Daily Reflection – Apr 19, 2016
Tuesday 19 April 2016
First Reading:
Acts 11:19-26
Responsorial Psalm:
All you nations, praise the Lord
Psalm 86(87):1-7
Gospel Reading: John 10:22-30
Today’s Note: Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Gospel Reading:
The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem.
It was winter.
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
Reflection:
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice.
Repeatedly in the Hebrew Scriptures God implores his people to listen to him. ‘Listen, listen to me … Pay attention, come to me. Listen and your soul will live’ (Isaiah 55:2-3). The same plea is frequently on the lips of Jesus, the one of whom the Father said, ‘This is my beloved son … Listen to him’ (Mark 9:7). Jesus upbraided both those who failed to listen to him and those, who having listened to him, failed to act on his words. In addition to Jesus’ mother, our exemplars in this connection might be Solomon who prayed for a ‘listening heart’ (1 Kings 3:9) and Mary of Bethany who ‘sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to his words’ (Luke 10:39). Let us make our own the response of the boy Samuel, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening’ (I Samuel 3:10).
