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11 May 2014 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle A

Penitential Act Invitation Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries. Invocations Lord God, you call us to repentance. Lord, have mercy. Lord God, in you we are saved. Christ, have mercy. Lord God, you guide us in your ways. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer With the Lord as our shepherd, we seek God’s guidance in prayer: Let the church answer the call of Jesus to live in a spirit of repentance, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. Let the world seek righteousness, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. Let goodness and kindness come to those who suffer oppression, Lord, hear our prayer. Let this faith community recognize and follow the voice of Jesus, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle A

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26 Apr 2015 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle B

Penitential Act Invitation Only God can lead us to salvation, and in prayer we express our dependence on God and God’s mercy. Invocations Lord God, your Son Jesus is our shepherd, Jesus. Lord, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you lay down your life for us. Christ, have mercy. Lord God, you love us as your children. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Sisters and brothers, we have become children of God, and we ask our loving God to listen to our prayers. For leaders everywhere, that they may serve with selflessness and devotion to those they lead. Lord, hear our prayer. For the followers of Jesus, that we may always grow more like him. Lord, hear our prayer. For the church, that it may be a living witness to salvation in Christ Jesus. Lord, hear our prayer. In this Year of Consecrated Life, may the universal church continue to support and celebrate the good work and joyful witness of the men and women in consecrated life. Loving God, your mercy endures forever. We give you thanks for hearing the prayers we make in the name of Jesus, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle B

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21 Apr 2013 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

Penitential Act Introduction to the Penitential Rite As our Easter celebration of new life continues, we look to God’s mercy and ask for God’s pardon. Penitential Rite For when we have not trusted in God’s word, Lord, have mercy. For when we have not had faith in God. Christ, have mercy. For when we have not been witnesses to God’s salvation. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Our Lord leads us to eternal life. With confidence in our shepherd we pray to God. For the church, that it remains faithful to the grace of God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For every nation, race, and people, that they may know the light of God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For those in a time of distress, that they may find their way to God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For this community of faith, that we know we belong to God through Jesus, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. We stand before the throne of God who hears the prayers we make in the name of the Lamb of God, Christ our Lord.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

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Mighty Mississippi menaces Delta region

15 May 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter--Good Shepherd Sunday--contain many shepherding allusions. Residents of the Mississippi Delta region need the assistance of a good shepherd to help them navigate flood waters from the swollen river that are cresting at near record levels this week. The river topped outTuesday at Memphis just inches short of the record set in 1937. Some low-lying neighborhoods were inundated, but high levees protected much of the rest of the city. The damage was estimated at more than $320 million, but an official tally won't be available until the waters recede. To the south there were no early figures on the cost of the devastation, but with hundreds of homes already damaged, "we're going to have a lot more when the water gets to where it's never been before," said Greg Flynn, a spokesman for the Mississippi emergency management agency. Downstream in Louisiana, inmates were filling sandbags to protect property in Cajun swamp communities that could be flooded if engineers open a spillway to protect the more densely populated Baton Rouge area. Fear was high across the region. "I went through [Hurricane] Katrina," said Lynn Magnuson, a New Orleans resident. "I would not wish flooding on anyone, and this city is the last place on Earth that needs any more high water." "After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike--as well as the oil spill--Louisiana can ill-afford another large-scale disaster," said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D, La.) "Billions of dollars in property is at stake, not to mention the threat to human life." Source: Articles by Holbrook Mohr and Shelia Byrd for the Associated Press and CNN.com

flooding louisiana mississippi river floods good shepherd sunday memphis new orleans
Take a moment of silence

