Sunday, April 26

This Fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally know as Good Shepherd Sunday, a day when the Church invites us to reflect more deeply on Jesus as the one who guides, protects, and lays down His life for His sheep.

In today’s Gospel, John 10:1-10, Jesus speaks of Himself as the gate for the sheep. He tells us that those who enter through Him will be safe, will find pasture, “and have life and have it more abundantly.” This image is both simple and profound. A shepherd knows his sheep personally, calls them by name, and leads them to safety. The sheep, in turn, recognize the voice of their shepherd and follow him. This relationship is at the heart of our faith.

Jesus is not a distant or impersonal figure. He knows each of us intimately. Jesus knows our struggles, our fears, our hopes and He calls us by name. Yet in a world filled with competing voices, it can be difficult to recognize his voice. We hear the voices of anxiety, distraction, and self-reliance. The challenge for us is to grown in our ability to listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd. We learn His voice through prayer, through Scripture, and through the life of the Church. The more time we spend with the Lord, the more clearly we begin to recognize His guidance in our lives.

This Sunday is also a day when the Church prays in a special way for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The Good Shepherd continued His work through those He calls to serve His flock. We pray that many will hear His voice and respond with generosity and courage. We ask our parish community to continue to pray for our parishioner, Friar Vincent Mary Ouly, who is discerning a vocation with the Conventual Franciscans. May the Lord guide him with clarity and peace, and may he continue to respond generously to the voice of the Good Shepherd.

As we continue our Easter journey, let us ask for the grace to list3en more attentively to the voice of Christ, to follow Him more faithfully, and to trust more deeply in His care.

Fr. Matthew R. Larlick, Pastor