THE GOOD SHEPHERD; Second Sunday after Easter 18th April

 THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Second Sunday after Easter
18th April



The Second Sunday after Easter is traditionally known as “Good Shepherd Sunday”.
The Gospel of the day is John 10: 11-16:
“At that time Jesus said to the Pharisees: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for His sheep. But the hireling and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth and scattereth the sheep: and the hireling fleeth because he is a hireling and he hath no care for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd and I know mine and Mine know Me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down My life for My sheep. And other sheep I have that are not of this fold: them also I must bring and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.”
The Epistle is that of Peter 2: 21-25:
“Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow His steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. Who, when He was reviled, did not revile; when He suffered, He threatened not, but delivered Himself to them that judged Him unjustly: who His own self bore our sins in His body upon the tree: that we, being dead to sins, should live to justice; by whose stripes you were healed. For you were as sheep going astray: but you are now converted to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
Christ created the Apostles as the first priests, saying:
“He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16)
He gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins:
John 20:23:
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
He gave the power and the right to consecrate the bread and wine in the celebration of the Eucharist, commanding them to "Do this in memory of me." No person other than a legitimately ordained bishop or priest has this right, or power, to consecrate the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the new covenant with God's people.
He left us with His Church, under the guidance of shepherds, with the ability to pass on the office of the priesthood by Apostolic succession, exemplified by the succession instituted by the Apostles in Acts I.
He promised us that He would remain with us to the end of the world - How does He remain with us? Through His Church, under the guidance of the Pope, the Shepherd, who was given specific powers:
“’But what about you?’ He asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jona (Simon son of John), for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” (Mt 16: 13-20)
And through the Eucharist, His resurrected body and blood, consecrated by those who have descended from His Apostles:
“Then they told what had happened on the road and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”
(Luke 24:25).

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