Vocation Sunday

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Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocation Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Easter and it is also commonly known as the Good Shepherd Sunday or Vocation Sunday. On this Sunday we remember the Lord as the Good Shepherd, the One Who guides all of the faithful people of God, the sheep of the Lord’s flock to return to God our loving Father and Creator, gathering us all from being scattered all throughout the whole world, so that we are no longer lost to Him. On this Sunday we also keep in mind all those who are discerning their vocation in life, and while we often put a lot of focus and emphasis on those who are being called to the priesthood, this day is in fact also a reminder of our various vocations in life, be it as those called to priesthood or consecrated life, as well as those who are part of the laity, in our diverse callings in life.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the actions and works of St. Paul the Apostle and his companion in ministry, St. Barnabas, who was also an Apostle. Both of them went through the regions of Perga and Pisidia which were in Asia Minor, what is now part of modern day Turkey, where they ministered to the people of God, both amongst the Jews in the diaspora communities there, as well as among the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people. St. Paul in particular was well-known for his outreach and efforts to proclaim the Good News of God among the Gentiles, and was very adamant in the equality between the Jews and the Gentiles, and how there should be no distinction between the two groups of people as God loves everyone of His followers equally and and wonderfully.

But many among the Jewish community, even in the diaspora, particularly thosewho who belonged to the school of the Pharisees and their supporters, namely those who upheld a very strict and rigid observance of the Law of God, and who were often very elitist and exclusivist in their faith, considering that God’s salvation and grace were meant only for the people of Israel and their descendants, and all the other people were doomed to condemnation and destruction unless they would adopt completely and entirely the whole Jewish customs and practices, that essentially therefore turned them into a Jew. This is something that is very difficult for the Gentiles, consisting of the Romans, the Greeks, Egyptians and many other local people, whose own customs and practices were very different from the Jews, and many of the Jewish customs and practices such as circumcision were abhorrent and disgusting to the Gentiles.

That was why St. Paul and St. Barnabas reached out to the Gentiles, since some if not quite a few among the Jewish populations in those cities they visited were not very keen or welcoming on the words and teachings that they had been bringing with them. But as we heard, this incited jealousy among the Jewish people in the region because St. Paul and St. Barnabas proclaimed salvation for all the people, both Jews and Gentiles alike, which were not agreeable to those among the Jewish people who upheld the ideas I mentioned earlier. They stirred up trouble and unrest and led to St. Paul and St. Barnabas to be expelled from the region. Nonetheless, both Apostles had already succeeded in planting the seeds of faith among the people, and they continued on their works despite all those challenges and trials that they had to face in their journey.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle in which the heavenly vision of St. John was highlighted to us. In that vision, St. John saw the multitudes of people, millions upon millions of people who had been found worthy by the Lord because they had been persecuted, facing difficulties and hardships, trials and challenges, and yet remained faithful to the Lord regardless to the very end. All of those people had washed themselves in the Blood of the Lamb, either in sharing His death through their martyrdom or by patiently enduring those sufferings in all of their various forms. Through this vision, God wanted us all to know through St. John the Apostle that there is hope for all of us and regardless of the sufferings and challenges that we may encounter in our paths in life, we will eventually be triumphant with God and freed from all those troubles.

There had been many challenges and trials facing the Church from the very beginning of its existence. Persecutions and trials, betrayals and many other hardships had been facing the faithful people of God from the very beginning of the Church, and there were many episodes and moments throughout the history of the Church, in all of its two thousand years, that numerous people who have committed themselves to the Lord faced a lot of troubles and hardships because of their faith. Some of them faltered and gave up their faith, and yet there were others who remained firm in their faith. And even among those who have given up their faith, some of them eventually repented and returned to the faith, and were willing to be persecuted again for their faith and trust in God.

This passage is a reminder to all of us that as Christians we must always have faith in the Lord, and we should not be afraid of the trials and persecutions that we may encounter in our path and journey as Christians, in being faithful to the Lord. We must trust in the Lord and in His Providence, in all that He has assured and repeatedly reassured us again and again, in everything that we shall receive and enjoy in the end after our earthly struggles and hardships have come to an end. Whatever sufferings and trials that we may be facing now in this world are not permanent, and the Lord Himself is always faithful to His Covenant and to the great and ever generous love that He has for each and every one of us. We should put our trust fully in His love and do our very best to commit ourselves to Him wholeheartedly at all times.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the short account of the Lord’s words to His disciples telling them that He is as the Good Shepherd of the Lord’s flock, He knows His sheep well and conversely, His sheep also knows Him. This is a reminder for all of us again of God’s great love and commitment to us, in His ever enduring and present love for us, in His patient guidance and companionship with us as our loving and most dedicated Shepherd. He has come into our midst to find us all, to gather us all from being scattered all throughout this darkened world so that we may once again be reunited with God, and become members of this same flock, this same Church of God, the one united Body of Christ, which He has established in this world.

