's reading, as well as the past weekdays of Easter, how the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and "bore witness to Jesus Christ." We read of the wonders done at the hands of the apostles, and the jealousy and anger of the religious authorities over how popular they were becoming among the people.

Today in Acts, we hear again how they were given "strict orders" to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. The apostles "rejoiced" at being found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of Jesus' name.

We hear in today's second reading how Jesus was revealed to John, as the Sacrificial Lamb, who was the only One worthy to open the scroll of God.

Today's Gospel reading from St. John gives the account of Jesus' appearance again to His disciples, on the Sea of Tiberias.

The apostles had gone back to their former way of life, being fishermen. While they had been out in the boat all night, they caught nothing. Jesus, standing on the shore, told them to cast their nets over the right side of the boat... and "you will find something." They did as told, and sure enough, Simon Peter dragged the net in with an abundance of fish.

Upon leaving the boat, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it; and Jesus invited them to bring some of the fish they had just caught. Giving them bread, He told them to "come have breakfast." None asked Him who He was, because they realized it was the Lord.

The apostles had probably lost hope, and felt a sense of hopelessness and abandonment, but when Jesus intervened, they were successful.

After they had finished eating, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him? Peter answered "yes," to two of those questions, but the third time, he said, "Lord, You know everything, You know I love You." After each of Peter's responses, Jesus told him to "Feed My Lambs," to "Tend and Feed My Sheep."

This was the same Peter who had denied Jesus three times. Yes, Jesus does "know everything" as Peter responded to Jesus' third question, but Jesus wanted to see the transformation of Peter and sometimes God wants to hear our response.

We have to do our part to show how much we love God by putting our words into actions; we just simply cannot say we love Him. Love has to be shown by "feeding and tending" His lambs/sheep.

At times, we too, like the apostles, might feel a sense of "hopelessness and abandonment"... but the Easter readings all tell us that the Risen Lord is always with us.

God has not brought us this far in life to abandon us either. Sometimes there might not be anything more that we feel that we can do; but in spite of our feelings, we have to do our part and continue to hope and push on. In His own time, God will intervene and "fill our nets."

We must think about what Jesus is asking us to do in our own lives.

My prayer is to be more aware of, and use the opportunities that come my way to "Feed and Tend His Sheep."

God's Mercy Endures Forever

Divine Mercy Sunday - Second Sunday of Easter

Did you notice that the signs and wonders that Jesus wrought did not cease with his death? We heard in the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles that the Apostles were able to cure the sick and cast out demons themselves by doing so in Jesus' Name. The people believed so strongly that Jesus' Spirit was still amongst them, that they even brought out their sick into the streets so that the shadow of the Apostles could fall on them and they would be cured. God's mercy for his people never ended.

Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday to recognize the infinite mercy of our God. Not only did Jesus suffer and die for us but he promised to be with us always through his Holy Spirit. He acted through his Apostles then; and now, through us, to continue to fulfill his Mission to each generation.

Do we understand what that Mission is? The Apostles didn't realize it at first. In the Gospel Reading, we find them locked away in an upper room. They were frightened and were hiding because they believed they would also be killed or imprisoned.

You can almost picture them trembling as all of a sudden, Jesus stands in their midst. "Peace be with you." are the words he said to them. Jesus didn't admonish them for their fear. Instead, he wanted them to realize and believe that he was truly alive and that he expected them to continue his Mission to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

When the absent Thomas hears of the Lord's presence, he is filled with doubt and cannot believe what he has not seen. Again, Jesus appears and instead of reproving Thomas for his lack of faith, Jesus teaches us that doubt can be learned from. Doubt creates a possibility of going further. Thus we see Thomas make a profession of faith: "My Lord and my God!" Thomas recognizes the authority of the Lord and surrenders himself to God.

Again, we return to God's mercy. When we sin, we lose our dignity as human beings. The peace that resides in our souls leaves us. In order to be restored to holiness, we know we must seek forgiveness. Our God, in his mercy, offers us that forgiveness. He wishes us to again attain that peace that only he can give.

Because God elevates us to be like him, we must also be willing to forgive others. Perfection comes from forgiveness. Only through forgiveness, can people live and work together to continue Christ's Mission on earth.

We give thanks to the Lord for he is good. God's love is everlasting and his mercy endures forever.

Bearing Witness to the Resurrection

Easter Sunday




The readings today point out to us that we are to be witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ along with Mary Magdalen and the Apostles.

