THE CALL TO BE MISSIONARY SHEPHERDS

20160410 THE CALL TO BE MISSIONARY SHEPHERDS

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading

Acts 5:27-32,40-41 ©

The high priest demanded an explanation of the Apostles. ‘We gave you a formal warning’ he said ‘not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man’s death on us.’ In reply Peter and the apostles said, ‘Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’ They warned the apostles not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 29:2,4-6,11-13 ©

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

or

Alleluia!

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me

  and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.

O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,

  restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

or

Alleluia!

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,

  give thanks to his holy name.

His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life.

  At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

or

Alleluia!

The Lord listened and had pity.

  The Lord came to my help.

For me you have changed my mourning into dancing:

  O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

or

Alleluia!

Second reading

Apocalypse 5:11-14 ©

In my vision, I, John, heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne and the animals and the elders; there were ten thousand times ten thousand of them and thousands upon thousands, shouting, ‘The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing.’ Then I heard all the living things in creation – everything that lives in the air, and on the ground, and under the ground, and in the sea, crying, ‘To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, for ever and ever.’ And the four animals said, ‘Amen’; and the elders prostrated themselves to worship.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk24:32

Alleluia, alleluia!

Lord Jesus, explain the Scriptures to us.

Make our hearts burn within us as you talk to us.

Alleluia!

Or

Alleluia, alleluia!

Christ has risen: he who created all things,

and has granted his mercy to men.

Alleluia!

EITHER:

Gospel

John 21:1-19 ©

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

  It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.

  As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

  After the meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

‘I tell you most solemnly,

when you were young

you put on your own belt

and walked where you liked;

but when you grow old

you will stretch out your hands,

and somebody else will put a belt round you

and take you where you would rather not go.’

In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’

OR:

Alternative Gospel

John 21:1-14 ©

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

  It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.

  As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

THE CALL TO BE MISSIONARY SHEPHERDS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 5:27-32.40-41; Ps 29:2,4-6,11-13; Apocalypse 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 (or >< 21:1-14)   ]

In the first reading, we read of the missionary zeal of the apostles to witness Christ to all including those who were opposed to Christ.   In spite of the objections and threats, they did not stop proclaiming Christ.  They did not mince their words.  One thing was clear in their minds, “Obedience to God comes before obedience to men!”  Not only were they not intimidated by their opponents but they were actually “glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.”  Such was the missionary zeal of the apostles.  This, too, is the calling of every Christian as well.  We are called to be missionaries for Christ in witnessing to Him wherever we are.

In the gospel too, we read of St Peter’s call to be a shepherd.  The Lord instructed him three times to feed His lambs and sheep; and to look after them.  We are called to look after those who are lambs, the holy and innocent ones.  We are to help them grow in their spiritual life and in holiness by feeding them with spiritual food and guidance.  But we should not only take care of those “good, pious, holy and active” parishioners.  We are called also look after those sheep who are still struggling in their faith.  That is why, for the sheep, the instruction from the Lord was to look after and feed them.  They need more care and guidance unlike the lambs.  As Christians, we are all called to be first and foremost shepherds in our homes, offices and in the Church.  We are called to look after our fellow Catholics and to nurture and support each other in our faith.  But we are also called to evangelize outside our confines.

What then is the secret to being a missionary shepherd?  It begins with the encounter with the Risen Lord.  Without this experience of the Risen Lord in our lives, we will not be able to be transformed the way St Peter and the rest of the apostles did.  Before the resurrection, they were deserters, hiding in the Upper Room for fear of the Jews; and also ashamed because they betrayed Jesus.  But what does this resurrection encounter mean for us?  How do we encounter the Risen Lord?

Firstly, we are told that we encounter God in our moments of helplessness.  Peter and the apostles encountered the power of the Risen Lord when they were not able to catch any fish.  Jesus told them, “’Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in.”  Indeed, during the ministry of Jesus, they encountered Him often in helpless situations like a storm.  For us too, our lives are changed when we know that God comes to our help in those moments when we feel helpless and inadequate.  Unless we are weak, as St Paul says, we cannot be strong.  Indeed, many who have been healed by the Lord miraculously, whether emotionally, spiritually or physically, are now utterly convinced of the reality and the power of the Risen Lord.

