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| “Christ the Good Shepherd” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1660 |
Reading
1: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Then Peter stood up with the
Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“Let the whole house of Israel
know for certain
that God has made both Lord and
Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this, they
were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the
other apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every
one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you
and to your children and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will
call.”
He testified with many other
arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this
corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message
were baptized,
and about three thousand persons
were added that day.
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Commentary on Acts 2:14a, 36-41
This exhortation to repentance
follows the first of six discourses in Acts (Acts 2:14-36)
dealing with Jesus’ resurrection and mission as Messiah. It follows on the
heels of the Pentecost event. The focus of this selection is the idea of
internal conversion of heart – repentance as acceptance of the offer of
Christ’s salvation to all peoples (“For the promise is made to you and to
your children and to all those far off”). The response to St. Peter’s
discourse was impressive with a huge number the Jewish audience accepting the
call to repentance and acceptance of Jesus as the Christ.
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Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 23: 1-3a,
3b4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is
my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is
my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is
my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
R. The Lord is
my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Psalm 23
is one of the most familiar in the entire psalter. “God's loving care for the
psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Psalm 23:1-4) and a
host's generosity toward a guest (Psalm 23:5-6). The
imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Isaiah 40:11; 49:10; Jeremiah
31:10).”[4] While the theme of Shepherd is mentioned in the first
strophe, the psalm really speaks to the peace given to those who follow the
Lord and place their trust in Him, even into the “dark valley”.
The
reference in the third strophe above “You spread the table before me in the
sight of my foes” “occurs in an exodus context in Psalm 78:19. As my
enemies watch: my enemies see that I am God's friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed
ointment made from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Psalm 104:15; Matthew 26:7; Luke 7:37, 46; John 12:2).”[5]
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Reading
II: 1 Peter 2:20b-25
Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was insulted, he returned no insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your
souls.
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Commentary on 1 Pt 2:20b-25
St.
Peter, in this selection speaks to a Church undergoing persecution. He
encourages them not to react to this unjust treatment with violence, but to
submit with humility as Christ did. To illustrate is point he quotes Isaiah (Isaiah 53:9b). Following this
quote he goes on to describe Jesus’ passion with language reminiscent of the
Suffering Servant section of Isaiah 53:4-12. The concluding
verse, speaking of the pre-conversion community as being like sheep who had
gone astray, links the passage to both St. John’s Gospel (John 10:1-10) and Psalm 23.
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Gospel: John 10:1-10
Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
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Commentary on Jn 10:1-10
“The good shepherd discourse
continues the theme of attack on the Pharisees that ends John 9. The figure is
allegorical: the hired hands are the Pharisees who excommunicated the cured
blind man. It serves as a commentary on John 9. For the shepherd motif, used of
Yahweh in the Old Testament, cf Exodus 34; Genesis 48:15; 49:24; Micah 7:14; Psalm 23:1-4; Psalm 80:1.” [6]
In the opening verses, the Lord’s
analogy to the sheep not entering through the sheep gate reiterates the message
explicitly stated in the Bread of Life discourse – no one comes to the Father
except through the Son. He continues to explain in detail that he is the gate –
and that to deny him as the Son of God leads not to the Father but to death.
But, whoever comes to Him will be saved (“…might have life and have it more
abundantly.”)
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Reflection:
We
being the fourth week since the joy of Easter burst upon the Church and the
World. We see the effect this event
strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit has had on the Apostles as St.
Peter fearlessly proclaims the Risen Christ to the people of Jerusalem. We have heard the entire discourse in
scripture during the weeks since the Easter event. Today we are given the conclusion and the
question asked by those who have heard and understood the terrible mistake made
by the Jewish leadership when they condemned and crucified the Son of God. They ask Peter: “What are we to do, my brothers?”
The
answer the disciples give to that question is the same answer Jesus announces
to the Pharisees before his death. He tells
them in the discourse of the Good Shepherd in St. John’s Gospel that “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me
will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” The answer St. Peter gave directed his
audience to the “Gate”, “Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
As
we reflect upon these historical events in the life of faith, we seek a meaning
that will direct our footsteps. We
believe that Jesus is the “way the truth, and the life.” We have come to believe, as the disciples
responding to Jesus at the conclusion of the Bread of Life discourse, “…and are convinced that you are the Holy
One of God.” Very good, right, we
are on the road to salvation. Our
professions of faith in the Lord flings open the “gate” to the Father.
Our
challenge of course is we must push that gate open each day. Belief that Jesus is the way does not mean we
cannot take a wrong turn. If following
Jesus were the only path available each day, our job would be easy. If making the right choices each day was
easy, we would be guaranteed an easy trip home to the Father. Unfortunately, there are other choices we can
make. Unlike the Lord, we are not the
ultimate expression of love for all humanity and as a result we must be
reminded that each day we must open that gate and choose the right path. Each day we must rededicate ourselves to the
Father through His Son. Each day our
actions must express that dedication; that love.
Why
after four weeks of constant celebration of our Easter joy do we still need to
be reminded? It is because each day we
must hear St. Peter’s words in response to our own question of “What are we to do?” Our response, repentance and conversion –
each day we seek the “gate”.
Pax
[1]
ALTRE
[2]
The picture used today is “Christ the Good Shepherd” by Bartolomé Esteban
Murillo, 1660
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and
is for private use only.
[4]
See NAB footnote on Psalm 23
[5]
Ibid
[6]
See NAB Footnote on John 10:1ff
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