St. Mary's Catholic Church of Tomahawk, WI

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We are on the fourth Sunday of Easter. The first reading is the conclusion of St. Peter’s speech to the crowds at Pentecost. He explained Jesus' identity as the resurrected Messiah. The initial reaction of the crowd was into their interiority that they were cut to the heart which led them to their conversion of heart. They responded to the invitation of St. Peter by their repentance and baptism, and about three thousand were added. Do we allow the word of God to enter deep into our hearts leading to a true conversion?

In the second reading St. Peter expands on our baptismal vocation, that we ought to live out our Christian faith. If we patiently endure suffering for the sake of what is good, that is a grace before God, as we follow the example of our Lord. Thus our baptismal calling is no less than a following in Jesus’ footsteps, the guide and metric by which we structure our lives. How do we wish to live up to this great vocation in our faith journey?

In the Gospel we hear our Lord declaring “I am the good shepherd”. He lays the groundwork to understand the two qualities of a good shepherd. First, only the shepherd enters the sheepfold through the gate, while thieves climb over the fence. Second, the sheep recognize his voice as he calls them by name. Do we always cling on to this good Shepherd who laid down His life for us, and follow Him, listening to His voice?

Fr. Aloysius Royan Anthony