Welcome to our Bible Study

4th Sunday of Easter B26 April 2015

In preparation for this Sunday’s liturgyIn aid of focusing our homilies and sharing

Prepared by Fr. Cielito R. Almazan, OFM

1st Reading: Acts 4:8-12• 8 Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, answered

them, "Leaders of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, 10 then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. 11 He is 'the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.' 12 There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

1st Reading: Acts 4:8-12• 8 Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, answered

them, "Leaders of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, 10 then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. 11 He is 'the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.' 12 There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

The focus is Jesus Christ risen from the dead.

1st Reading: Acts 4:8-12Issue: Who healed the cripple?• 8 Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, answered them,

"Leaders of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved,

Answer• 10 then all of you and all the people of Israel should know

that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his namethis man stands before you healed. 11 He is 'the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.' 12 There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

A simple outline!

1st Reading: Acts 4:8-12Issue: Who healed?• 8 Peter, filled with the holy

Spirit, answered them, "Leaders of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved,

Answer• 10 then all of you and all the

people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. 11 He is 'the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.' 12 There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

CommentarySetting: Read Acts 3,1-8 (healing of

the crippled) to understand the background of this reading.

• You may read further to understand the immediate context of our text.

• The question which Peter answers is "By what power or by what name have you done this?" (Acts 4,7)

• In v.8, Peter addresses himself to the leaders and elders of Israel.

• V.8 gives a description of Peter: filled with the holy Spirit.

• Peter answers with the power of the Holy Spirit.

• V.9 explains why the apostles are being interrogated, triggered by the healing of the cripple.

1st Reading: Acts 4:8-12Issue: Who healed?• 8 Peter, filled with the holy

Spirit, answered them, "Leaders of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved,

Answer• 10 then all of you and all the

people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. 11 He is 'the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.' 12 There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

• In v.10, Peter turns their questioning into an opportunity to preach Jesus.

• Peter’s answer is the kerygma (v.10)

• Kergyma is the preaching which centers on Christ-event (Christ’s crucifixion, death and resurrection)

• V.11 compares Jesus to a cornerstone which the leaders have rejected.

• In v.12, Peter is emphatic on the role of Jesus.

• It is through him (through his name) that we are saved.

Reflections on the 1st reading• We shun from interrogation or being put into the

limelight.• We can turn this uneasiness into a wonderful

opportunity to proclaim our faith (wisdom) in Christ.

• Under pressure, we can stand for our faith and lead other people into light.

• We can only defend our faith and God’s actions on us, if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, like Peter.

• Similarly, we can also make use of our misfortunes and sickness to proclaim God’s power.

• We should rather shun from talking about Jesus, if we are not spirit-filled and spirit-led.

• All talks about Jesus and his miracles are empty if we are not backed up by our true faith in Christ and the Spirit.

2nd reading: 1 John 3:1-2

• 1 See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

2nd reading: 1 John 3:1-2

• 1 See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

The focus is being the children of God.

2nd reading: 1 John 3:1-2• 1 See what love the

Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's childrennow; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Commentary

• V.1 mentions the lavish love of God for us.

• Because of his love, we become children of God (v.1).

• V.1b explains why the world does not know the Christians, because it does not know God.

• V.2 recognizes the fact that we are God’s children.

• V.2 tells of a higher identity or destiny to be revealed.

• In the future, we will be like God; we shall see him without veil.

Reflection on the 2nd reading

• We are children of God.

• We owe our dignity as children of God through the love of the Father.

• We Christians have a great future, not yet revealed.

• We just have to wait. In the meantime, we live according to our identity as God’s children.

Gospel: John 10:11-18• 11 I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays

down his life for the sheep. 12 A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. 13 This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep 1 that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father."

Gospel: John 10:11-18Contrast between the good shepherd and the badThe Good Shepherd• 11 I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life

for the sheep. The bad Shepherd• 12 A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not

his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. 13 This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.

The Good Shepherd• 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; • and I will lay down my life for the sheep. • 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I

must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.

• 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father."

A simple outline!

Gospel: John 10:11-18Contrast between the good shepherd

and the badThe Good Shepherd• 11 I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd

lays down his life for the sheep. The hired man (the bad Shepherd)• 12 A hired man, who is not a shepherd and

whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. 13 This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.

The Good Shepherd• 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know mine

and mine know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.