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Occasion: World Day of Prayer for Vocations Readings: Readings for Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday IT WAS JULY 1992, and I was on a three-week study tour-pilgrimage in the Holy Land. In the middle of a long hike on a scorching day, we came across two shepherds, smoking and chatting in a patch of shade. Their two flocks were all mixed together, hundreds of sheep, lazily rambling the hillsides. The two shepherds were happy to see us, and we began to visit. We asked, through our guide, how the sheep, all jumbled together, would know their rightful shepherd when the time came to move on. The two herdsmen chuckled and rose to take the dare: Each one went to an opposite side of the path, shouted out an indecipherable yell, and began to walk away. Immediately, the sheep ran behind their proper shepherd. And the few stragglers were spotted right away by their vigilant leader and summoned to follow. It was clear: The sheep knew their shepherd; the shepherd knew his sheep. Ah, but the show was not over. Charged up by the attention of their audience, the shepherds said, "Watch this." They then exchanged their outer apparel. Once again, they each went to opposite sides of the path, gave their familiar call, and began to walk away. Without a pause, the sheep followed their proper shepherd, even though he had completely changed his outward appearance! The sheep knew their shepherd so well-his voice, his command, his walk—that they could not be deceived by a disguise. Jesus said: ". . . The sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out . . . . he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice." Jesus, the Good Shepherd, gives us the most effective strategy in promoting vocations: We must come to know our shepherd so intimately, his voice so unmistakably, that we sense his call in our gut and follow him. We gather for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on this Fourth Sunday of Easter, "Good Shepherd Sunday," designated as well "World Day of Prayer for Vocations." We recognize that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, continues to tend to his flock in a variety of very effective and tender ways. For us as Catholics, we also acknowledge that a unique way he shepherds his people is through his priests. In fact, we call our parish priests pastors, which is simply the Latin word for "shepherd." For the past 30 years we have been praying ceaselessly for "an increase in vocations to the priesthood." Yet, at times it seems the Lord is ignoring our plea, as the data would indicate far too few are responding. The problem, of course, is hardly that Jesus is not calling; the problem is that we have wax in our ears. The problem is that we are not listening to his voice! Jesus, the Good Shepherd, like those I met on the hillside of Galilee, gives us the most effective strategy in promoting vocations: We must come to know our shepherd so intimately, his voice so unmistakably, that we sense his call in our gut and follow him. And I would propose that we best hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in silence. The Bible tells us that the language God prefers is silence, and the atmosphere God best works in is silence. "Be still and know that I am God," God whispers. "In quiet and confidence shall be thy strength," God encourages Isaiah. Each of the seven years I was rector of the North American College in Rome, I had the pleasure of reading 50 or so autobiographies of the men entering. I soon discovered a common thread: Almost all of the men discerned the call to the priesthood in silence. It was often during quiet prayer before the Eucharist; sometimes during a retreat or another period of stillness; maybe during a time of quiet reflection after a pivotal experience or encounter. For some of them, it came in silence on a life-changing episode such as a pilgrimage, service project, or World Youth Day. Never did it come as a shout, as a yell, in a panic, or in a crowd. No, it came gently, softly, quietly, the voice of the Shepherd only to be discerned in silence. And it came from a person to a person. These young candidates knew their shepherd so well they recognized his soft voice. They had come to know him through wonderful parents and families, vibrant parishes and communities, careful catechesis and uplifting liturgy, service to his neglected, and immersion in his Word, the support of friends and the joy of fellowship, and his Real Presence in the Eucharist and merciful forgiveness in penance. They had come to know this shepherd so well that when, in silence, he whispered, "Come, follow me as a priest," they recognized him and heard him. Does it seem too simple? To promote vocations we best promote silence. To hear his voice we must be quiet. To let him talk, we stop talking. Our first vocation, then, is not to priesthood, marriage, religious life, lay ecclesial ministry, deaconate, the single state. No. Our primary vocation is to know Jesus, the Good Shepherd, so well, that when he whispers to us in silence, we will hear his voice and follow his call. Then, we'll have all the vocations we need.

Authors Cardinal Timothy Dolan

Special occasion vocations World Day of Prayer for Vocatίons good shepherd sunday
Exploring the word

