Fr. Adolph Guy sx
Good morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ and welcome to the fourth Sunday of Easter Season. This fourth Sunday of Easter is also called: Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a Sunday in which we pray for vocations in the Church. In this regard, a special collection is made to support candidates in formation.
Easter rekindles the faith
We are celebrating Easter, the great solemnity the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. From the beginning of Easter time, the Church our mother has fed us our meditations with various biblical passages to strengthen our faith in the resurrected Lord. Most of the scripture readings particularly different gospels depict the Resurrected Lord Jesus going in search of his disciples to prove to them that he has resurrected, to enkindle their faith, and hope.
A thread through Easter readings
As for this Sunday, in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles 4: 8-12, saint Peter announces an act of healing in the name of Christ. In the same line of thought, the psalmist offers us psalm 118 which is a prayer of thanksgiving to God for his kindness as a responsorial psalm. From the second reading taken from the first letter of saint John 3: 1-2, we have learned how God revealed his love for us by calling us children of God. In the Holy Gospel from Saint John 10: 11-18, the Lord Jesus declares that he is the good shepherd who knows his sheep.
You are safe with Lord Jesus
In the light of the Holy Gospel, the Church threads the four readings on the theme of The Good Shepherd. The declaration of the Lord Jesus to be the good shepherd implies three reasons as to why we need to belong to the Lord Jesus sheepfold. The first point is the world in which we live remains unpredictable, often terrifying. As human beings we need to be mindful of all bad things that might happen to us and those around us. For instance, the laws of nature follow their course, at time they can disrupt the ordinary flow of life. We just need to recall natural disasters that are happening around the world. In Freetown, few years ago we experienced landslide that saddened the whole country in the way it swept away some families in the blink of the eye. All of us were devastated.
Human cruelty and frailty is another reason why we need to run to Jesus as the good shepherd. It is hazardous and sometimes fatal to face life challenges such as sudden death of dear one, divorce, loss of job, cases of cheating, severe illness and the likes all alone. In these challenging moments, we need the loving care of a good shepherd to help him/her cope with the challenge that the person is going through.
The Lord insists that he is the Good shepherd. In this way he is inviting each of us to be part of his sheepfold and to avoid other people who disguise themselves into shepherds. The Lord Jesus says he knows his sheep and his sheep know him and hear his voice. My dear brothers and sisters, you need to avoid fake shepherd. Most of them are the product of sects and they give themselves big title as “bishop”, “apostle”, “prophet” and the likes. I have seen some of these people preaching in all sorts of public transports except in a plane. Beware of them so that they will not lead you astray.
Foster vocation to religious life
However, the Church needs good shepherds and for that families need to encourage young people to consider the vocation to priesthood. We are all aware of the dwindling of the number of priests in the Church in general and particularly in our archdiocese. During the chrism Mass, it was pointed out there is just a handful of seminarians of each diocese in the major seminary without mentioning religious congregations. On the first of September last year, I asked the youth chaplain the permission to talk to the youth of Freetown archdiocese during their camp in Saint Peter the Fisherman parish Christian Community, at Tombo. When I started talking about vocation to religious and priesthood, I sense through their facial expression that it was a topic that they expected the least. In your everyday life you need the father: in a naming ceremony, the priest has to be there; when there is engagement, the priest has to bless the ring; when a dear one passes away, the priest has to be actively involved up to the burying ground. I didn’t mention something related to sacrament and the church. With few priests, how can the Christian community be served effectively? Parents needs to foster vocation to religious life and priesthood in their children.
In conclusion, let the Church continue to strengthen our faith in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus through daily listening of the word of God. Let us all strive to belong to sheepfold of the Lord Jesus and, at the same time, to learn to be a shepherd of each other. I ask this particularly for myself as the date of today adds another year in the four decade of my journey in this land of the living. I thank all of you, members of saint Kizito Christian Community and Waterloo deanery for your spiritual and material support. May the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd continue to care, guide and protect us all.
