AUTHENTIC GROWTH REQUIRES BOTH CONTINUITY AND DEVELOPMENT

20260428 AUTHENTIC GROWTH REQUIRES BOTH CONTINUITY AND DEVELOPMENT

 

 

28 April 2026, Tuesday, 4th Week of Easter

First reading

Acts 11:19-26

They started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Lord Jesus

Those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

  The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.

  Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’

How to listen

---

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 86(87)

O praise the Lord, all you nations!

or

Alleluia!

On the holy mountain is his city

  cherished by the Lord.

The Lord prefers the gates of Zion

  to all Jacob’s dwellings.

Of you are told glorious things,

  O city of God!

O praise the Lord, all you nations!

or

Alleluia!

‘Babylon and Egypt I will count

  among those who know me;

Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,

  these will be her children

and Zion shall be called “Mother”

  for all shall be her children.’

O praise the Lord, all you nations!

or

Alleluia!

It is he, the Lord Most High,

  who gives each his place.

In his register of peoples he writes:

  ‘These are her children,’

and while they dance they will sing:

  ‘In you all find their home.’

O praise the Lord, all you nations!

or

Alleluia!

---

Gospel Acclamation

Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, 

says the Lord, 

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

John 10:22-30

The Father and I are one

It was the time when the feast of Dedication was being celebrated in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews gathered round him and said, ‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus replied:

‘I have told you, but you do not believe.

The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness;

but you do not believe,

because you are no sheep of mine.

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;

I know them and they follow me.

I give them eternal life;

they will never be lost

and no one will ever steal them from me.

The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,

and no one can steal from the Father.

The Father and I are one.’

 

AUTHENTIC GROWTH REQUIRES BOTH CONTINUITY AND DEVELOPMENT

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 11:19-26; Ps 87:1-7; John 10:22-30]

How can we grow the Church and the mission? We must take the cue from our Lord Himself.  In today’s Gospel, we have the Jews confronting Him at the Feast of Dedication.   “It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews gathered round him and said, ‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.'”  This event was Jesus’ last public teaching before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem for the beginning of His passion.  That this question was raised during the Feast of Dedication made it even more sensitive and politically dangerous as this feast was associated with the Maccabean Revolt led by Mattathias to restore the Temple and rededicate it with proper sacrifice after it was desecrated by King Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

In asking Jesus to affirm His identity, they were trying to confirm if Jesus was the Messiah in the military and political sense.  They wanted a clear answer from the Lord because He did not say it plainly that “I am the Messiah” but rather indicated it by His words and actions.  Indeed, we see Jesus making claims to His divine Messiahship (it is not just a role but His state of being) by the actions He did.   The Feast of Dedication of the Temple alludes to the return of the Lord to His Temple after the desecration by King Antiochus.  However, Jesus is implying that He Himself is where God lives.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus reclaimed the institutions of Judaism, redefining them as His own. At Cana, He performed the miracle of changing water into wine, and we are told specifically that there were only six jars, because Jesus is the seventh jar for the completion of the Jewish rite of purification.  By changing water into wine, Jesus anticipated His own wedding feast.  And when He was cleansing the Temple and driving out the traders, Jesus took the opportunity to speak of the Temple in reference to His body.  He described Himself as the new manna from heaven, the Light of the World and the living water.  Last but not least, He made the Passover His own passage to His Father, offering Himself as the Paschal Lamb for the salvation of His people.

Accordingly, when the Jews wanted an unambiguous statement from Him about His identity, He spoke of His identity in terms of His relationship with the Father.  “I have told you, but you do not believe.  The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness.  The Father and I are one.”  Indeed, it is because Jesus is one with the Father, His claim of oneness with the Father is, in this context, an essentially functional unity.  The Father and Son are one in the mission of the Son whose mission is to carry out the will of His Father.  The concerns of the Father, therefore, are also the concerns of the Son.

