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Acts: 11: 19-26

Those who had been scattered by the persecution
that arose because of Stephen
went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,
preaching the word to no one but Jews.
There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however,
who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well,
proclaiming the Lord Jesus. 
The hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord. 
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. 
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.

The Word of the Lord.

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Our first reading describes one of the most important events in human history. But without a careful ear, we’d miss it.

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“Some of them came to Antioch and spoke to the Greeks and told them the good news of the Lord Jesus.”

This is the moment when the Gospel is first shared with the Gentiles. 

Until now, all Christians were converts from Judaism. They either encountered the Risen Lord himself or came to understand Jesus as the fulfillment of the Jewish scriptures through the teaching of the Apostles.

But, all of a sudden, Christians start evangelizing pagans – people who have never heard of the God of Israel before. This giant leap of faith demands courage and creativity as they have to think of ways to lead non-believers to God.

The momentum builds, and by the end of the first century, the Gospel reaches the far ends of the earth.

These early Christians started a movement that changed the world…and we don’t even know their names.

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Perhaps there’s a point in that for us today.

We can be eager to seek the spotlight; to take credit for all of the good things we do.

But the first Christians remind us that it doesn’t matter “who” does “what,” so long as the work gets done…and God gets the glory.

What might that mean for me today?

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Image credits: (1) pursueGOD.org (2) Catholic Exchange (3) Wisdom Hunters

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Gospel: John 10: 11-18

Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel passage is a continuation of the Good Shepherd discourse from yesterday. Jesus calls himself the, “Good Shepherd,” and we are his, “sheep.”

I find it interesting that out of all of the animals he could’ve chosen, Jesus chose to call us sheep. I would’ve preferred something like a lion cub – strong, full of potential for growth.

But he looks at me and says, “No, Kevin, you’re a sheep. You all are.” 

So, “Why, Lord?”

Because sheep are defenseless.

They have no venom, no claws, no fangs, no paws. No way of defending themselves when attacked. Even butterflies have wings! Snails have shells! Not sheep.

They only have their shepherd.

This is what the Lord reminds us of today. When faced with the trials and tribulations of this world – the greatest being death – we are defenseless.

We find our strength in two ways: by staying with the flock (together), and by remaining close to our shepherd.

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This is the message Our Lady spoke when she appeared to the three children in Fatima. “I am from heaven,” she told them. I will bring you closer to Jesus.

But they – and we – must do one thing: pray the rosary.

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Pause for a moment and call to mind your weaknesses, your fears, wherever you feel in need of a shepherd.

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We place these concerns in the hands of Our Lady as we pray: Hail Mary, full of grace, the LORD is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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Image credits: (1) Restoration Believer, YouTube, 42:03 (2) Daily Theology

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Gospel: John 10: 1-10

Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There are many things that make our parish unique. 

There’s the SPX Café, which week after week is filled with tasty, home-baked treats. There’s the newly installed playground and basketball court, which is used by children, from toddlers to teens.

Then there’s our name tags. I ask our staff and ministry leaders, in particular, to wear them, (and I’m sure by now some of them are quite tired of them)!

But our name tags remind us of who we are and what we believe. It contains the three pillars of our mission: Building Community. Worshiping God. Making Disciples.

And by extension, these name tags represent our vision statement: All generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!

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This week, our entire parish “journeyed together.” Twenty-seven of us journeyed physically to Fatima, while others journeyed virtually. But we were all on this journey together.

On Thursday, we celebrated Mass in the Chapel of the Apparitions, where Our Lady first appeared to three children on May 13, 1917. Then we received the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady, when Mary began to “journey” with us.

We brought her to the airport in her white leather suitcase and strapped her safely in her seat, 60E, the middle seat in the very last row on the plane.

When she was brought in procession into our church, her long journey was complete. Because of her participation in our parish vision – “journeying together” – she deserves her own name tag. (I’ve written it for her, Our Lady of Fatima, SPX).

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In the Gospel, Jesus calls us his sheep. Why not something with a little more vigor? Out of all the animals in the animal kingdom, we’re “sheep”?

Yes.

Sheep are defenseless. They have no way of defending themselves. They have no venom, no claws, no fangs, no paws. When attacked, they literally run around in a big circle, hoping not to be nature’s next snack!

This is why being isolated, or separated from the flock, is so dangerous.

The strength of a sheep depends upon two things:

Their closeness to their shepherd.

And, therefore, staying with the flock.

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This is the message that Our Lady of Fatima brings us: “I am from heaven.” She will bring us closer together, and closer to her Son.

There’s one way, in particular, that Mary will do this: the rosary.

While we were in Fatima, we went through the museum, which houses countless articles of devotion. But what struck me were the rosaries donated to Our Lady.

There was the rosary of John Paul II, which he died with in his hands. The rosary of his successor, Benedict XVI. The rosaries of Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia, the three children whom Our Lady appeared to.

And then there was a plastic rosary, which may have cost a buck. It was the rosary of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

The lesson to me was clear: what matters is not whether your rosary is decked with pearls or gold, but whether or not it’s prayed with in faith.

If it is, then God can give you the strength to change the world.

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Perhaps its appropriate to conclude with a moment of silence. Call to mind whatever your intentions are, whatever weighs on your heart.

We will place these intentions, together, into the hands of Our Lady as we pray:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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Image credits: (1) (2) (3)