Daily Reflection – Apr 18, 2016
Monday 18 April 2016
First Reading:
Acts 11:1-18
Responsorial Psalm:
My soul is thirsting for the living God
Psalm 41(42):2-3; 42(43):3-4
Gospel Reading: John 10:1-10
Today’s Note: Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Gospel Reading:
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 he 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,
they 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:
Peter is questioned about his admitting Gentiles into the new community and he gives an explanation of the Spirit’s working, “step by step”. The psalm’s “thirsting for the Lord” could well be a thirst for the Spirit, because the whole church, then and now, is waiting from power from on high. Then Jesus concludes this portion of the good shepherd speech by announcing: “I come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Too many of us in the past had a tit-for-tat image of God: we do this and God does that. Jesus overthrows that image. God is a God of abundance, abondanza! God’s is an exuberant, lavish love and grace. Pray often today: “Give me only your love and your grace – in abundance! That is enough for me.”
Give all of us your life in abundance, you who want to lavish on us all that you are! Give the abundance of your Spirit so that, filled with the Spirit, we may extend your love to all we meet.