It is within this context that we can appreciate Jesus’ love for the sheep of His Father.  The protection of the sheep is the joint work of the Father and the Son.  “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me. The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father.”   Jesus will die for the sheep to give them eternal life,  as He had said earlier;  the Good Shepherd  is one who lays down His life for His sheep.

The implication of this unity of action is ultimately inseparable from a unity of persons.  To assert that Jesus’ actions are one with the Father is to say that God is acting in and through Him.  In other words, He is the Word made flesh.  He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  To see Him, as He said to Philip, is to see the Father:  “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.”  (Jn 14:9f)

Hence, the underlying problem of the Jews is not the lack of clarity but because of their lack of faith.  The root problem is unbelief.  The works and teachings of Jesus clearly point to His authority as God’s messenger and Son.  This is why the Lord said to them, “you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”  Jesus’ authority as God’s messenger and His Son is never in doubt and His sheep could understand all these except for those sheep that do not know Him.

This theme of continuity and development is also underscored in today’s First Reading when the early disciples of our Lord spread the Gospel.  We are told that initially, when the Gospel was brought beyond Palestine and into the Gentile world, they were still preaching principally to the Jews.  “Those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews.”  Until then, they were still thinking that since Jesus is the fulfilment of Judaism, then the Jews must first receive the Good News so that the Kingdom of Israel would be restored.

But beyond this continuity of the message and the direction of the mission, there was also another development.  The Holy Spirit opened the hearts and ears of the Gentiles who were also interested in the Gospel.  “Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch, where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.”  The Gentiles, too, were seeking for God, and the proclamation of the Good News to the Gentiles points them to Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Indeed, when it comes to the growth of the mission and the Gospel, we must be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  It was fortunate that the leadership in Jerusalem was receptive of how the Gospel was being received by the Gentiles.  To ensure the continuity of the Gospel and the authenticity of the message, and because they were uncertain of the circumstances, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  He was a good choice to ensure both continuity and accountability in the advancement of the Church’s mission.  It was important for Barnabas to see what was actually happening on the ground so that he could provide the right information for the leaders in Jerusalem. The situation was new, and the Gospel required adaptation to a different culture and philosophical background.  This remains true today when spreading the Gospel; there is a need for cross-cultural witnessing and inculturation so that the Gospel can speak effectively to the people.  What was important was that the leadership in Jerusalem was not only open but also trusting that the developments were in line with the Holy Spirit.

As in the case of our Lord, the works and the results should authenticate the will of the Holy Spirit.  So Barnabas gave witness to the growth of the Church; he saw with his own eyes, the faith of the Gentiles.  “There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.”  It was not just the change of lifestyle that he saw, but the spiritual gifts of the people.  The fact that their witnessing brought many others into the faith demonstrated that God was working through them and blessing their devotion.

All these would not be possible had the Church clamped down on extending the Gospel to the Gentiles.  Barnabas — whose name means “Son of Encouragement” — was filled with such joy at what he saw that he went to Tarsus to bring Saul with him, so that, together, they could strengthen the faith of the Gentiles through proper catechesis,  to ensure that they were doctrinally sound as well.  Nurturing them together, Barnabas and Paul eventually gave them a proper name.  Scripture recounts: “Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out, they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’.”  Having found their new identity as Christians, they freed themselves from the Jewish tradition.

Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections

• Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
• Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
• It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.

Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

WHO IS THE TRUE SHEPHERD?

20260427 WHO IS THE TRUE SHEPHERD?

 

 

27 April 2026, Monday, 4th Week of Easter

First reading

Acts 11:1-18

God can grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life

The apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, ‘So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’ Peter in reply gave them the details point by point: ‘One day, when I was in the town of Jaffa,’ he began, ‘I fell into a trance as I was praying and had a vision of something like a big sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. This sheet reached the ground quite close to me. I watched it intently and saw all sorts of animals and wild beasts – everything possible that could walk, crawl or fly. Then I heard a voice that said to me, “Now, Peter; kill and eat!” But I answered: Certainly not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips. And a second time the voice spoke from heaven, “What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane.” This was repeated three times, before the whole of it was drawn up to heaven again.

