Pastor's Corner

21^st April, 2024

Saint Peter gives testimony before the Jewish authorities about the healing that Jesus of Nazareth offered to those who sought him. His testimony is not a complaint, but rather a proclamation that Christ is the person without whom no one can be saved. In the Second Reading, Saint John assures us that we are God's children now, although the world may not recognize us as such. In fact, the well-known image of the shepherd and the sheep that consistently appear in the Gospel of this Fourth Sunday of Easter, shows us the intimate relationship that we have with the Father through the Son, bound by the love of the Holy Spirit. This relationship would be non-existent without the selfless surrender of Jesus on the cross and his glorious resurrection.

The Psalm refrain of today's Mass seems to best summarize the feelings of the early Christian community as they faced with rejection and persecution: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" (Psalm 118:1). Christ is that cornerstone on whom the faith of our Church has been built, and continues to grow. The word of God offers us several images today that may find expression in the liturgy if prepared with time: the apostolic witness before the oppression of the powerful leaders, our intimacy with God through baptism, and God's ever-present embrace in our lives despite our disobedience. If the community has initiated new adult members this year, perhaps give the opportunity for each of them to give a brief testimony after the final prayer of Mass during this Easter season. That way, they may bear witness to their journey of faith and to their new life in Christ.

Rev. Juan J. Sosa
Pastor