HIRED HAND

God's gift of salvation is not exclusive to only a few, it is open to all. Let us broaden our perspective with regards to this and always extend a welcoming spirit to everyone regardless of who they are. God's forgiveness and salvation is not exclusive to a selected few but is given to all. We do not have to belong to a particular race. We have all been qualified by God Himself. God's love is open to all. We are expected to extend this same love to our brothers and sisters regardless of race and culture. Oftentimes we are guilty of discriminating whenever we come in contact with people who are different so to speak or those who do not conform to our standards. Whether we admit it or not we are all guilty of this and we should follow Peter's example of acknowledging God's universal love to all of us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 11:1-18
...‘What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.’ ...If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?” 18 When they heard this, they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying, “God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles, too.”

May all our basic instincts be rooted from our longing for God. Only in God can we find true satisfaction. Him alone can quench the thirst of our soul. Whenever I hear the song which has the same thought as the psalm reading for today I always imagine and picture a deer panting and drinking water in the stream. This kind of longing and thirst we have all experienced one way or another in our lifetime whether it be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. We may search long and hard but find none that can fully satisfy if we fail to recognize the rivers of Living Water which only God can give and provide. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4
R: Athirst is my soul for the living God.
1 [2] As the hind longs for the running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God. 2 [3] Athirst is my soul for God, the living God. When shall I go and be hold the face of God? (R) 43: 3 Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on and bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place. (R) 4 Then will I go in to the altar of God, the God of my gladness and joy; then will I give you thanks upon the harp, O God, my God!

For only in Jesus can we find everlasting peace and comfort. The Good Shepherd is one who forms and unites the flock as a special people of God. In Matthew 28 and John 20 we read about the great commissioning of the apostles by Jesus. He said to them, “whose sins that you forgive, are forgiven and as the Father has sent me, so I send you, and he who receives you receives me. He left this ministry to continue the shepherding. This entire mission is directed in gathering the flock, transform the people of God and to save all of us, people of God by the word of the gospel and the redemptive paschal mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection.. Those who follow Him are His ministers and they are to hand on what is given to them. As Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."..."Tend my sheep."..."Feed my sheep... He told him 3x to shepherd the flock but he must be united with Jesus before he can properly tend the flock. Peter had to learn humble discipleship. Earlier Peter tried to dissuade Jesus from the cross and was rebuked “Get behind me satan.” Peter had to follow Jesus. The critical part is when he realized and said in Peter 2:20-25 “…follow in His footsteps, stay close to the shepherd and guardian of our souls.” Peter followed Jesus and recognized His voice. Man needs God. We have to be shown the path to God and this is what real shepherds do unlike the hired hand. According to Blessed Pope John Paul II, priests are called to authoritatively proclaim God’s words. The thieves and robbers apply to those people who exploit, serve themselves, use to their advantage and teach their own gospel not of Jesus. We are all called to be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit in order to be saved from this corrupt generation. We need a shepherd we can’t do it on our own. When we look at our own lives evil is constantly present to us in the world. It’s ridiculous to go into this dark valley without Jesus. People are scandalized by how the world turns out. It could be such a terrible place if people fail to depend on God in prayer. We need to hear His voice, follow Him and be led to find the verdant pastures. If we follow Him then we can drink of the restful waters, He will never abandon us and there is nothing we shall want. The saints would say, “Only the Lord.” To have life more abundantly, this is what we crave for. It is the life in the sacraments and in the gospel that lead us to follow his footsteps to the endless restful waters in green pastures. In John 6, He told us to eat His body and drink His blood to have eternal life. He used the Hebrew word to chew or gnaw, as in eating of the animals. It is the more graphic word to describe it and not just symbolic. The Church can understand the real presence of God in the Eucharist, transubstantiation, makes His body and blood available to us where real change has taken place. If we have Jesus in our life who lays down His life on the cross, bringing sheep that are led astray home and continually making Himself available in the Holy Eucharist then we will have the fullness of life in abundance. Amen. Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 10,11-18.

...I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
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...