We are his People

Acts 13:14, 43-52, Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5

Revelation 7:9, 14b-17, John 10:27-30

Once again we are here, to share a short homily, today in this Sunday of the Good shepherd. Today we have listened in the first reading the Acts of the Apostles, where Paul and Barnaba were preaching the Gospel, although they have many problems, particularly with the Jews. They were refusing to accept and listen the Good News. However, Paul and Barnaba did not they gave up, because for them the preaching was a joy and their mission. But finally they have to leave Antioch because the Prominent people and Jews expulsed them. Also we have listened in the second reading, the book of revelations. We listened the vision of the Apostle John, where he can see those who were suffering death due to the preaching of the Gospel.

However, John does not mention it for pains or fear purposes rather than it he mentioned it to give us the hope saying God will remove every tear of pain of their eyes. And finally we have listened the Gospel of John, where Jesus proclaims very clear, we are part of his people, we are his sheep. We belong to him and we recognize his voice. Jesus also mentions the eternal life, which he is giving us through his Father. Then, there is no need to have fear, because everything, our lives, ways are in the hands of the Father.

Reading and meditating on these readings I was thinking about the fears that we can all have. I myself have gone through those moments where you think that Jesus remains far away, that maybe our efforts are not enough and we begin to carry that hopelessness. We experience betrayal, rejection and many other things, particularly when we try to tell and speak the truth, we always find people with power as in the acts of the apostles who are uncomfortable to hear the truth and prefer to expel it. and do not allow justice, truth and justice to be admitted. However, we must not forget that in spite of these silences or betrayals, the earth itself will cry out the truth, which lies in Jesus.

But in spite of knowing, we often continue to think that the voice of Jesus no longer reaches us or that we cannot hear it. But many times it is not because Jesus does not speak to us or because we are not part of his sheep. Many times we feel that way because the world doesn't want to allow us to be part of his group. Many people with power prefer to keep us enslaved to money, to power, to sadness, to anger, so that we don't have a full life in Jesus, so that we don't become part of the building of the Kingdom and its justice. Society, with its tired rhythms of life, often does not allow us to listen to the voice of Jesus. However, all is not lost, the kingdom of evil and sin does not have the last word.

Jesus has the last word, he speaks to us in our conscience, he speaks to us in the depths of our hearts, where we find that God dwells and tells us that we are part of his sheep and then we reflect that in our lives. We reflect it when we do not accept to do wrong, when we share something with those who are most disadvantaged, when we share a joy or comfort someone. When we live by rejecting daily injustice, when we tell someone that God blesses them, when we offer a small prayer for those who are most in need. It is in these moments that we recognize that we are part of Jesus' Kingdom and that we act according to his voice and therefore we know that Jesus is still calling us.

We do not need great speeches, great acts to identify the voice of Jesus and to know that we are part of his flock. We only need a heart open to his voice, to his word and the will to continue to share the mission of the Father, which was also the mission of Jesus. So dear friends, let us not lose the ability to open our hearts to Jesus and never forget that in spite of difficulties, fears or problems, we are always part of his flock and that he never tires of loving us. Have a great Sunday, greetings in Jesus, the good shepherd and Missionary of the Father.