Easter 4 C - Liturgy
Notes. 1. Remember that today is the World Day of Vocations. What is said of Jesus is applicable also to the shepherds who take his place. Not that they are Jesus himself: they are only humble signs of Jesus, who should by their life and actions show people the way to him.
Those who intend to have a special celebration for vocations this day or especially during the week that follows please see the Sacramentary and Lectionary for texts for Masses for vocations or the special Mass in this book.
Greeting (See Second Reading)
The Lamb on the throne will be our shepherd and will lead us to springs of living water. God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. May this Lamb of God, Jesus our Lord, be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
I Call Them by Their Name
It is very reassuring to know that our guide or community leader knows us personally and calls us by our name. It makes us say or think: He knows me and I know him. This calls for deeper trust and loyalty and love. On the Sunday of the Good Shepherd Jesus himself reminds us how he knows us personally. At the same time the fact that we know him too, at least a bit, changes our whole life. For knowing him, we know God. We experience in him God’s goodness and care and close presence in everyday life. Would that we could also be near to one another and Jesus’ pastors and shepherds could be close to their people.
The Voice of the Shepherd
Who are the pastors, the shepherds, whom people trust and listen to? As if instinctively they entrust themselves to priests who do not preach themselves but the Lord Jesus and his Good News. They listen to and confide in priests who know them and who also take the time to listen to them and their problems and hopes. For in them they recognize something of Jesus, the Good Shepherd and model of all shepherds. Let us join our Good Shepherd in his thanks to the Father.
Penitential Act
“The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,” says our Good Shepherd. Have we listened to him and followed him? Let us examine ourselves before the Lord. (pause) Lord Jesus, you know us and you call each of us by name. Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you reassure us that we will never be lost or deserted by you. Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, the Father entrusted us to you and you give us life that lasts for ever: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, and never let sin separate us from you. Forgive us, make us follow you all the way and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that we may truly know and love the Lord Jesus (pause)
Our loving God and Father, you have let us experience how much you care for us by giving us Jesus as our Good Shepherd. He knows us, for he carries us in his heart. May we be ever close to him, so that we may know him too, hear his voice and follow him without reserve. Like his love, may our care overflow on the people you have placed on our way. We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading (Acts 13:14,43-52): Pastors Are Taking Risks
Jesus’ Good News was first to be brought to the Jews, but it cannot be restricted to one group; it is destined for all. The conflict of Paul and Barnabas with the Jews becomes the occasion to preach directly to the pagans.
Reading 1: Acts 13:14, 43-52
Second Reading (Rev 7:9,14b-17): The Lamb Will Be their Shepherd
People from every race, people and culture will follow the Lamb as their Shepherd and be guided by him to eternal life.
Reading 2: Rev 7:9, 14b-17
Gospel (Jn 10:27-30): Those Who Hear My Voice Follow Me
Jesus is our Good Shepherd; he knows us personally, and leads us to the fullness of life if we are willing to go his way.
Gospel: Jn 10:27-30
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Intercessions
Let us pray to Jesus, the Lamb of God and our shepherd, that he may lead all to the springs of life. Let us say: R/ Our Lamb and Shepherd, unite us all.
– Lord, you call an immense crowd from every nation, race and language. May they hear your voice and follow you. And so we pray: R/ Our Lamb and Shepherd, unite us all.
– Lord, those who recognize you are few. Let none of them be lost and keep them faithful to you. And so we pray: R/ Our Lamb and Shepherd, unite us all.
– Lord, many are still going through persecutions. May they keep serving you day and night and be united with you in their trials. And so we pray: R/ Our Lamb and Shepherd, unite us all.
– Lord, too many suffer from hunger and many thirst for justice and truth. Let the earth yield its fruit and let your people work for justice. And so we pray: R/ Our Lamb and Shepherd, unite us all.
– Lord, see the misery of those who suffer, wipe away all tears from their eyes and bring them the joy of your and our love. And so we pray: R/ Our Lamb and Shepherd, unite us all.
– Lord, see the riches of heart of many who are willing to serve you and your people in ministries of love and service. Call them and let them lead your people. And so we pray: R/ Our Lamb and Shepherd, unite us all.
Lord Jesus, call us by our names and unify us as your one people, for you are our Shepherd and Lord forever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father who cares, you set for us the table of life and offer us the cup of joy of Jesus, your Son and our Shepherd. Let him make us more and more your faithful people; and let him help us to proclaim by what we are and do that his message of life and joy is destined for everyone everywhere in the world. For he is our Lord for ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
We thank our Father for giving us his own Son as our Shepherd and guide. As Jesus offered himself for us, we offer ourselves with him, that others might live and be happy.
Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer
The Father has placed us in the care of Jesus. With our Good Shepherd we pray our prayer of filial trust: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from our factions and division and bring us together under the leadership of Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Let us share in the peace of his caring and forgiving love and save us from all anxiety, for we are sure that he will bring us to the source of living water,
for he is our Shepherd and Savior Jesus Christ:
R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is the Lamb on the throne who leads us to the springs of life, that we may never hunger or thirst again. Happy are we to be invited to the table of our Good Shepherd. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Father, we have listened to the voice of your Son speaking to us here in this Eucharist. May we keep belonging to him and following him wherever he leads us. Let no fear or enticement ever overcome us to snatch us away from your love. As he has given us himself as the bread of life, may we also give ourselves to one another. Let our Good Shepherd lead us to the fresh pastures of your eternal joy. Grant us this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
In this Eucharistic celebration Christ has been with us as our Good Shepherd. May he also stay with us in life and guide us through his Holy Spirit. May he make us shepherds to one another, people who care, who support and uplift. May we thus become to the world a sign of God’s caring, faithful love, with the blessing of almighty God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go in the peace and the joy of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.
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Commentary
Global Shepherds
Read: The Gospel is preached to the Jews, the Gentiles, and to the ends of the earth. John presents the grand finale: people from “ever nation, race, people, and tongue” are gathered in heaven before the Lamb-Shepherd. Jesus declares himself as the Good Shepherd who gives eternal life to his sheep.
Reflect: In the midst of acute shortage of vocations in a country, one provincial assumes charge and thus addresses his members in his inaugural homily: “Believe me. There is no shortage of vocations. There’s plenty. It is all a problem of distribution, not of numbers.” How true! God does raise up people to tend his sheep; but not always as, when, and where we want him to! If we care to look around, there are many youngsters willing to serve. Sadly, how many congregations have died out in some countries due to the sheer refusal to accept vocations from other regions of the world! What we need to do is to adjust our mental lenses, break down the boundaries of tribalistic thinking, and perceive the Church as one family without borders.
Pray: Pray for global readiness and global receptivity to shepherds after the heart of the Master.
Act: Talk to a youngster about discerning a shepherding vocation in the Church.
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When believers share their faith, “the Church becomes a mother church that produces children (and more) children, because we, the children of the Church, we carry that. But when we do not, the Church is not the mother, but the babysitter, that takes care of the baby – to put the baby to sleep. It is a Church dormant,” Pope Francis stated.
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Prayer Reflection
“If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” An Australian Aboriginal
Lord, we pray for those who work in community development. They often find that they cannot motivate people or get them to change their ways, and they think that what people need is to take courses or develop new skills. But Jesus taught us the secret of being shepherds: if people don’t feel that they belong to us they will not hear our voice, and unless they get the feeling that we know them they won’t follow us.
Lord we thank you for deep relationships: - a spouse, an intimate friend, a leader to whom we entrusted ourselves, a priest who ministered to us. We remember how the very first time we met we knew that we belonged to them, and recognized their voice; we felt that they knew us through and through, and spontaneously we followed them.
Lord, there are people in our country who are always talked down to because they are considered uneducated or unintelligent. We pray that at least in our Church communities they may know that they belong, that leaders know them and accept them for who they are.
Lord, one of the frustrating things about being a teacher is that we wonder if we are getting through to our students. But every once in a while you send us someone who is your special gift to us, someone we know instinctively belongs to us and follows us; we know they might stray for a while, but they will never be lost or stolen from us.
Lord, when people we love leave us we become jealous: - our followers turn to another leader; - a favourite child starts to show a preference for the other parent; - a friend gets close to someone else. Even as a Church we are jealous when members join another Church. Lord, at the root of all jealousy is insecurity. If we were more like Jesus we would accept those you give us with trust, knowing that if they are really your gift to us then no one can steal them from us because you are greater than anyone and no one can steal from you.
“Bind us with cords that cannot be broken.” Popular hymn Lord, we thank you for moments of deep prayer when we feel perfectly secure, so that we don’t need to ask for anything, to beg for forgiveness or to make promises. We know that in Jesus we and you are one and we are one with all creation, because everything is your gift and you are greater than anyone, and no power in heaven or on earth can steal from you.
