1st Reading, from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, 13:14, 43-52
-Barnabas and Saul (also known as Paul) are Chosen and Sent-
"I have made you a light for the Gentiles, so that all the world may be saved."
Saul and Barnabas are chosen amongst the disciples, to go and work for the Lord; they are asked to travel from one town to another, in order to deliver God's Good News everywhere they go. Saul and Barnabas find opposition coming from prominent citizens, amongst them important women and elders, who feel threatened by these two men who are preaching innovative ideas. The important citizens fail to realize that the two men are messengers from the Holy Spirit and thus, they are not there to take power away but instead they are there to offer the strenght that can only be fed by receiving the Holy Spirit.
The disciples had complete faith in God. They listened to his instructions and promptly got into action. They did not allow doubt to take hold of them, but instead their faith became the force that led the
m to fulfill God's instructions. They listened and acted upon what was asked of them, and sure enough, the word of God was spread over many territories.The Jewish people, who were the original target of God's Good News, were not receptive to God's message. Instead of them, it was the Gentiles who opened up welcoming God's words of encouragement to gain eternal life, receiving the message with open hearts, becoming the believers of God's words.
May we follow the disciples example, tiredlesly working on spreading God's promise of eternal life; and like the Gentiles, may our hearts rejoice in receiving God's Good News.
**********G*O*D*****I*S*****L*O*V*E**********
2nd Reading, from the Book of Revelations, 7: 9, 14b-17
-The Enormous Crowd-
"Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the L
amb!"John continues to describe his vision. He expands from last Sunday's choir of angels praising God, bringing us to a very large gathering of people who are pointing out, with loud voices, that salvation can only come from God, from the Lamb that was slain.
The crowd was so enormous, that no one could count them all! And they all agreed and prophesized that only through the Lamb could we be shepherded to God's eternal Kingdom.
On this Sunday, when our church celebrates the Good Shepherd and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we called to imitate the Lord's example of servitude towards our brothers and sisters. We are called to become God's word put into action, by guiding family and friends, with our actions and with our words.
The Good Shepherd's message has already entered our hearts, and it is now our turn to carry on his teachings by enthusiastically inviting others to do the same. We are today's disciples and having answered to God's call, it is now our job to spread his holy word, like Saul and Barnabas did.
With a smile on our faces, may we become God's-words-into-motion, so that everyone who comes in contact with us, gets to experience God's love and gets to hear his voice calling.
**********G*O*D*****I*S*****L*O*V*E**********
The Gospel according to John, 10:27-30
-The Parable of the Shepherd; Jesus is Rejected-
"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
Jesus tells the people the Parable of the Shepherd, and many of them can't understand it. They are not part of his sheep, therefore their goal is to trick Jesus into saying something that will incriminate him. They do not recognize Jesus' voice.
Jesus is the Father's shepherd on Earth. The Father sent Jesus to us, so Jesus could guide us and lead us into the path of Eternal Life. Despite Jesus' ability to communicate God's Good News, many people's minds are set up into finding Jesus at fault; they are impaired and unable to hear God's message with loving hearts, because they are listening with hearts made of cold steel. The message cannot get to them. Those people fail to seize the opportunity at hand: right in front of their very eyes stands the Messiah, the Son of God, and yet they are determined to fight what could otherwise place them in the superhighway to Heaven. In trying to find Jesus at fault, they miss the chance to really enjoy the experience of listening to God's words being delivered by the ultimate messenger, God's own beloved Son.
What a pitty! What a shame! A once in a lifetime opportunity, and their hardened hearts prevent them from enjoying it!
The Good Shepherd has educated us by example: he sacrificed himself to save humanity. Though our ability for sacrifice might not be as great as Jesus', every little sacrifice th
at we do for others, counts. If each one of us does a little act of mercy, pretty soon we'll face a tide of mercy and love, stronger than a tsunami overtaking any coast. Gentiles and Jews will be able to feel and to understand the meaning of sacrifice and service to others, and the world's face will change.Let us act upon Jesus' words, not just being his sheeps but ensuring that each and every one of them out there, gets to hear his reassuring voice.
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