Homily 4th Sunday Easter 2023

Franklin Fong, OFM

April 30, 2023

Although God is the principal actor in the drama of salvation, God invites and waits for our cooperation. During the Easter season’s readings we hear what God has done and is doing for us through the resurrection of Jesus.

So, what are we to do in grateful response to what God does? There are many examples of our expected response to today’s readings.

In the first reading from the book of Acts, we hear about

• REFORM,

• BAPISM COMMITMENT, AND

• BEING FORGIVEN.

Peter tells his fellow apostles of bringing the light of Christ to others. So clearly, we too are urged to reform, meaning to undergo a continuing conversion or to change in our way of living. Once baptized , we are expected to live daily this commitment to witnessing our faith in Jesus Christ. Finally, we are to experience the forgiveness of our sins and to receive and live by the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In the second reading from 1 Peter we are told to continue

• to LIVE as CHRISTIANS in doing what I right or what is expected of us as Christians, even if it means having to suffer.

• To DO NO EVIL, even that we should not return evil for evil.

• And to GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS by getting to know Jesus in a personal way and to follow him as shepherd.

In the Gospel of John verses we hear about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Those who lead God’s people are often seen as shepherds of God’s flock. Moses was called from tending sheep to be the leader of the Israelites. David was called from tending a flock of sheep to be king over God’s people. So, by the time of Jesus, religious leaders were viewed as “shepherds of the flock”. However as it has been prophesied long before, these leaders had been ‘pasturing themselves’ ! The sheep or ‘God’s people’ had no one to look after and tend to them. The Lord God who had promised to look after his flock himself, raised up Jesus’ strong voice amidst the clamor of many shepherds who would lead the people astray in strange wayward ways.

Jesus is the ‘Good Shepherd’. Today we may recognize this shepherd’s voice in a call to reform our lives, to reach out for his forgiveness. And, we may hear his encouragement during a time of personal suffering.

The Good Shepherd is asking each of us to trust not a stranger but the one who knows each one of us. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows the secrets of which we are ashamed. He knows the nobleness of which we are capable and no one acknowledges. He is the one who gave himself that we might have life and have it to its fullest measure --- forever ! . Jesus is the gate through which we pass in safety to our Heavenly Father’s fold in the promised land!

So in all three readings there are the cautions about being misled by a false culture, or by strangers who really do not know us nor care for us as God does.

Take some time in the coming weeks to reflect on

1. how are we cooperating with what God wishes to do in and through us in our earthly journey as a community?

2. What gifts and talents have you been given?

3. How have you shared these gifts given to you by the Holy Spirit with family, friends and most of all to strangers in need?

So brothers and sisters of

the Chinese Catholic Community

that is the Good News for the

4th Sunday of Easter !

Alleluia Alleluia

(中文翻譯.原文以英文為準.)

四旬期甲年復活期第四主日 (04/30/2023)
鄺神父主日講道中譯本

讀經一: 宗徒大事錄 2: 14, 36-41
讀經二: 聖伯多祿前書 2: 20-25
若望福音 10: 1-10

雖然天主是救恩史中的主角，但天主邀請我們並等待我們的與祂互動合作。 在復活期的讀經中，我們聽到了通過耶穌的復活，天主為我們已完成了和正在進行中的各種事情。

那麼，我們要做什麼來感謝天主為我們所作的事呢？ 今天的讀經中給了我們很多應有正常反應的例子。

在宗徒大事錄的讀經一中，我們聽到:

 · 改革

 · 受洗的承諾，以及

 · 被寬恕。

伯多祿告訴他的門徒們必要把基督的光帶給其他人。 顯而易見，我們也被敦促徹底地去改革自己，意思是我們需經歷可持續的皈依或改變我們自己的生活方式。 領洗後，我們就應該每天實踐履行這一承諾，身體力行地見證我們對耶穌基督的信德。 最後，我們要經歷我們所犯的罪過被獲完全的赦免，並接受聖神的恩賜，過著依靠聖神恩賜的每日生活。

在伯多祿前書的讀經二中，我們被告知要繼續:

 · 要以基督徒的身份生活，做正確的事或活岀一個基督徒應有本份的事，即使這意味         著我們必須受痛苦。

 · 誓不作惡，我們更不應該以惡報惡/以怨報怨。

 · 並通過以個人方式更認識耶穌，並明認祂作為善牧的身份來跟隨祂以增加對耶穌的認     識。

在若望福音中，我們聽到耶穌是善牧。 那些帶領天主子民的人通常被視為替天主看顧羊群的牧羊人。 梅瑟從放牧羊群中蒙召成為以色列人的領袖。 達味蒙召從牧養羊群成為天主子民的王。 因此，在耶穌時代，當時的宗教領袖被視為“羊群的牧羊人”。 然而，正如先知們預言的那樣，這些所謂'領袖'其實是在‘放牧自己’！ 羊群或“天主的子民”是沒有被受照顧或有人真正地照顧他/她們。 這些所謂'牧羊人'會以各種千奇百怪的方式將當時的人們引入歧途，遠離天主。但請注意: 在許多所謂'牧羊人'的喧囂中，天主應許了祂親自看顧祂的羊群，並發出一個強而有力的聲响——那就是耶穌。

耶穌確是“善牧”。 今天，我們可能會認出這位牧羊人的聲音，祂在呼籲我們改革我們的日常生活，尋求祂的寬恕。 而且，我們可能會在個人受苦的時候聽到祂勉勵的聲音。

善牧要求我們每個人不要相信陌生人，而要相信深深認識我們每個人的那位。 祂知道我們每人的長處和短處。 祂知道我們令自己感到羞恥的內心秘密。 祂知道我們各自擁有無人會認可的能力。 祂奉獻了自己，使我們能擁有最完滿的生命，那就是——永恆不朽的生命！ 耶穌是一扇門，通過它，我們可以安全地進入祂應許之地——天父的羊圈！

因此，在三篇讀經中，都有提及關於被錯誤文化誤導的警告，或者被那些真正不了解我們或不像天主那樣關心我們的陌生人誤導的警告。

在接下來的幾週裡請花點時間反思一下:

 1. 在我們作為一個在塵世旅途中的團體一員，我們該如何與天主希望在我們身上並通過       我們作的事情上跟祂合作？

 2. 你獲得了哪些天賦和才能的恩寵？

 3. 你如何與家人、朋友，尤其是有需要的他人分享聖神賜給你的這些禮物？

所以華人天主教會的兄弟姐妹們, 這是復活期第四主日的好消息！

亞肋路亞, 亞肋路亞！