And He has shown His great love for us through His actions and most selfless love, by accepting on our behalf the punishments due for our sins and wickedness. He took upon Himself the blame and the punishment due for our sins, which He bore upon the Cross that He took on His shoulders. That is what the Good Shepherd has willingly done for His sheep, as He Himself said, that ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.’ Essentially this means that a true and good shepherd will always care for his sheep no matter what, and will even put his life on the line for the ones who are truly precious to him. That is indeed the essence of true and genuine Christian love, love that is truly selfless and beautiful, and which all of us are called to follow in our own lives and examples. As Christians we should embody the selfless love of Christ, our Good Shepherd.

It means that we should help one another in  journeying towards the Lord and His salvation, and we share the responsibility of the Good Shepherd in being good role models and inspirations for each other in our respective lives. We should remind one another that every actions and words, deeds and interactions which we make in our lives are all very important, in ensuring that our every efforts, good works and endeavours are always focused on the Lord, and that we will continue to do our best to proclaim Him to everyone we encounter in life, in whatever circumstances and opportunities. And as today we also pray for our priests and all those who are discerning their vocations in life, may all of us be truly discerning in what we are planning to do in our lives, and pray that the Lord will guide us in making careful and well-discerned choice in our lives. May God bless us always. Amen.

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Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocation Sunday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 10 : 27-30

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “My sheep hear My voice and I know them; they follow Me and I give them eternal life. They shall never perish, and no one will ever steal them from Me. What My Father has given Me, is greater than all things else. To snatch it out of the Father’s hand, no one is able! I and the Father are One.”

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Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocation Sunday (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Revelations 7 : 9, 14b-17

After this, I saw a great crowd, impossible to count, from every nation, race, people and tongue, standing before the Throne, and the Lamb, clothed in white, with palm branches in their hands.

The elder replied, “They, are those who have come out of the great persecution; they have washed, and made their clothes white, in the Blood of the Lamb. This is why they stand before the Throne of God, and serve Him, day and night, in His sanctuary.”

“He, Who sits on the throne, will spread His tent over them. Never again, will they suffer hunger or thirst, or be burnt by the sun, or any scorching wind. For the Lamb, near the Throne, will be their Shepherd, and He will bring them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away their tears.”

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Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocation Sunday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 99 : 2, 3, 5

Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God; He created us and we are His people, the sheep of His fold.

For the Lord is good; His love lasts forever and His faithfulness through all generations.

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Sunday, 11 May 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocation Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 13 : 14, 43-52

Paul and his companions went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down. After that, when the assembly broke up, many Jews and devout God-fearing people followed them, and to these, they spoke, urging them to hold fast to the grace of God.

The following Sabbath almost the entire city gathered to listen to Paul, who spoke a fairly long time about the Lord. But the presence of such a crowd made the Jews jealous. So they began to oppose, with insults, whatever Paul said.

Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out firmly, saying, “It was necessary, that God’s word be first proclaimed to you, but since you now reject it, and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we turn to non-Jewish people. For thus we were commanded by the Lord : I have set you as a light to the pagan nations, so that you may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Those who were not Jews rejoiced, when they heard this, and praised the message of the Lord; and all those, destined for everlasting life, believed in it. Thus the word spread, throughout the whole region. Some of the Jews, however, incited God-fearing women of the upper class, and the leading men of the city, as well, and stirred up an intense persecution against Paul and Barnabas.

