Jesus, the Good Shepherd

The 4th Sunday of Easter is known as “Good Shepherd” Sunday. Every year, in each of the three cycles of readings, the gospel on this particular Sunday is from John. The gospel passages proclaimed are about Jesus as a Good Shepherd to the people, His flock.

The Church uses this metaphor of shepherd and sheep when referring to church leaders and their congregations. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, a model for how to care for God’s people. While we are all called to care for one another, Jesus specifically chose the apostles and gave them the responsibility of shepherding the disciples. In 1963, Pope Paul VI designated Good Shepherd Sunday as “World Day of Prayer for Vocations,” and so we honor Peter and the other apostles and their successors, the bishops and priests who serve us today.

The Latin vocatus means “a calling” or “a summoning” and is the root word for our English “vocation.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the vocation to be Jesus’ disciple is the source of the believer’s joy in life and the foundation of our salvation. Whatever walk of life an individual pursues, all believers are called to holiness. In our Catholic understanding, the structured way we live out our baptismal commitment to be a holy people may include married life, single life, the priesthood, and the consecrated life as a member of a religious community.

On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Church invites us to reflect on our individual call to respond to God’s voice. This is called discernment. Discernment is more than making a list of pros and cons; it involves prayer, time spent listening to God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We pray not only for guidance in choosing our own vocation, but for others as well. The purpose of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to fulfill the Lord's instruction to "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2).

Pope Benedict’s message regarding the need for more shepherds, for an increase in vocations is this: “I fervently exhort you to pay close attention to those members of parish communities … who sense a call to the priesthood or to a special consecration. It is important for the Church to create the conditions that will permit many young people to say 'yes' in generous response to God’s loving call.” On this Sunday especially, we pray for vocations and the courage to help our young people discern how God is calling them to serve.

Acts of the Apostles

The first reading in the Liturgy of the Word usually comes from the Old Testament.  However, following the liturgical tradition of the Churches in the East, the Roman lectionary does not use the Old Testament during the fifty days from Easter to Pentecost.  Instead, we hear readings from Acts of the Apostles.  It appears that this tradition is a very ancient one, established in the early Church and mentioned by St. Augustine in the fifth century.  Why do we read Acts during the Easter season?

 Acts was written by the same author as the Gospel of Luke, and it is really the second volume of a two-volume history.  Like the Gospels, it is not a “history” in the sense of an eyewitness account.  Luke himself says, at the beginning of his gospel, that “many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.” (Luke 1: 1-2)  Acts is Luke’s collection of stories about the early Church, and an explanation of how Christianity spread under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts of the Apostles, we learn how the eleven remaining apostles replaced the apostle Judas with Matthias, and about the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.  But Acts is mostly about two of the apostles, Peter and Paul, including Paul’s conversion and his missionary travels.  In Acts, we read about the first church council in Jerusalem, where a decision was made to accept Gentiles as Christians without requiring that they also become practicing Jews.  We discover how the believers celebrated Eucharist together and shared their belongings, and how the Gospel message was preached, first to Jews in the synagogues and later to Gentiles.

As the apostles preached and performed signs and wonders, Luke tells us, they were persecuted by the Jewish leaders, but would not stop evangelizing because, as Peter says, “We must obey God rather than human authority.”  A wise Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel tells the council, “…if this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them…”

We read Acts of the Apostles between Easter and Pentecost because it shows the remarkable transformation in Jesus’ followers as they come to terms with the reality of His resurrection.  After receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they do what all disciples of Christ are called to do: carry their faith beyond the communities of their own people and share it with the world.

The Sacrament of Confirmation

On several occasions, Jesus promised an outpouring of the Spirit, a promise which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday. The Resurrected Christ appeared to the disciples, breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This promise of the Spirit was even more strikingly fulfilled in the disciples at Pentecost, when “divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” (Acts 2: 1-4) Filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles began to witness to “God’s deeds of power.” Scripture tells us that three thousand people were baptized that day.

Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. It is, along with Baptism and Eucharist, one of the Sacraments of Initiation. All three are necessary to be a fully-initiated Catholic.

Every baptized person who has not yet been confirmed should receive the sacrament of Confirmation. In Roman Catholic tradition, it is customary to confirm candidates between the age of reason and about sixteen years of age, although many Catholics are confirmed as adults. The candidates should be in the state of grace, well prepared by prayer and catechesis, and committed to the responsibilities entailed by the sacrament.

What are the effects of Confirmation? This sacrament brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace, which roots us more deeply as children of God; it unites us more firmly to Christ; it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us; it makes our bond with the Church more perfect; and it gives us the courage to spread and defend the faith as true witnesses of Christ.

The ordinary minister of the Rite of Confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church is the bishop. The sacrament of Confirmation is conferred through the anointing with Sacred Chrism on the forehead, together with the laying on of the minister’s hands, and the words “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Because Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints an indelible or un-erasable mark on the soul, it is received only once in a lifetime.

Why should you be confirmed? Practically, it opens doors. For example, canon law recommends, when it comes to getting married in the Church, that, “If they can do so without serious inconvenience, Catholics who have not yet received the sacrament of confirmation are to receive it before being admitted to marriage.” Also, in order to be a baptismal godparent or a sponsor for Confirmation, you must be a fully-initiated Catholic. But the real reason Catholics should be confirmed is because they desire the fullness of the Holy Spirit guiding them in a life of discipleship.

3-Minute Vacation

We've all done it at one time or the other... we've all allowed our minds to wander for just a bit. One person I know calls this a "mental vacation." The 3-minute vacation we're referring to in our title is not the mental vacation my friend is talking about. Rather, our 3-Minute Catechism is taking a two-week vacation as we celebrate Passion Sunday and Easter.