  ‘Just at that moment, three men stopped outside the house where we were staying; they had been sent from Caesarea to fetch me, and the Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going back with them. The six brothers here came with me as well, and we entered the man’s house. He told us he had seen an angel standing in his house who said, “Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter; he has a message for you that will save you and your entire household.”

  ‘I had scarcely begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same way as it came on us at the beginning, and I remembered that the Lord had said, “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” I realised then that God was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?’

  This account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God. ‘God,’ they said, ‘can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.’

How to listen

---

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 41(42):2-3,42:3-4

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.

or

Alleluia!

Like the deer that yearns

  for running streams,

so my soul is yearning

  for you, my God.

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.

or

Alleluia!

My soul is thirsting for God,

  the God of my life;

when can I enter and see

  the face of God?

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.

or

Alleluia!

O send forth your light and your truth;

  let these be my guide.

Let them bring me to your holy mountain,

  to the place where you dwell.

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.

or

Alleluia!

And I will come to the altar of God,

  the God of my joy.

My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp,

  O God, my God.

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.

or

Alleluia!

---

Gospel Acclamation

Jn10:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;

I know my own sheep and my own know me.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

John 10:11-18

The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep

Jesus said:

‘I am the good shepherd:

the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.

The hired man, since he is not the shepherd

and the sheep do not belong to him,

abandons the sheep and runs away

as soon as he sees a wolf coming,

and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep;

this is because he is only a hired man

and has no concern for the sheep.

‘I am the good shepherd;

I know my own

and my own know me,

just as the Father knows me

and I know the Father;

and I lay down my life for my sheep.

And there are other sheep I have

that are not of this fold,

and these I have to lead as well.

They too will listen to my voice,

and there will be only one flock,

and one shepherd.

‘The Father loves me,

because I lay down my life

in order to take it up again.

No one takes it from me;

I lay it down of my own free will,

and as it is in my power to lay it down,

so it is in my power to take it up again;

and this is the command I have been given by my Father.’

 

WHO IS THE TRUE SHEPHERD?

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 11:1-18; PS 41:2-3, 42:3-4; JOHN 10:1-10]

There are many people who claim to be able to give us life, peace, love and happiness.  But do they really give us life?  Do they really lead us to the world that we really want, where there is peace, harmony, unity and progress for all?  What we see in the world is division, injustice, nationalism, individualism, selfishness leading to inequality and poverty.  That is why it is important to distinguish the true shepherds from the false shepherds.  Otherwise, by following the false shepherds, we will be cheated and destroyed.  As the Lord warns us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”

The true shepherd, of course, is Christ Himself.  Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.”  (Jn 10:14f) As the Shepherd, He knows each one of us by name.   He knows our struggles, our pains and our fears.  This is because the shepherd lives amongst the people.  Like the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”  (Mt 8:17)  Indeed, during His ministry on earth, Jesus was always with the people in their sickness and pain.   Like a father or mother, the Shepherd is always there for His children.  Just as parents would do all that they can to ensure that their children are well fed, educated, comfortable and happy in life, so too Jesus the Good Shepherd desires the same for His sheep.

The shepherd is the one who leads and walks before his people.  Jesus said, “the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice.”  He not only shows the way, but he walks the way.  He is a good mentor and leader, not just by his words but by his life.   He lives with his people and journeys with them in good times and in bad.  As the Shepherd, Jesus gave His life for us.  He made it clear that He had come so that we may have life and have it to the full.   “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  (Jn 10:11)  By so doing, He teaches us that we too can find life if we give up our life for others.  This made St Paul remark, “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore, all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.”  (2 Cor 5:14f)

