One of my favorite writers is J.R.R Tolkien, you may know of
his works from the movie trilogy of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings themed
from his books. In one the books that is- lord of the rings; the two towers. A
young hobbit, Mr. Frodo has been appointed with the quest of taking the ring to
the mountain ,a quest he must accomplish or else evil will prevail. Sam who is
Frodo’s friend and company on this journey, he makes a speech to Frodo to give him courage “It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo.
The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And
sometimes you didn't want to know the end… because how could the end be happy?
How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness
must pass…”
In today’s First Reading, we see the beginnings of that
mission in the testimony of Peter, whom the Lord appointed shepherd of His
Church. Peter tells Israel’s leaders that the Psalm we sing today is a prophecy
of their rejection and crucifixion of Christ. He tells the “builders” of
Israel’s temple, that God has made the stone they rejected the cornerstone of a
new spiritual temple, the Church.
Taking you back through the journey of Jesus Christ till
his resurrection, we see his struggle, his pain and the great strength it must
have taken him to die for our sins. As for us humans, we have weak moments of doubt
just like Mr. Frodo but, courage we must take because the darkness is only a
passing thing and most of all, just like
Jesus in laying down his life and taking it up again, he shows that’s he is the
living testament that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Jesus, in today’s Gospel, says that He is the good shepherd
the prophets had promised to Israel.
He is the shepherd-prince, who frees people from bondage of
sin and gathers them into one flock, the Church, under a new covenant, made in
His blood. Through the ministry of the Church, the shepherd still speaks and
forgives sins and makes His body and blood present, that all may know Him in
the breaking of the bread. It is a mission that will continue until all the
world is one flock under the shepherd.
Reflections
It is tales like that of Jesus that matters. By dying on
the cross and rising from the dead through
resurrection, Jesus made it possible for us to know God and that God
loves us.
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter also known as Vocation
Sunday ,we take the time and pray for those who take up the call that they may
continue to have the courage and strength to teach and preach the Catholic Ways
.
Today, let us listen for His voice as He speaks to us in
the Scriptures, and vow again to be more faithful followers. And let us give
thanks for the blessings He bestows from His altar