• 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.

• 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it downon my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father."

Commentary• The reading

proclaims that Jesus is the good shepherd.

• It describes what a good shepherd does: lays down his life for his sheep and / goes to those who are out of the fold / leads / has vision (one flock, one shepherd)

• To lay down one’s life means to die for / to live for the benefit of the other

• Jesus lays down his life out of obedience to the Father.

Further commentary on the gospel reading• The gospel highlights Jesus as the good shepherd.• The good shepherd has good corresponding traits and/or

actions: – defends his sheep, (not a victimizer to unsuspecting people)

– keeps them from danger and death, – lays down his life for them.

• As a shepherd, Jesus is the rallying point of all (the cause of unity among all peoples).

• Jesus’ leadership as a shepherd is not just feeding (refer to other verses), but also protecting, giving life and uniting. All is done in obedience to the Father.

• The meaning of his leadership comes from the mandate of the Father. The Father wills that his people be safe from danger, be one community under one leader.

• In contrast, the hired man does not care when danger comes.

• He is there for wages, not for the flock. He has no emotional attachment to the flock.

Reflections on the gospel reading

• The gospel challenges us to ask ourselves, if we are truly leaders: – What kind of leaders are we?

– Do we have the characteristics of a good shepherd?

• As leaders of our families and Church, we are enjoined to defend, to nurture and to lead our followers.

• Like Jesus, we do not count on the money we spend when serving.

• If we lead in order to gain, we are bad leaders (hirelings).

Tying the 3 readings• The leadership of Peter becomes

instrumental in healing the cripple in the name of Jesus (1st reading)

• God exercises his leadership through his fatherhood by claiming the believers as his children (2nd reading).

• Jesus’ leadership is expressed in his being a good shepherd (gospel reading)

How to develop your homily/sharing

• Say something about a good leader (be it a president,

chairman, parish priest, bishop, etc.) whom you admire.

• Enumerate his/her good characteristics and accomplishments in the community.

• Then you develop leadership in the person of Jesus as the model, based on the gospel reading: – the one who defends the flock rather than runs away

when there is danger (or always absent, nobody knows where he/she is)

– the one who lays down his life, rather than preserve it (to die rather than make others die),

– The one who seeks others to belong to the fold (invites other people to hear his voice)

– the one who has a vision for his flock (unity).

• Based on the second reading, leadershipcomes out of the appreciation that we are God’s children.

• Leadership makes the best of us as God’s children, obedient to his will, loving and caring.

• Leadership, like that of Jesus, leads us to see what is in store for us all in heaven. It gives hope for a better future.

• In the first reading, we get a taste of what is to be a leader in the person of Peter.

• As a leader, Peter boldly acknowledges Christ as the source of healing and salvation before his objectors.

• He does not cower (chicken out) in the face of persecution and intense questioning.

• Like Peter, we must be spirit-filled.

• Forget leadership, without God’s Spirit dwelling in you.

• Our country, churches, and parish organizations need good leaders.

• We have a crisis of leadership not only in the government but also in our church and families as well.

• Our institutions are infested with unqualified leaders and false administrators who have no vision and moral authority.

• These people have not been formed to lead. As they sit on their post, they rake money.

• They think they have prestige by just having the title.

• They rule not by reason, but by their ego-trips.

• The readings remind us that we go to Jesus because he is a good model of leadership.

• He is the shepherd-leader par excellence.

• We are called to imitate his leadership.

• We can develop leadership like his if we allow ourselves to be formed and to be taught by the life and teachings of Jesus, if we try to listen to his voice.

• The eucharist is a sacrament of total self-giving of Jesus as a shepherd-leader.

• Jesus as the good leader still lays down his life for us in the form of bread and wine in this eucharist.

• His leadership continues to nurture us and unites us through the eucharist in his post-resurrection.

• If you are not worthily receiving holy communion, you have no right to be a leader in the Church.

Our Context

• Abuse of authority

• Totalitarian

• Dictator

• Manipulator

• Coward, murderer

• Uses political power to

advance personal

business interests

• Traitor, no vision

• Heads and

coordinators who are

attuned to the voice of

the pastor (bishop,

pope, God)

• Loving shepherd

• Humble servant

• Good parish priests

and bishops who listen

to the needs of the

flocks

http://olasianofm.googlepages.com/home