On this the Fourth Sunday of Easter, today we read in the Gospel of John about Jesus the Good Shepherd.  Jesus tells us that He is the gate, anyone who enters through Him will be saved.   He calls us by name and He leads us to the Father.

Creating a Sacred Space in your home can help focus on the sense of the sacred

Read the Gospel carefully. 

Read it slowly and then read it twice more.

John 10:1-10

Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers."
Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

Reflection

There are some beautiful images in John’s Gospel today.  Jesus warns us that there are many people who want to lead us, His sheep astray.  They steal away our hope and future, by distracting us with unimportant things, like the strive for wealth, popularity, individualism to name but a few.  They take us away and distract us from family, love, sharing, caring and God. 

We have been told that Jesus knows us by name.  We cannot hide our true selves from Him.  Jesus knows our weakness and our failings, but he does not condemn us or punish us according to our sins.  He reaches out gently to us, full of mercy, calling us to turn away from the “worldly things in life”, and follow Him. 

Jesus does not want us to be unhappy or to go without.  He wants us to have a life of abundance.  The only way we can be free and truly happy is with the Holy Spirit through Jesus to the Father.

Take a few moments and see where the Lord is leading you.  Are you willing to follow Him?

What area(s) in your life might be holding you back? 

Activity

In order that we may deepen our faith and encounter the Risen Lord.  Reflect on next week’s Gospel (Fifth Sunday of Easter).  Spend twenty minutes to half an hour daily to reflect and pray the Gospel reading which is John 14:1-14, I am the Way

The Glorious Mysteries (prayed on Sunday and Wednesday)

Start by praying the Apostles Creed:

I believe in God,

the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.

Our Father …….

Hail Mary X 3

Glory be to the Father …….

1st     The Resurrection of our Lord from the dead. (John 20:8-9)

2nd   The Ascension of our Lord into Heaven. (Luke 24:51)

3rd    The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and our
Blessed Mother.                      (Act 2:1-11)           

4th    The Assumption of our Blessed Mother into Heaven.
(1 Cor 15:51-52)

5th    The Coronation

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.

Let us Pray

O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise: through the same Christ our Lord. Amen