17 Apr 2016 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

At the anniversary of a priest’s ordination, the homilist said something surprising: “The mystery of the Christian priesthood is this: A priest is a fallible, ordinary man. A man of dust who remembers he will return to dust, even though he presently wears a chasuble.” On this Good Shepherd Sunday, as we observe the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, it’s appropriate to consider the nature of authentic vocation. We hear that we’re all called by God—all of us, not just priests and religious. But what does it mean to be called? How should we listen for it, and what are we to do about it? Jesus says his sheep recognize his voice, and because they do, they follow where he leads. Evidently “call” involves more than a word spoken or message received. It also implies a word heeded. The way we respond is not merely to hear the call but to reply with our behavior. We follow. This response requires our consent. Consent isn’t an item we can hand off once and be done with it. It’s never so easy, even when it comes to perpetual vows like marriage or ordination, or the incarnate pledge of a parent to a child. Consent involves the little-by-little, day-by-day acquiescence of the will to a particular purpose. Consent means “to feel with.” And feelings can change, especially if we allow the incidentals of life to distract us from our purpose. If we intend to “feel with” our primary allegiances, then we have to stay close to them, attend to them daily, heed the voice of those whose claim on us is already established. We do this mindful that we are—as the homilist at the anniversary celebration noted—fallible and ordinary. We’re dust, no matter what noble garments we may wear on the outside. We may be priest, sister, brother, wife, husband, father, mother. Our commitments may not be recognized by any formal sacrament but still very real: like the artist pledged to create, the scientist to explore, the nurse to heal, the business owner to treat employees and customers justly. We give consent to our vocation not just once, in the hour the sacrament is conferred or our profession engaged, but in every fresh transaction, at every bedside we tend, with every brush stroke, in every human encounter. When we link our destiny to Jesus—and Baptism so links us all—we’re also linked to his Father, since as Jesus says, “The Father and I are one.” Jesus gives total and profound consent to his Father, and we dare to surrender our consent to Jesus—fallible and ordinary as we are, dust though we may be. Vocation is the door; our consent is the key. Related scripture links The Father and I are one: John 18:21-23 Gathering up the fragments: John 6:12 144,000: Rev. 7:4-8; 14:1-5 Weakness is strength: 2 Cor. 12:1-10

Authors Alice Camille

good shepherd sunday World Day of Prayer for Vocations sheep consent vocations

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17 Apr 2016 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

Penitential Act Invitation As our Easter celebration of new life continues, we look to God’s mercy and ask for God’s pardon. Invocations For when we have not trusted in God’s word, Lord, have mercy. For when we have not had faith in God. Christ, have mercy. For when we have not been witnesses to God’s salvation. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the faithful The universal prayer Our Lord leads us to eternal life. With confidence in our shepherd we pray to God. For the church, that it remains faithful to the grace of God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For every nation, race, and people, that they may know the light of God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For those in a time of distress, that they may find their way to God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. For this community of faith, that we know we belong to God through Jesus, we pray. Lord, hear our prayer. We stand before the throne of God who hears the prayers we make in the name of the Lamb of God, Christ our Lord.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

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29 Apr 2012 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle B

Penitential Act Invitation Only God can lead us to salvation, and in prayer we express our dependence on God and God’s mercy. Invocations Lord God, your Son Jesus is our shepherd, Jesus. Lord, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you lay down your life for us. Christ, have mercy. Lord God, you love us as your children. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Sisters and brothers, we have become children of God, and we ask our loving God to listen to our prayers. For leaders everywhere, that they may serve with selflessness and devotion to those they lead. Lord, hear our prayer. For the followers of Jesus, that we may always grow more like him. Lord, hear our prayer. For the church, that it may be a living witness to salvation in Christ Jesus. Lord, hear our prayer. Loving God, your mercy endures forever. We give you thanks for hearing the prayers we make in the name of Jesus, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle B

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25 Apr 2010 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer The divine Shepherd knows us. We hear his voice and we follow him. He protects us from all evil and opens a way for us that we might come to fulfillment. Let us pray that we always have the courage to follow the shepherd. For our church, that we see among us the great multitude from every race, nation, and tongue who worship God with us in unity and peace, we pray to the Lord. For all immigrants who come to our country seeking better lives for themselves and their families, that we welcome them and provide for them from our abundance, and that we work to protect them from unjust immigration laws, we pray to the Lord. For our parish of (N.), that the Word of God guide us, that the Father protect us, and that we always follow the voice of the Shepherd in hope and trust, we pray to the Lord. For our nation, that we use our great wealth to help poorer countries, our great power to make friends of our enemies, and our great influence to lead the world in peace, we pray to the Lord. Father, we give you thanks for sending your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through his death and resurrection we have been rescued from sin and death. Help us to follow him in the ways of your kingdom, where Christ is Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle C

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Who's listening?

15 May 2011 - Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday, Cycle A

The Easter season continues, and so does the church's meditation on the risen Christ. On this "Good Shepherd Sunday," we hear the voice of the True Shepherd, Jesus Christ. How do we respond? Find the places in our lives where we can repent, turn to God, and know forgiveness. And in this season of resurrection the readings this week remind us of the passion of Jesus, who has healed us by his wounds. The presence of the risen Lord calls us to conversion.

good shepherd sunday Forgiveness Conversion

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