Fourth Sunday cycle C, 5-11-25

 “The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.”  

This was the response of the Gentiles whom Paul and Barnabas preached to in Antioch of Pisidia in our first reading in the Acts of the Apostles. 

Paul and Barnabas had come to the synagogue to preach to the Jews about the passion, death, resurrection of Jesus and eternal life that He had one for them, but they rejected this. 

So, Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles that an preached the gift of eternal life was for them, if they have faith in Jesus. 

Many of the Gentile’s accepted this message and became Jesus’ disciples.   

This good news gave them hope from the tyranny of the occupying Roman authorities, who could end their life, at a blink of an eye if they didn’t worship their gods or emperor. 

There was much more to their lives than the oppressive conditions under Roman rule. 

They now had much more to hope for. 

These Gentile’s could as well gain eternal life, by having faith in Jesus. 

This was something to be joy about! 

We as well are like the Gentiles, and are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit, at the exciting news of election of our new Pope Leo XIV, the Vicar of Christ, this past week. 

Pope Leo XIV, our new Shepherd of the Church, the successor of St. Peter, who will continue to proclaim the good news of eternal life won for us by Jesus, in a world that’s so much like that of the first century. 

In his first homily to the cardinals after his election, Pope Leo XIV spoke of two prevailing attitudes of the time to the question that Jesus asked Peter, “Who do people say the son of Man is”. 

First, there is the world’s response.  

Matthew tells us that this conversation between Jesus and his disciples takes place in the beautiful town of Caesarea Philippi, filled with luxurious palaces, set in a magnificent natural landscape at the foot of Mount Hermon, but also a place of cruel power plays and the scene of betrayals and infidelity.  

This setting speaks to us of a world that considers Jesus a completely insignificant person, at best someone with an unusual and striking way of speaking and acting.  

And so, once his presence becomes irksome because of his demands for honesty and his stern moral requirements, this “world” will not hesitate to reject and eliminate him. 

Then there is the other possible response to Jesus’ question: that of ordinary people.  

For them, the Nazarene is not a charlatan, but an upright man, one who has courage, who speaks well and says the right things, like other great prophets in the history of Israel.  

That is why they follow him, at least for as long as they can do so without too much risk or inconvenience.  

Yet to them he is only a man, and therefore, in times of danger, during his passion, they too abandon him and depart disappointed. 

What is striking about these two attitudes is their relevance today.  

They embody notions that we could easily find on the lips of many men and women in our own time, even if, while essentially identical, they are expressed in different language.  

Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent.  

Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure. 

Today, too, there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman.  

This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism. 

This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Saviour.  

Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). 

It is essential to do this, first of all, in our personal relationship with the Lord, in our commitment to a daily journey of conversion.  

Then, to do so as a Church, experiencing together our fidelity to the Lord and bringing the Good News to all (cf. Lumen Gentium, 1).  

These are indeed words of a Shepherd we need for our times. 

Today we’re given the image of Jesus as a caring shepherd, one whom the sheep know by the sound of his voice. 

When sheep hear the shepherd’s voice, they know they’ll be taken care of, because he provides them nourishment and protection from the wild beast who prey on them.  

Jesus tells us that, ”My sheep hear my voice and that I know them, and they follow me”.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” 

Isn’t eternal life something that we all yearn for? 

How do we hear our Good Shepherd’s voice, amongst all the competing voices in the world that want to take our life from us? 

As Pope Leo XIV stated there is much to distract us in this world from hearing shepherd’s voice: technology, money, success, power, or pleasure. 

If we take some time away from these distractions, we can come to know the Shepherd’s voice by listening to Jesus in Scripture, sacred reading, and being in relationship with him in prayer. 

We also can come to know the Shepherd’s voice by listening to Christ’s shepherds here on earth, Pope Leo XIV and Archbishop Thompson.  They are the Shepherds of Christ chosen to provide for our needs, nourishing us and keeping us safe, through their governance, sanctification, and teaching. 

We’re going to hear many things about our new Holy Father from the secular media over the coming days, weeks, months, and years, that may distort the truth of what he is teaching. 

We need to be careful in discerning what we hear, and ask ourselves, is this really the voice of the shepherd? 

If something doesn’t sound right, turn to official sources of media from the Church and those that work closely with the Church.  

Fortunately, there are some great resources from the Vatican media that will truthfully convey Pope Leo XIV teachings.   

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis website and weekly newspaper, the Criterion, are the trusted sources for us to learn about teachings of our Pope and local shepherd, Archbishop Thompson.   

Be wary of some media sources that claim to be Catholic as they even may promote ideas contrary to our Church’s shepherd’s teachings.  

If you ever need guidance on trusted sources don’t hesitate to ask Fr. Steve, Fr. Anthony, or myself 

To hear the Shepherd’s voice, it’s important to spend time daily listening to the voice our Lord, through prayer and his Word. 

Just Five or ten minutes a day can have a tremendous impact.   

Turn off the distractions of technology and entertainment, which only provide fleeting pleasure with moments of instant gratification.  

Find some time to rest with the Good Shepherd, the one who cares for us providing nourishment and protection for our souls.