Daily Readings - Sun Apr 25 2021

⁷And stationing them in the middle, they questioned them: "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Leaders of the people and elders, listen⁹If we today are judged by a good deed done to an infirm man, by which he has been made whole¹⁰let it be known to all of you and to all of the people of Israel, that in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God has raised from the dead, by him, this man stands before you, healthy¹¹He is the stone, which was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner¹²And there is no salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, by which it is necessary for us to be saved.

1 John

Chapter 3

¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we would be called, and would become, the sons of God. Because of this, the world does not know us, for it did not know him²Most beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be then has not yet appeared. We know that when he does appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is

John

Chapter 10

¹¹I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives his life for his sheep¹²But the hired hand, and whoever is not a shepherd, to whom the sheep do not belong, he sees the wolf approaching, and he departs from the sheep and flees. And the wolf ravages and scatters the sheep¹³And the hired hand flees, because he is a hired hand and there is no concern for the sheep within him¹⁴I am the good Shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me¹⁵just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for my sheep¹⁶And I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and I must lead them. They shall hear my voice, and there shall be one sheepfold and one shepherd¹⁷For this reason, the Father loves me: because I lay down my life, so that I may take it up again¹⁸No one takes it away from me. Instead, I lay it down of my own accord. And I have the power to lay it down. And I have the power to take it up again. This is the commandment that I have received from my Father.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter profound reflections on faith, identity, and the boundless love of God. The first reading from Acts 4:7-12 presents Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, where they boldly declare that the healing of the man was through the power of Jesus Christ. Peter’s testimony underscores Jesus as the cornerstone of salvation, emphasizing that there is no other name through which we can be saved. This moment highlights the early Church’s courage in the face of adversity and the central role of Jesus in their mission. The second reading from 1 John 3:1-2 shifts our gaze to the profound love of the Father, who calls us His children. John reminds us that our true identity as sons and daughters of God is not fully realized yet, but we will see Him as He is when He appears. This passage invites us to live with hope and anticipation, knowing that our transformation into His likeness is forthcoming. In the Gospel, John 10:11-18, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. He distinguishes Himself from a hired hand, who flees in danger, by emphasizing His deep concern and love for His flock. Jesus extends His mission beyond the current fold, envisioning a unified flock under one shepherd. His voluntary sacrifice and authority to lay down and take up His life again are acts of divine love, fulfilling the Father’s command. These readings interweave to reveal the universal scope of God’s salvation and our identity as His children. They remind us to trust in Jesus’ care and to live as His followers, guided by His example of selfless love. As we navigate life’s challenges, may we draw strength from the Good Shepherd, embrace our divine identity, and share the hope of eternal life with others, trusting in the transformative power of God’s love.