Fourth Sunday of Easter

We pray the Fourth Sunday of Easter and sit with St Gregory the Great’s challenge to measure discipleship by love that obeys, not ideas that impress. The Good Shepherd leads us from belief into perseverance and hope for heaven, and we ask for the courage to keep moving toward our true destination. 
• opening prayers that place the day under the Trinity 
• Morning Offering through the Immaculate Heart of Mary that unites work and suffering to the Mass 
• St Gregory’s test of belonging to the flock through love shown in action 
• the claim that knowing God means keeping the commandments 
• the path from faith toward contemplation and the promise of eternal life 
• heaven described as true joy and clear vision of God 
• warning against distractions of comfort and success that derail the journey 
• Easter proclamation of the risen Shepherd who laid down his life 
If you found this time of prayer and reflection fruitful and would like more opportunities to grow in your faith, consider joining the Cristeros and purchasing our publications now available on Amazon.com. The Cristeros app is available on the Apple app and Google Play Store. More information on the Cristeros can be found at theCristeros.org.

Transcript

Opening Invocation And Praise

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The fourth Sunday of Easter, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the remission of my sins, for the intentions of my family and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen. From a homily on the Gospels by St. Gregory the Great, Pope. I am the Good Shepherd, I know my own, by which I mean I love them, and my own know me. In plain words, those who love me are willing to follow me, for anyone who does not love the truth has not yet come to know it. My dear brethren, you have heard the test we pastors have to undergo. Turn now to consider how these words of our Lord imply a test for yourselves also. Ask yourselves whether you belong to his flock, whether you know him, whether the light of his truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know him, but by love, not by mere conviction, but by action. John the evangelist is my authority for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God without keeping his commandments is a liar. Consequently, the Lord immediately adds, As the Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for my sheep. Clearly he means that laying down his life for his sheep gives evidence of his knowledge of the Father and the Father's knowledge of him. In other words, by the love with which he dies for his sheep, he shows how greatly he loves his father. Again he says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them. They follow me, and I give them eternal life. Shortly before this, he had declared, If any one enters the sheepfold through me, he shall be saved, he shall go freely in and out, and shall find good pasture. He will enter into a life of faith. From faith he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation, and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life. So our Lord's sheep will finally reach their grazing ground, where all who follow him in simplicity of heart will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of heaven. There the elect look upon the face of God with unclouded vision, and feast at the banquet of life forevermore. Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on. Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith, and long eagerly for what heaven has in store for us. To love thus is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination is not deterred by the roughness of the road that leads to it, nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveller who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going. The good shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep has risen from the dead. For the sake of the flock, he willingly suffered death. Alleluia. Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed. For the sake of the flock, he willingly suffered death. Alleluia. Almighty, ever living God, lead us to a share in the joys of heaven, so that the humble flock may reach where the brave shepherd has gone before, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen. Let us praise the Lord and give him thanks. All that I have and all that I am, I give to your hands, Jesus, through the heart of Mary, your blessed mother. Amen. Sacred heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. If you found this time of prayer and reflection fruitful and would like more opportunities to grow in your faith, consider joining the Cristuros and purchasing our publications now available on Amazon.com. The Cristeros app is available on the Apple app and Google Play Store. More information on the Cristuros can be found at theCristeros.org.