I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Monday, week 4 of Eastertide - ‘I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me'

First Reading Acts 11:1-18 God can grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life

The apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, ‘So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’ Peter in reply gave them the details point by point: ‘One day, when I was in the town of Jaffa,’ he began, ‘I fell into a trance as I was praying and had a vision of something like a big sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. This sheet reached the ground quite close to me. I watched it intently and saw all sorts of animals and wild beasts – everything possible that could walk, crawl or fly. Then I heard a voice that said to me, “Now, Peter; kill and eat!” But I answered: Certainly not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips. And a second time the voice spoke from heaven, “What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane.” This was repeated three times, before the whole of it was drawn up to heaven again.

Responsorial Psalm: My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.

Gospel  John 10:11-18 The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep

Jesus said: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep and runs away as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep; this is because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep.

‘I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. And there are other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and these I have to lead as well. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock, and 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; I lay it down of my own free will, and as it is in my power to lay it down, so it is in my power to take it up again; and this is the command I have been given by my Father.

Jesus, I trust in you. Lord you are my Shepherd. You are true to your word. On the cross you laid down your life to save me. Lord, on the third day you rose. You are with God, the eternal Father. You reign with the Father in glory. Virgin Mary, pray for me. Saint Joseph, pray for me. My Angel Guardian, pray for me. Let us pray the Rosary.

AELF: lundi, 4ème Semaine du Temps Pascal -  

« JE SUIS LE BON PASTEUR, LE VRAI BERGER »

«Je suis le bon pasteur ; je connais mes brebis, et mes brebis me connaissent»

Évangile Jean 10, 11-18 « Le bon pasteur donne sa vie pour ses brebis »

En ce temps-là, Jésus déclara : « Moi, je suis le bon pasteur, le vrai berger, qui donne sa vie pour ses brebis. Le berger mercenaire n’est pas le pasteur, les brebis ne sont pas à lui : s’il voit venir le loup, il abandonne les brebis et s’enfuit ; le loup s’en empare et les disperse. Ce berger n’est qu’un mercenaire, et les brebis ne comptent pas vraiment pour lui. 

Moi, je suis le bon pasteur ; je connais mes brebis, et mes brebis me connaissent, comme le Père me connaît, et que je connais le Père ; et je donne ma vie pour mes brebis. J’ai encore d’autres brebis, qui ne sont pas de cet enclos : celles-là aussi, il faut que je les conduise. Elles écouteront ma voix : il y aura un seul troupeau et un seul pasteur. 

Voici pourquoi le Père m’aime : parce que je donne ma vie, pour la recevoir de nouveau. Nul ne peut me l’enlever : je la donne de moi-même. J’ai le pouvoir de la donner, j’ai aussi le pouvoir de la recevoir de nouveau : voilà le commandement que j’ai reçu de mon Père. »

Jésus, j'ai confiance en toi. Seigneur, tu es mon Berger. Tu es fidèle à ta parole. Sur la croix, tu as donné ta vie pour me sauver. Seigneur, le troisième jour, tu es ressuscité. Tu es auprès de Dieu, le Père éternel. Tu règnes avec le Père dans la gloire. Vierge Marie, priez pour moi. Saint Joseph, priez pour moi. Mon Ange Gardien, priez pour moi. Prions le Rosaire.