Secondly, we encounter God especially in our sinfulness.  St Peter and the apostles were aware that they had abandoned the Lord.  It was not surprising therefore that the Lord deliberately asked Peter three times whether he loved Him.  It was not for the sake of Jesus that He asked Peter to confess his love for Him, but rather it was the means by which He wanted to heal his past.   To heal the threefold denial, the threefold profession of love was necessary to overwrite the past.  It was significant that Jesus asked Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?” By so doing, Jesus was implicitly reminding Peter how he bragged that he would die for Him even if the others abandoned him.  For us today, the forgiveness of sins is through the sacrament of baptism and the sacrament of reconciliation.   The mention of Peter “who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water” is symbolic of baptism, as it gives the image of immersing and rising to a new life besides having the meaning of being cleansed and washed.  Truly, those who encounter compassionate, understanding and encouraging priests at the Confessional too are healed of their past and their wounds.

Thirdly, to encounter the Lord the privileged way is always through the Eucharist, when it is celebrated with reverence and solemnity.  In the gospel, we have Jesus having a meal with them. “Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.”  It is true for us all as it was for the disciples, that the privileged place to encounter the Lord after His resurrection is at the celebration of the Eucharist.  For us, Catholics, the mass is the most privileged place to encounter the Lord in prayer, worship and praise and, most of all, at the reception of the Eucharist.  Of course, the Lord can be encountered outside of the mass but in the Eucharist, the Risen Lord makes Himself felt in the Christian community, especially when it is loving, caring, forgiving and encouraging.  The Risen Lord always appears when the Christian community gathers together in worship and fellowship, even today.

Indeed, the missionary call to be witnesses of Christ and to be His shepherds presupposes that we must have already encountered the Risen Lord.  The weekday reading for the last week was a reflection of baptism, especially for those neophytes who were newly baptized.  But baptism is only the beginning of Christian mission.  Once we have encountered the Lord, we are called to be His witnesses, like the apostles who were ready to die for Christ.  We must be able to declare with St Peter, “By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel.”  Indeed, the gospel says that the harvest is plentiful and the Church is for all of humanity.   “Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken.”  St Jerome interpreted the 153 big fish as that of the multiplicity of nations that the Church is called to bring in.

How are we to witness to Christ and be His missionary shepherds?  Each of us is called in our own way to witness to Christ and be the shepherd of His sheep.  It does not matter how or what we are called to do.  St Paul was called to be a missionary to the Gentiles.  St Peter was simply called to be a shepherd of his flock.  St John was exiled in an island where he could continue to contemplate and teach through his mystical works.  No one is better than the others.  What is important is that we do the Lord’s will.  This is what Jesus told Peter when he asked about the fate of John, “‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!’”  (Jn 21:20-22)   It is not for us to judge which mission, ministry or work is better.

The second reading tells us that everything is in the hands of God.  “The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing.”  Christ who unfolds the scroll for us will reveal to us the plan of God for us as well.  He is in charge of our lives and our future.   Some are called to be shepherds at home or in work places.  Others are called to be shepherds in Church and others still, to be called to the Ordained Ministry.  Some are called to look after the lambs, some the sheep, and some are called to nurture and feed them.  But where we are called is a secondary question.  Only this we cannot forget, namely, both the lambs and sheep belong to the Lord and not to us.  So we must be responsible and die for them, just as Christ died for us.

What ultimately matters, as Jesus repeated twice to St Peter is, “Follow me!”  What counts at the end of the day is for us to follow Jesus, to do His will and be obedient to the Lord’s will and voice, like the apostles who gave up their lives for the gospel.  So long as we seek to follow Jesus to the best of our ability, the Lord will work in and through us.  Such obedience, like St Peter, could mean embracing the cross as well.

We might feel diffident that, like St Peter, we cannot respond to the Lord’s threefold question with an affective love, “philos”, when the Lord asks for a love that is “agape”, one that is unconditional, selfless and oblative.  This time, St Peter was no longer arrogant and over confident as before.  He was humble and modest to reply that he would love with “philos.”   Eventually, he too was able to love with an agape and a sacrificial love by being crucified upside down for the Lord.  So let us not fear the future when we give our lives to the Lord.  He will qualify us and give us the grace to live up to His calling, especially those times when we have to carry the cross patiently during trials and disappointments. Like the apostles, He will give us the grace to suffer humiliation for the sake of His name with joy.  When we love Jesus and we know He loves us, we will have the strength to suffer for those whom we love.  No greater love can a man give than to lay down his life for his friend.

So today, the question that is asked of us is, “Will you go fishing with us?”   “Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’”  Are we willing to drop everything to follow Jesus as St Peter did, even unto death?  If we do, then we too will share the glory of our Lord, ”To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, for ever and ever.”

Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved