"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)