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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. 

Without a careful ear, we’d miss it.

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The death of Saint Stephen, the first known Christian martyr, caused many Christians to flee Jerusalem. While they left much behind, one thing they did bring was their faith.

As it’s written, “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 Christ himself or came to understand Jesus as the fulfillment of the Jewish scriptures through the teaching of the Apostles.

Knowledge of scripture provided them with a strong foundation.

All of a sudden, Christians started evangelizing the Greeks, who had not known the God of Israel. Leading them to Jesus demanded courage and creativity as they convinced some that he was, in fact, LORD.

These early Christians – many poor and illiterate – 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.

These early Christians remind us that spreading the Gospel is possible; that the Church in America can prosper; that non-believers can come to faith. 

Most of that work is done by ordinary people like us who bear witness to the Gospel through personal witness.  

What we need to be effective are the gifts of the Holy Spirit: courage, creativity, wisdom, and an openness to dialoging with people of different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs.

For us, we pray: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.”

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Image credits: (1) English Plus Podcast (2) Blue Ridge Christian News, WordPress (3) The Salt Stories

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Acts: 11:1-18

The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea
heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. 
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem
the circumcised believers confronted him, saying,
‘You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them.” 
Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,
“I was at prayer in the city of Joppa
when in a trance I had a vision,
something resembling a large sheet coming down,
lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me. 
Looking intently into it,
I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth,
the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. 
I also heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.’ 
But I said, ‘Certainly not, sir,
because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 
But a second time a voice from heaven answered,
‘What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.’ 
This happened three times,
and then everything was drawn up again into the sky.
Just then three men appeared at the house where we were,
who had been sent to me from Caesarea. 
The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating. 
These six brothers also went with me,
and we entered the man’s house. 
He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying,
‘Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,
who will speak words to you 
by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them
as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,
‘John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 
If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us
when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I to be able to hinder God?”
When they heard this,
they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying,
“God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too.”

The Word of the Lord.

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After Christ’s ascension into heaven, the Apostles were charged with carrying on his mission of “making disciples.” However, Jesus didn’t answer every question that the Apostles would have about who is saved, or even how. 

As we see in our first reading, occasionally heated debates arose.

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Peter has just returned to Jerusalem after going on mission. While preaching the Gospel, he ate and drank with Gentiles outside of the city, welcoming them into the Church. 

But some of the others are not convinced that what Peter was doing was right. Did Christians have to follow the laws of the Old Testament? Was baptism enough?

The answers to these questions seem easy to us today. Yes, we are saved by baptism and love fulfills the law of Christ.

But throughout the centuries, the Church has debated a host of issues relevant to that time and place. 

Today, for example, we are asking: what is the role of the laity in the Church? Who can receive communion, and under what circumstances? With all of the advancements in scientific research, what is considered moral or immoral? And so on.

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Ultimately, the Church discerns the answer to these questions in the same way that Peter and the others did – through prayer, reliance upon the Holy Spirit, and unity amongst the body of Christ.

As we continue our journey together, pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit: openness, wisdom, and courage, so that the Church may continue to serve as God’s relevant and appointed voice in the world, and certainly in our own lives.

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Image credits: (1) Pentecost, El Greco (2) Saint Peter Preaching in Jerusalem, Charles Pöerson (3) USA Today

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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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Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd. That makes us his sheep. 

But why not a different animal, something a little more majestic like an eagle that soars? Or a powerful lion that roars?

Why must we be sheep?

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In some ways, sheep are among the most pitiful creatures in the animal kingdom.

They’re defenseless. They have neither claws, nor paws, nor venom, nor fangs. No way of protecting themselves. When a wolf comes along looking for its next snack, sheep are an easy target.

When attacked, sheep will literally run around in a big circle, hoping not to be eaten. Can you imagine these poor little creatures thinking, “Catch him! Catch her! Just don’t catch me!”

That furry frenzy reminds me of musical chairs. Someone’s going to lose. Make sure it’s not you! Cowardice at its best.

Sheep need a shepherd in the most literal way. Only he can defend them.

Jesus is telling us in the same way, we need him. As he says in the opening lines of his first public sermon, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” those who know their need for God.

Don’t we need the Lord to defend us from the occasional “wolf” lurking in our midst? A certain person, temptation, or event that threatens us, causing us to fret and run around in big circles. 

For some, it’s a health scare. For others, marital or financial stress, fear, anxiety, or another trigger. We know that feeling of being overwhelmed. Flustered. Afraid.

“Don’t run around in circles,” the Lord says. “I’ll put you on my shoulders. Come to me!”

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During this Easter season, we’re also reminded of our need for the Lord to defend us against the most terrible “wolf” of all, death. 

Today’s Gospel imagery fits perfectly. Sheep only listen the voice of their shepherd, and they’ll follow him wherever he goes. For example, if he descends a mountain and walks into the valley below, they’ll follow him. 

On Good Friday, our Shepherd went to the tomb. He then passed through the valley of death and rose again on Easter Sunday, teaching us that, if we follow him, then we, too, will find eternal pastures. 

As the Psalmist proclaims:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff give me courage… Only goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life. I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

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Sheep also have a natural herding mentality. 

If one of them gets separated from the flock, then it literally stands in place and shivers, waiting either for its shepherd or for death, because sheep have no natural defense of their own. 

Their strength lies in their closeness to the shepherd, and therefore in staying with the flock, which is why Jesus will leave the 99 for the one who is lost. That sheep would die without him.

Now, when the Lord finds his lost sheep, what does he do? 

He brings it back to the flock – back to the Church – where it belongs. This is where we receive the Holy Spirit in baptism; God’s mercy in confession; his most holy Body and Blood in the Eucharist. 

Like sheep, we are not meant to journey alone; our soul needs the Lord and his Church.

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How does it feel to think of myself as a sheep? Do I feel that I belong to the flock? Do I feel a need for the Lord and his Church?

This also begs the question: What are we doing for those who say, “no,” who feel disconnected? 

While we’ve done a great deal to re-engage the youth and the elderly, there’s still much work to be done to reach high schoolers trying to connect with their faith, young adults, the newly married, the divorced, people who live alone and have no one to care for them.

People of “all generations.”

They need to be invited, included, welcomed. Thus, the work of our parish continues.

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As our vision statement reminds us, “We are all generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!”

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Image credits: (1) Embracing Life (2) National Catholic Register (3) psephizo.com