April 29, 2012 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 2; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18
In today’s gospel reading, we hear Jesus call Himself the Good Shepherd. He loves and cares for us like a shepherd cares for His sheep — taking care of their every need and leading them along the right path. In fact, so much does He care for us, that Jesus says, “I would lay down my life for my sheep.”
Of course, we know that He did in fact do that. We just celebrated the paschal mystery, in which Jesus gave himself up to death for our sake. And as we continue to celebrate the Easter Season and rejoice in His glorious redirection, we recognize that Christ’s loving care for us extends to today. He is actively involved in the life of the Church, providing for all of our needs and guiding us along our way.
In response to Christ’s life-giving love, it is our responsibility as His disciples to give ourselves to Him. We offer Him our time, talent, and treasure — truly, we offer Him our whole lives in thanksgiving for all He has done for us. As His disciples, it is our calling, our responsibility to use our lives for His greater glory. Everything we do — at home, at school, at work, and elsewhere — should glorify the Good Shepherd and call others to believe in His loving care.
