Beloved in Christ,
On the fourth Sunday of Easter, the Church traditionally reads about the "Good Shepherd Discourse" from various pericopes of John 10. The focus on the shepherd in this gospel passage accounts for nicknaming this Sunday Good Shepherd Sunday. In the section of John 10 assigned for our reflection on this day of the Lord, Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (v. 27). The sheepfold is under the shepherd's care. The shepherd is close to them because, while caring for and protecting them, they become accustomed to his person, especially his voice, and they listen to him when he calls them.
In the Old Testament, the symbol of the shepherd is used to describe the relationship between God and the people of Israel. So often, the shepherd failed in their role. Nevertheless, God promised to shepherd his people. Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy. Jesus is the true Chief Shepherd. He, however, delegated this role to Peter, the servant of the servants, the vicar of Christ on earth. The pope, and precisely, the new pope, is the shepherd of the flock of Christ, the Church. There are, however, others who share in this ministry: the priests, and by extension, permanent deacons and religious in consecrated life.
Today is World Day of Prayer for Vocation, designated by the church. We pray for vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life, especially from our parish. There is a vocation here; we haven't been attentive and proactive enough in identifying and encouraging them. My father and parish priest were the first to encourage me to consider a vocation to the priesthood and religious life. They must have noticed some possibility in me that I was unaware of. On each occasion I was asked to consider the priesthood, I quickly answered "NO!" As I have shared several times, I had plans to marry and have at least eight daughters! Weird as it sounds, it is the truth. But God called me into something else, he called me to be a religious ( a Dominican ) and then a Catholic Priest. I have no regrets and would do it again despite the challenges the vocation attracts.
Like Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13), there are difficulties, persecution, and even today, mockery of the office of the priesthood. However, Jesus, the Chief Shepherd of the Church and priests, continues to guide all priests through those trials and obstacles. Please pray for your priests, deacons, and religious. But more so, pray for vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life from our beloved St. Peter parish. I want to commend the efforts of our Vocation Awareness Ministry, led by Don Heffner and his team. They are actively working behind the scenes to encourage vocations in our parish. Please, reach out to them if you want to suggest a young boy or girl you think has potential for the priesthood or religious life. If any young man here is interested in giving vocation to priesthood a shot, please talk to them or me. You can attend a Diocesan program to help you discern vocation to the priesthood; it is called Quo Vadis. There are pamphlets in the narthex that explain how it works. If you hear the voice of Christ the Shepherd calling you today, do not harden your hearts. Say YES to the call and follow, as I did thirty-two years ago.
Today, we celebrate the most important person in the lives of most of us- our mothers. On this Mother's Day, we once again express gratitude to our mothers for all the sacrifices they make in choosing to bring us to life and nurture us into who we are today. Thanks, mom!
Happy Mother's Day! Pray for your mother, call your mother, celebrate your mother while you still have them.
In Christ,
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
On the fourth Sunday of Easter, the Church traditionally reads about the "Good Shepherd Discourse" from various pericopes of John 10. The focus on the shepherd in this gospel passage accounts for nicknaming this Sunday Good Shepherd Sunday. In the section of John 10 assigned for our reflection on this day of the Lord, Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (v. 27). The sheepfold is under the shepherd's care. The shepherd is close to them because, while caring for and protecting them, they become accustomed to his person, especially his voice, and they listen to him when he calls them.
In the Old Testament, the symbol of the shepherd is used to describe the relationship between God and the people of Israel. So often, the shepherd failed in their role. Nevertheless, God promised to shepherd his people. Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy. Jesus is the true Chief Shepherd. He, however, delegated this role to Peter, the servant of the servants, the vicar of Christ on earth. The pope, and precisely, the new pope, is the shepherd of the flock of Christ, the Church. There are, however, others who share in this ministry: the priests, and by extension, permanent deacons and religious in consecrated life.
Today is World Day of Prayer for Vocation, designated by the church. We pray for vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life, especially from our parish. There is a vocation here; we haven't been attentive and proactive enough in identifying and encouraging them. My father and parish priest were the first to encourage me to consider a vocation to the priesthood and religious life. They must have noticed some possibility in me that I was unaware of. On each occasion I was asked to consider the priesthood, I quickly answered "NO!" As I have shared several times, I had plans to marry and have at least eight daughters! Weird as it sounds, it is the truth. But God called me into something else, he called me to be a religious ( a Dominican ) and then a Catholic Priest. I have no regrets and would do it again despite the challenges the vocation attracts.
Like Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13), there are difficulties, persecution, and even today, mockery of the office of the priesthood. However, Jesus, the Chief Shepherd of the Church and priests, continues to guide all priests through those trials and obstacles. Please pray for your priests, deacons, and religious. But more so, pray for vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life from our beloved St. Peter parish. I want to commend the efforts of our Vocation Awareness Ministry, led by Don Heffner and his team. They are actively working behind the scenes to encourage vocations in our parish. Please, reach out to them if you want to suggest a young boy or girl you think has potential for the priesthood or religious life. If any young man here is interested in giving vocation to priesthood a shot, please talk to them or me. You can attend a Diocesan program to help you discern vocation to the priesthood; it is called Quo Vadis. There are pamphlets in the narthex that explain how it works. If you hear the voice of Christ the Shepherd calling you today, do not harden your hearts. Say YES to the call and follow, as I did thirty-two years ago.
Today, we celebrate the most important person in the lives of most of us- our mothers. On this Mother's Day, we once again express gratitude to our mothers for all the sacrifices they make in choosing to bring us to life and nurture us into who we are today. Thanks, mom!
Happy Mother's Day! Pray for your mother, call your mother, celebrate your mother while you still have them.
In Christ,
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
RSS Feed