Jesus is not merely the shepherd, but He is also the Gate.  Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold.  All others who have come are thieves and brigands.”  To say that He is the Gate means to say Jesus is the one through whom we have access to eternal life.  Only Jesus, who is from God, can show us who the Father is.  “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” (Jn 3:13)  Christ is the revelation of the Father and therefore the Word of God in person.  Clearly, for us, Christians, Jesus, who is the Son of God, is the only One who can show us the Face of the Father.  It is for this reason that St Peter said, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:12)  St Paul affirms this truth when He said, “For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all.”  (1 Tim 2:5)

Accordingly, anyone who is a shepherd after the heart of Christ must first have entered the Gate himself.  Jesus warns us, “anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way, is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out.”  We cannot be true shepherds after the heart of Christ unless we first enter the gate, that is, Jesus Himself.  Unless we come to know Jesus personally and have surrendered our lives to Him, we cannot lead others to Him or to the Father.  Unless we have heard His voice ourselves, we cannot impart the truth to others.

Coming to Jesus, who is the Gate, therefore, is the priority of the shepherd.  Consequently, all shepherds after the heart of Christ must make time for prayer.  They must be in close intimacy with the Lord, basking in His love.  Just as Jesus drew strength daily from His Father, so, too, we must draw strength from our Lord.  This also means that a leader must also grow in faith and in understanding of the Word of God by spending time in meditation and study.  No one who is unfamiliar with what the Good Shepherd teaches can lead others to their destiny.  To be a real shepherd, we must not just be prayerful but always studying and forming ourselves in the faith, either formally through serious biblical and theological courses or through personal reading and study.

Unfortunately, today we have many shepherds who are killing the sheep under their care.  They only want to enjoy the benefits from looking after the sheep and taking the places of honour.   Indeed, we have leaders who are more interested in power, glory, honour and the material gains that come with leadership than about the good of the ordinary people.  This is because they do not have the heart of the Good Shepherd as they do not know Him.  Instead of instructing them according to the scriptures, they give false hope and easy solutions to their moral dilemma because they want to be popular and accepted by society.   Without speaking the truth, we will eventually mislead them and cause them to suffer more, if not them, their children’s children.  This is what the world seeks to do, to pander to the selfish and immoral desires of people so that they can continue to hold on to power.  It is a case of the sheep leading the shepherd and not what a shepherd should do, to lead, to explain, to enlighten and to empower.   But they cannot do this unless they know the truth.

Secondly, a true shepherd must be willing to die for his sheep. Jesus made it clear, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13) St Paul went further when he reflected, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person, someone might actually dare to die.  But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”  (Rom 5:6-8) Are there such shepherds around today? Are shepherds only concerned about those who care for them and those who love them?  Do shepherds reach out to those who have strayed, lost their way, are hurt, injured, hungry and worn out by life’s struggles?  When a shepherd cares more for his own convenience, his pleasure and his personal interest than the needs of his sheep, he is not a true shepherd.  Worse still, when a shepherd takes advantage of the sheep for his own glory, interests and gains!  No shepherd must fleece his sheep for himself, taking the wool and the milk whilst leaving them naked, hungry and wounded.  Our Lord died for His sheep and sacrificed Himself to purify and sanctify us.

Today, St Peter showed himself to be a true shepherd who willingly stood up for Christ’s sheep, even at the expense of causing scandal and opposition among his Jewish community for accepting the Gentiles into the faith. He was willing to die for what the Lord revealed to Him, for his primary concern was not his safety or popularity but the salvation of all, Jews and Gentiles alike. It was his courageous decision that made it possible for the Gentiles to enter into the Church.  This was confirmed by the Lord when the Holy Spirit was also bestowed on them even before they were baptised with water.  The Lord personally baptised them with His Spirit.  Hence, he concluded, “I realised then that God was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?’  This account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God, ‘God’ they said, ‘can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.'” Indeed, salvation is given to all and not just to the Jews.  St Paul says that God “desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  (1 Tim 2:4)

Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections

• Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
• Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
• It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.

Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.