Good morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ and welcome to the fourth Sunday of Easter Season. This fourth Sunday of Easter is also called: Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a Sunday in which we pray for vocations in the Church. In this regard, a special collection is made to support candidates in formation.
Easter rekindles the faith
We are celebrating Easter, the great solemnity the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. From the beginning of Easter time, the Church our mother has fed us our meditations with various biblical passages to strengthen our faith in the resurrected Lord. Most of the scripture readings particularly different gospels depict the Resurrected Lord Jesus going in search of his disciples to prove to them that he has resurrected, to enkindle their faith, and hope.
A thread through Easter readings
As for this Sunday, in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles 4: 8-12, saint Peter announces an act of healing in the name of Christ. In the same line of thought, the psalmist offers us psalm 118 which is a prayer of thanksgiving to God for his kindness as a responsorial psalm. From the second reading taken from the first letter of saint John 3: 1-2, we have learned how God revealed his love for us by calling us children of God. In the Holy Gospel from Saint John 10: 11-18, the Lord Jesus declares that he is the good shepherd who knows his sheep.
You are safe with Lord Jesus
In the light of the Holy Gospel, the Church threads the four readings on the theme of The Good Shepherd. The declaration of the Lord Jesus to be the good shepherd implies three reasons as to why we need to belong to the Lord Jesus sheepfold. The first point is the world in which we live remains unpredictable, often terrifying. As human beings we need to be mindful of all bad things that might happen to us and those around us. For instance, the laws of nature follow their course, at time they can disrupt the ordinary flow of life. We just need to recall natural disasters that are happening around the world. In Freetown, few years ago we experienced landslide that saddened the whole country in the way it swept away some families in the blink of the eye. All of us were devastated.
Human cruelty and frailty is another reason why we need to run to Jesus as the good shepherd. It is hazardous and sometimes fatal to face life challenges such as sudden death of dear one, divorce, loss of job, cases of cheating, severe illness and the likes all alone. In these challenging moments, we need the loving care of a good shepherd to help him/her cope with the challenge that the person is going through.
The Lord insists that he is the Good shepherd. In this way he is inviting each of us to be part of his sheepfold and to avoid other people who disguise themselves into shepherds. The Lord Jesus says he knows his sheep and his sheep know him and hear his voice. My dear brothers and sisters, you need to avoid fake shepherd. Most of them are the product of sects and they give themselves big title as “bishop”, “apostle”, “prophet” and the likes. I have seen some of these people preaching in all sorts of public transports except in a plane. Beware of them so that they will not lead you astray.
Foster vocation to religious life
However, the Church needs good shepherds and for that families need to encourage young people to consider the vocation to priesthood. We are all aware of the dwindling of the number of priests in the Church in general and particularly in our archdiocese. During the chrism Mass, it was pointed out there is just a handful of seminarians of each diocese in the major seminary without mentioning religious congregations. On the first of September last year, I asked the youth chaplain the permission to talk to the youth of Freetown archdiocese during their camp in Saint Peter the Fisherman parish Christian Community, at Tombo. When I started talking about vocation to religious and priesthood, I sense through their facial expression that it was a topic that they expected the least. In your everyday life you need the father: in a naming ceremony, the priest has to be there; when there is engagement, the priest has to bless the ring; when a dear one passes away, the priest has to be actively involved up to the burying ground. I didn’t mention something related to sacrament and the church. With few priests, how can the Christian community be served effectively? Parents needs to foster vocation to religious life and priesthood in their children.
In conclusion, let the Church continue to strengthen our faith in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus through daily listening of the word of God. Let us all strive to belong to sheepfold of the Lord Jesus and, at the same time, to learn to be a shepherd of each other. I ask this particularly for myself as the date of today adds another year in the four decade of my journey in this land of the living. I thank all of you, members of saint Kizito Christian Community and Waterloo deanery for your spiritual and material support. May the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd continue to care, guide and protect us all.