We encourage you to enter fully into the Feasts of Holy Week. Allow yourself to feel the oppression of the cross and the cold, darkness of the tomb before you are swept into the joy of Easter Sunday. As any artist who uses oils as a medium will tell you, you can't have light until you have dark.

From Darkness to Light

Next Sunday, we will celebrate Palm Sunday, the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, the beginning of His Passion. When we hear the word passion, we often think of a couple in the throes of uncontrollable love. Beyond that, we say that someone with a deep love for reading or art has a passion for books or Rembrandt. Why do we use that word to describe the suffering of Jesus? The word is derived from an old Latin word, passio, which means suffering, submission. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when praying to God, Jesus’ submission is evident when he says to His Father, “Your will be done.”

Many Catholics go directly from waving palm branches to Easter Sunday. They miss the power of the events which mark our Lord’s passion and death by focusing only on His Resurrection. But experiencing the darkness in between is part of the light and joy of Easter. On the Wednesday of Holy Week, we celebrate Tenebrae (“Ten-ah-bray). Tenebrae is Latin for darkness or shadows and serves as an introduction to the Triduum. As psalms are sung and readings are proclaimed, the lights of the church are slowly extinguished until we are plunged into darkness. In this way, we enter into the passion of Christ.

On Holy Thursday we begin the Triduum, the three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. We commemorate the institution of the Lord’s Supper and remember that Jesus humbled himself to wash the feet of His disciples, a lesson about the true meaning of servant-leadership.

On Good Friday, there is no Mass anywhere in the world. The cross is a somber symbol of our salvation, and we gather to venerate it. We share Eucharist consecrated the night before as we recall the sacrifice of Jesus who took our sins upon Himself and was put to death. We leave in silence, and spend the day in prayer and fasting.

The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday begins after sundown. It is the most important Mass of the liturgical year, the high point of the Triduum. The Exsultet, a prayer of thanksgiving and praise, is chanted or sung as the paschal candle is brought forth in procession. With a rich display of symbols, rites, and readings, salvation history unfolds. Slowly, the darkness of Tenebrae dissipates as the Gospel proclamation of the Resurrection illuminates the space. Those who have been forming their faith in the R.C.I.A. process are fully initiated into the Catholic Church. Having come through the darkness of sin and death, we rejoice together in the Light of Christ and the hope of eternal life.

St. Joseph: Patron of the Universal Church

Most of what we know about Joseph comes from Scripture, specifically from the gospels of Matthew and Luke; in the gospels of Mark and John, there is no mention of him.

Joseph was not a rich man; we know this because when he took the baby Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified in obedience to the law, he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves, which meant he could not afford a lamb, the customary sacrifice.

We know that Joseph was a carpenter, a working man, because Matthew tells us that people are astonished at Jesus’ wisdom and deeds and ask, "Is this not the carpenter's son?"

Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage. Luke and Matthew both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel. And the angel who tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David.”

We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he decided to divorce her quietly and not expose her to shame or cruelty.

We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome. When the angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately took Mary as his wife. After the birth of Jesus, when the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, Joseph acted quickly, fleeing to a strange country with his young wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt until the angel told him it was safe to go back.

We know Joseph loved Jesus, and was concerned for his safety. When Jesus stayed behind in the Temple, we are told, Joseph, together with Mary, searched Jerusalem for three days for him.

Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at His death, or His resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died before Jesus entered public ministry.

In the Catholic Church, we celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19th for Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and May 1st for Joseph the Worker.

There is much we wish we could know about Joseph: where and when he was born; how he spent his days; when and how he died. But Matthew tells us what is most important: that Joseph was "a righteous man.”

Because he is the patron of the universal Church, we pray that Saint Joseph watches over the Church and helps to protect it and guide it as carefully as he looked after Jesus.

Stations of the Cross

One of the traditions often practiced in a communal way during Lent is the devotion called Stations of the Cross. In most Catholic parishes you will see, along the walls, a series of artistic representations of Jesus on his way to the Crucifixion. Typically, these are placed at intervals along the side walls of the church, and in most churches these are small plaques with reliefs or paintings or wood carvings.

Since the 17^th century, the Stations of the Cross has consisted of fourteen pictures or sculptures depicting scenes of the trail of Jesus; his journey to Golgotha; his crucifixion, death and burial.

Out of these fourteen traditional Stations of the Cross, only eight are found in scripture. The biblical accounts in the gospels never mention Jesus falling, nor do any of the evangelists mention Jesus meeting His mother or Veronica on his way to Golgotha. Station Thirteen, in many depictions, shows Jesus' body being taken from the cross and laid in the arms of Mary, although biblical accounts state that Joseph of Arimathea secured permission to take Jesus from the cross and bury him. These scenes are included out of tradition.

The Stations of the Cross originated in pilgrimages to Jerusalem. The devotion of the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrow, was probably developed by the Franciscans after they were granted administration of the Christian holy places in Jerusalem in 1342. The Franciscans then began to build a series of shrines in Europe to duplicate those in the Holy Land. These were usually placed along the approach to a church. Eventually, churches began to put smaller versions inside or outside their buildings.

Stations of the Cross may be prayed at any time, but is most commonly done during the season of Lent. Risen Savior holds Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings at 7:00 PM, and are accompanied by song and prayer. In some parishes, the entire community moves around the stations; in others, just the presider and altar servers move while the congregation participates from the pews. This powerful devotion helps the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer by meditating on Christ's suffering and death.