FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, APRIL 26, 2026
- Maria Knox
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
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."
REFLECTION
In 1964, Pope Saint Paul VI instituted the fourth Sunday of Easter as Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a day to pray specially for priests, priestly, deaconate and religious vocations. It is really a date to remember the importance and need of our apostolate in PAPA.
Thinking about shepherds, I have added an image to this blog featuring the Adoration of the Shepherds to the Child Jesus.
The shepherds are not exactly the most famous, high cast, and sometimes non-outstanding people in their society. The shepherds portrayed by Caravaggio are not dressed in luxury garments. Yet these shepherds are looking at Jesus, from whom the only light in the room emanates. One of the shepherds is holding what looks like a crozier (a Bishop staff). In the right bottom corner there are Joseph's tools and a piece of bread. In a way Caravaggio is looking at the future of how our own shepherds need to be close to Jesus so they can take care of us.
Let us pray the PAPA Prayer for Priests so they never stray away from Our Lord and continue their vocation and, in the words of Pope Saint Paul VI: "lead us faithfully to the fullness of the Paschal mystery" (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 5).
God bless y'all!
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