"The good shepherd lays down his
life for his sheep"
(John 10:11)
We continue our celebration of the Lord's resurrection with
some familiar images of him that can give us consolation. First,
Peter uses the words of the psalmist in describing Jesus as the
stone initially rejected by the builders that then became the
cornerstone. Then John writes that Jesus called himself the
Good Shepherd, the one who lays down his life for his sheep.
Therefore, all his disciples are called to be like Jesus and give
our lives for our brothers and sisters. We are all called to
become
like stones attached to the only cornerstone.
The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts are two parts of a
narrative, written by the same author. The Gospel of Luke
focused on the life of Jesus, Acts on the early Church. In his
Gospel, Luke writes that Jesus said, “When they take you
before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not
worry about how or what your defense will be or what you are
to say”. In other words, Jesus prevented the disciples about
future persecutions and assured them the presence of the Holy
Spirit in their difficult times.
It is in Acts of the Apostles that we are able to see the
continuous action of the Holy Spirit for the community of
believers bringing
peace in troubled times.
In the first reading Peter is responding to the chief priests and
other members of the Sanhedrin after he had cured a disabled
man who often sat at the temple gate and begged. Peter had
been arrested and was called before the council. Forced to
defend himself, he relied on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and
courage on those moments of uncertainty. The interesting part
is that Peter is aware that is not our own wisdom or courage but
the courage that comes from power of the Holy Spirit. Today
the challenge is to rely on the courage and wisdom that comes
from the Holy Spirit when we are
about to make good decisions.
Just as the early church grew in the number of members and
became stronger in their faith, we are called to trust Jesus our
good shepherd and to hear his voice. It is the same Jesus
through His Word that brings us his peace and wants us to
become "instruments of peace". In tune with Pope Francis we
can say that we are called to bring ourselves to our neighbors
without calculating our small interests but seeking to build the
Kingdom of a
God who is always greater.
Fr. Hernán P., SJ