Finally, they had them expelled from their region. The Apostles shook the dust from their feet, in protest against this people, and went to Iconium, leaving; the disciples, filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

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Sunday, 21 April 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd and Vocation Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday being the fourth Sunday in the season of Easter, we are celebrating the occasion of Good Shepherd Sunday, because of the Scripture readings which highlighted the actions of the Lord in being our Good Shepherd, in everything that He had done in gathering all of us to Himself, and helping us all to find our way back to His loving Presence and embrace. This Sunday we are constantly reminded again that Our Lord’s love for each and every one of us is truly great and ever enduring, and we really should consider ourselves as being really fortunate for having been loved in such a way. Our Lord and Good Shepherd is truly the One that we should be rejoicing about this glorious and most joyful Easter season, because by His love, He has shown us the sure path to eternal life.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the testimony of faith which St. Peter the Apostle mentioned how the healing of a man that had been healed from his affliction came about from the power and authority of the Risen Lord, the One Whom the Jewish authorities had opposed and rejected, persecuted and handed over to the Romans to be judged, sentenced and condemned to death on the Cross, in the most humiliating and painful way possible. And yet, all the proofs, evidences and events of that time pointed out how the Lord Jesus did not remain dead but rose from the dead just as He Himself had predicted it, appearing before many people and from which the belief in His Resurrection and His works began to propagate, as those disciples of the Lord who had witnessed His death and resurrection all went forth to proclaim His truth to more and more people.

St. Peter told everyone of the salvation in this same Messiah, the One through Whom everyone shall receive justification and liberation from the tyranny of sin, evil and death, because of everything that He had done out of love for us, truly our Good Shepherd, Who knows us all and loves each one of us, and Who does not want any one of us to be lost to Him or to be separated from Him. That is why He went out all the way to seek us, His lost sheep, calling upon us, the ones who have been lost to the darkness of this world and sin, so that we may find our way back to Him, and His light may help lead us on the way back to the right path towards salvation and eternal life. As our Lord and Good Shepherd, He wants us to listen to His call, that we may not wander off anymore in this world, and be found by Him.

In our second reading this Sunday, we then heard of the words of the St. John the Apostle in his Epistle or letter to the Church and the faithful in which he reminded and encouraged everyone that God has truly loved and cared for all of them because He has considered all of us to be His own children, whom He truly loved, because we share in the humanity of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Who is both the Son of God and Son of Man. Therefore, we are all considered to be sons and daughters of God, and having been loved as such, naturally He wants us all to be like Him and to follow Him, in doing His will and living our lives worthily as Christians, that is as all those whom the Lord had called and chosen from this world. By our membership in the Church, we have been made partakers of God’s love and made to be His own adopted children.

And to gather all of us, He sent us His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, as mentioned. He is our Good Shepherd and Guide, the One through Whom we can find the one and only way to our Heavenly Father, helping us to reconcile ourselves with the Lord, so that despite our rebelliousness and sins, we may be gathered once again to live with Him, through the patient and loving hands of Our Lord and Good Shepherd, Who has reached out to us sinners, the lost sheep of the Lord, to find us and to help us reunite with God, our loving Father, Master and Creator. He knows all of us, and He has given us all His love and compassion, that even the greatest of sinners are not beyond the reach of His generous offer of mercy and redemption. As long as one is willing to commit himself or herself to repent from his or her sins, there is a path forward and an assurance of a new life in God.

In that same passage, the Lord Jesus also highlighted how He would do this, as He hinted that He would lay down His life for His sheep. In another account of this parable of the Good Shepherd, the Lord clearly mentioned that ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep’, referring to any good shepherds out there in general, who have cared for their flock even at the cost of their own sufferings and even lives, and specifically at His own case and example, as He would lay down His own life on the Cross, suffering and dying for the sake of all the beloved people of God, for all mankind without exception. He suffered and died for all, even for all those who have persecuted, oppressed and condemned Him to death, asking His Father to forgive them from their mistakes and sins.

Through what we have heard in our Scripture readings today, therefore we are all presented with the Lord in His Aspect as our Good Shepherd, reminding us first of all of how fortunate we are having been beloved in such a way by our Lord, as we receive this most generous and constant offer of love and kindness from Him. And then we are also reminded of how we have been wayward in our way of life, not following and obeying Him as we all should. Like lost sheep, we have chosen to do everything other than what our Lord and Good Shepherd had told us to do. We sought for the pleasures of worldly glory, fame and satisfaction that we have ended up being misguided and misled down the path of darkness and sin. And yet, the Lord still continued to love us all regardless, and made all the efforts to save us and to bring us back to Himself.