In the first reading, Peter explains to the people of Jerusalem what had happened during those previous days: the suffering and death by crucifixion of Jesus. That Peter and the other Apostles have been chosen by God to witness that they "ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead." The Apostles are commissioned to preach the forgiveness of sins through his name.

In the same way in the Gospel reading, Mary Magdalen brought the good news about the risen Christ back to the Apostles. Because of her witnessing, she is considered to be "the Apostle to the Apostles."

So on this Easter morning - this feast of all feasts - we are to expose Christ to others - to bear witness to Christ's Resurrection, using our separate capacities and within our particular realities. We are to bring faith, assurance and hope to a world sorely lacking these qualities.

We can do this because we believe and know that Christ, the Anointed One, has defeated death and is risen from the dead.

Holy Thursday and Good Friday Photos by Rita Hatchett

Rita Hatchett has set up a beautiful slideshow of the Holy Thursday and Good Friday pictures she took last week. You will find them on the Kodak website right here.

Our thanks to Rita for making them available.

Good Friday: The Passion of Our Lord ~ by Phyllis Booth

Good Friday's Service was solemn and inspiring. The Isaiah Reading foretold the suffering of the Servant that God would send into the world to help mankind by redeeming him. Listening to the words of the lector, you realized that mankind has not come close to redeeming himself. Each country or principality has heard the Word and interpreted it according to their own belief or power it wants to achieve. Therefore the present world continues to persecute, enslave, ostracize and condemn our brothers and sisters who believe in the Word and want to live justly.

The Hebrew Reading reminds us that God kept His promise to send a Servant to redeem the world. He sent His only Son to live as a human among mankind. The Son experienced the same life as we experience it, working, loving others, making friends, accepting a religious life and practicing it. Through the life the Son lived, He left a Pattern of how to live peacefully, mercifully and compassionately for others to embrace. Two thousand years later, the kings, leaders, present day prophets and politicians have not accepted that Pattern as the norm to receive God's grace and mercy.

The homily on Jesus' Passion truly caused one to think of how much God loves and cares for us. He shields us from the fate of His own Son. We come into the world as innocent children of loving parents. We choose the path we want to follow in life. Jesus came into the world with a definite purpose. Our purpose in life is hidden from us at birth. If we follow God's Will for us, we will find the purpose we are to serve. Jesus accepted the purpose he was to carry out.

Because He was God, Jesus knew His fate before leaving Heaven. He knew who His Mother would be, the day or date He would be born. He knew what skills He would have, the work He would perform and the date of His death. But as a man, He had to discover God's Will for himself just as we do.

My thoughts went to God's first human, Adam. God created him out of love and I wondered what life would be like if Adam was as perfect as Jesus. Would the Garden of Eden exist? Would there be wars? How long would life be?

There are no answers to these questions. I'm thankful that God had a plan for the mystery that took place in the Garden of Eden and that Jesus gracefully accepted His Father's Will to redeem the world. Even after two thousand years, God still calls us to live a Holy and Merciful life to receive the Salvation He Promised Through His Son.

Taking the Form of a Slave ~ by Lula Lamb

Holy Thursday, the night before Jesus is to die; he is aware of the pain, humiliation and suffering he will have to go through. To prepare himself and us, Jesus must wash the feet of the Apostles - so they can have an inheritance from him and have his last meal. The Passover in Moses' time meant eating in haste; ready to go at a moment's notice.

Jesus holds nothing back and takes the place of the slaves to wash the Apostles' feet. The Apostles didn't understand and were so uncomfortable. Peter even objected; but Jesus told him that it was necessary.

Jesus washed the feet of his betrayer and his denier. That had to be hard knowing the next day you would be betrayed and even denied existence three times.

Wow! Jesus must have really loved us because I don't think I could have washed Judas' feet.

Once their feet had been washed, Jesus told them to wash each other's feet and copy exactly what he had done. They couldn't even do that without arguing. Some said the oldest; some said the youngest. As humans, we are never satisfied. We struggle with our own forms of selfishness and pride.

The basin and the towel go hand in hand with the bread and the cup. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist, Christ introduces his presence for all times.

As a parent, when I feel the pain of my children struggling, I think of the Father's love for us in that he was willing to have his only Son die for us. We just need to work on giving of ourselves and to look to the mercy and strength of Christ.

Palm Sunday 2010 ~ Photos by Ken Soistman

Ken took some beautiful photographs of our Palm Sunday celebration. Here are some of them: