FOURTH EASTER (A)

Sunday 7 May 2017

The Examen How have I lived out last week’s Gospel message? … What was tough? … What was rewarding? The Introduction Have you ever felt like being Catholic means that you live life to the half? That all the rules we have to follow take away from our enjoyment of life? In referring to himself as the sheep gate, Jesus is telling us that he opens the door to a richer, fuller life. Unlike the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy, he wants to give us abundant life! In truth, when we follow Jesus we have more life, not less! Pray for the grace to open your heart to all that God has for you. The Call to Prayer Leader: Your Easter gift surprises us, O Loving God. All:

When we felt that death had the last word, Christ is among us.

Leader: Your Easter gift delights us, O Loving God. All:

When we put limits on our achievements and our happiness, Christ is not bound by them.

Leader: Your Easter gift challenges us, O Loving God. All:

When we would keep our faith to ourselves, Christ encourages us to venture out unafraid.

Leader: Your Easter gift humbles us, O Loving God. All:

When we glory in our work for you, Christ shows us his hands and side.

Leader: The risen Christ is your Easter gift, O Loving God. All:

We join with all the saints. We give thanks and we rejoice! Amen.

The Scripture

(John 10: 1 – 10)

Jesus 1:

Truly, I assure you: Whoever does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters through the gate is shepherd of the sheep; the one for whom the keeper opens the gate. The sheep know the shepherd’s voice; the shepherd calls them by name and leads them out.

Jesus 2:

Having lead them out of the fold, the shepherd walks in front of them and they follow because they recognise the shepherd’s voice. They simply won’t follow strangers – they’ll flee from them because they don’t recognise the voice of strangers.

Narrator: Jesus used this figure with his disciples, but they did not grasp what he was trying to tell them. Jesus 1:

The truth of the matter is, I am the sheep gate. All who came before me were thieves and marauders whom the sheep didn’t heed. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be safe – you’ll go in and out and find pasture.

Jesus 2:

The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I came that you might have life and have it to the full.

The Focus

Gates Aren’t All Bad

I remember a teen couple who were on a youth ministry camping trip. They asked if they could sleep together in a tent by the fire. ‘You can trust us,’ they promised. ‘We don’t want to have sex until we’re married’. I believed them, but I still asked them to sleep in separate tents – because a lot of young people make that commitment but aren’t able to keep it in the heat of the moment. Those two were angry, but I’m still happy I enforced the rule. Rules can be frustrating, but they often serve a good purpose. This week Jesus compares himself to the gate that closes the sheep’s pen and keeps trouble out of their lives. Scripture scholars say that shepherds in Jesus’ time actually became gates at night by sleeping across the opening of the pens. Young people face a lot of rules – gates that seem to pen them in. Some comes from parents, some from teachers and coaches, and others from our Church. But the goal is to keep them from problems they might not expect. For example, rules against sex before marriage help prevent broken hearts and unwanted pregnancies – which often lead to situations that cause problems in relationships and sometimes young mothers raising children alone. Rules about Mass attendance help keep us connected to God and to the community that can help us when we face tough times. This week, if you face a frustrating rule, ask for the reason behind it. I bet behind it, you’ll find someone who loves you and who, like Jesus, wants to keep trouble out of your life. The Music Connection (Sunday’s Song) ‘ROYALS’

Lorde

The Love Club EP

(Universal Music NZ)

A shepherd leads, guides, governs, protects, fosters and nurtures. They welcome and open themselves to all. The song ‘Royals’ is about the rejection of our earthly ideas of royalty in favour of something more substantial. Key lines: And we’ll never be royals / It don’t run in our blood / That kind of lux just ain’t for us / We crave a different kind of buzz / Let me be your ruler, you can call me Queen Bee / And baby (I’ll rule I’ll rule I’ll rule …) Let me live that fantasy How do you shepherd others in your life? Pope Francis used the analogy recently saying he wants bishops and priests to smell like the sheep they are working with? Do you ever smell like sheep when you serve? Who smells like the sheep they serve that you know? The Commissioning Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ! He is calling you by name, assuring us of life, life in all its fullness. Amen. The Song Suggestions

(Song suggestions taken from ‘Spirit & Song’ Spirit & Song/ OCP Publications)

CHRIST IS RISEN (Matt Maher & Mia Fieldes)

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD (Joshua Blakesley)

The Question of the Week If a word or phrase from the Gospel grabs your heart: sit quietly for a few moments, repeating it to yourself and asking God to show you how it applies to your life. Perhaps even journal on the following question: • What rules frustrate you the most? What might be the reasons behind those rules?