That was why He, as our Good Shepherd, chose to come into our midst, in seeking all of us, the ones who had been lost to Him, so that we will not end up being lost forever from Him. He has called us all by name, calling on all of us to embrace His love, mercy and forgiveness. Our Lord and Good Shepherd wanted to show us that we are truly precious to Him, and He did not mind to bear the grievous sufferings, hardships and trials for our sake. It is through His loving sacrifice for us, out of His ever enduring love that He stood between us and the power of death. Through Him, His wounds and His Body and Blood, which had been broken and outpoured upon us, we have been brought to the assurance of this new life and existence, reconciliation and reunion with God.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, are we going to respond to the call that Our Lord and Good Shepherd had made to us, as He called upon us to follow Him? Or are we going to continue to ignore Him and walking down our own path, which may lead us into the wrong path in life? Are we going to embrace the Light and Hope shown by our Lord and good Shepherd, or are we going to continue to seek the pleasures and the darkness of this world, and all the temptations and pleasures of life? We have all been given the freedom to choose and to decide for ourselves what we want to do with our lives and the path we are to choose. It is thus really up to us if we want to embrace God’s love and guidance, or whether we want to continue to go down the path of rebellion and sin agaist God.

This Sunday, we also celebrate the occasion of Vocation Sunday, as we remember and especially pray for all those people who had answered God’s call to be His servants and disciples, to be the ones who live their lives and carry out their actions as the shepherds of the flock of the Lord, in the model of the Good Shepherd Himself, namely our priests and bishops, and of course, our Pope Francis. Each and every one of them had committed themselves to the good works of the Lord, dedicating themselves wholly to the ministry of priesthood, by which they truly showed the same love and care that our Lord and Good Shepherd had shown us, and this Sunday in particular we pray for all of them that the Lord will continue to guide them and strengthen them all in all their works.

However we must not forget that each and every one of us as Christians also have our own unique vocations in life. Vocation in the Church is not just the vocation to priesthood only, as there are also those who continue to live in the world and living our own respective and diverse ways of life as members of the laity, as people who build up faithful Christian families and societies, as well as all those who also give themselves into consecrated life to God, or those who commit themselves to a life of singlehood and purity, all in the service of God. Each and every one of these vocations are truly important, and we are hence reminded that as Christians we must always be active in living our Christian faith and life at all times.

As Christians, we too should also be good role models and inspirations for one another, that we can truly live our lives and faith being just like Our Lord, the Good Shepherd Himself. As Christians, we should help one another to come ever closer to God, and hence, we should live our lives worthily and in accordance to God’s will, and in the way that He has taught and shown us so that by our own good examples we may truly inspire and help more and more people to come ever closer to the Lord and to His salvation. We should be the beacons of Christ’s light, hope and truth to the whole world, in all of our whole lives, actions and deeds, so that more and more people may come to believe in God through us. Let us all go forth in faith, and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to serve the Lord, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 21 April 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd and Vocation Sunday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 10 : 11-18

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. Not so the hired hand, or any other person who is not the shepherd, and to whom the sheep do not belong. They abandon the sheep as soon as they see the wolf coming; then the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep. This is because the hired hand works for pay and cares nothing for the sheep.”

“I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. Because of this, I give My life for My sheep. I have other sheep which are not of this fold. These I have to lead as well, and they shall listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, since there is 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, but I lay it down freely. It is Mine to lay down and to take up again : this mission I received from My Father.”

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Sunday, 21 April 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd and Vocation Sunday (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 3 : 1-2

See what singular love the Father has for us : we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Beloved, we are God’s children, and what we shall be has not, yet, been shown. Yet, when He appears in His glory, we know, that we shall be like Him, for, then, we shall see Him as He is.

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Sunday, 21 April 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd and Vocation Sunday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 117 : 1 and 8-9, 21-23, 26 and 28-29

Alleluia! Give thanks to YHVH, for He is good, His loving kindness endures forever. It is better to take refuge in YHVH than to trust in the help of humans. It is better to take refuge in YHVH than to trust in the might of princes.

I thank You for having answered me, for having rescued me. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. This was YHVH’s doing and we marvel at it.

Blessed is He Who comes in YHVH’s Name! We praise You from the house of YHVH. You are my God, and I give You thanks. You are my God, and I give You praise. Give thanks to YHVH, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!

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Sunday, 21 April 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd and Vocation Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 4 : 8-12

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up, “Leaders of the people! Elders! It is a fact, that we are being examined today for a good deed done to a cripple. How was he healed? You and all the people of Israel, must know, that this man stands before you cured, through the Name of Jesus Christ, the Nazorean.”

“You had Him crucified. But God raised Him from the dead. Jesus is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other Name given to humankind, all over the world, by which we may be saved.”