Christ's Sheep

 Reflection on Today's Readings , Tuesday of 4th Week of Easter, Year B, April 27th, 2021
Texts: Acts 11:19-26; Ps. 87:1-7; John 10:22-30
We believe in Jesus Christ if we are His sheep. Jesus says, "The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand." The sheep of Jesus Christ are those who are marked out for salvation; they are those who listen to God the Father and have found favour before Him. The words also remind us to do our best and leave the rest for God. We do not need to be sad when we preach and people do not change or believe our  message. They do not believe because they do not belong to Christ.
The sheep that belong to Christ can identify His voice and follow Him. When Christ speaks, they know His voice and follow Him. This means when we are the sheep of Christ, we will follow Him. Following Him is learning to be like Him; it is living like Him. Followership is the state of being a disciple; it is the willingness to follow the path of life led by whoever is followed. When we follow Christ, we grow into Him and put on His image. The sign that we have started following Christ is becoming like Him.
The believers in Antioch of the first reading are examples of how to follow Christ. They teach us in their lives that to follow Christ is to be like Him. In following Christ, people recognised Christ in them and they called them Christians, which means Christlikes, people who are like Christ. It is said, "and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians." They did not follow Christ in words alone but also in deeds, in their ways of life. Their lives challenge us today. They challenge us to practice and show forth our faith in our lives. Whatever we profess in words we must live out in our lives.
Today's first reading also tells us about the breaking of new ground; God opened new ground of evangelization for the disciples. Yesterday, God  used Peter to bring the goodnews to the Gentiles. Today, God used men of Cyprus and Cyrene to bring the goodnews to another group of Gentiles. It is said, "But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch." Everyday God breaks new ground in our lives, He opens a new page for us, He offers us a new opportunity to grow in virtues, in faith, charity and hope. We have each day to become better, to right our wrongs and rewrite our history. Today is another day to become better, let us start in earnest.
Today, Jesus Christ calls us to trust in God the Father in our journey of salvation. He says, "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” He reminds us that we are a gift of His Father to Him; we are given to Him in confidence. He (Christ) is faithful, He will not break His Father's confidence in Him. He also makes us to know that we belong to the Father and that His Father will not allow us to be taken away from Him. Hence, He reminds us that we have the support of the Father. He assures  us of His Father's power to save us and, so He tells us that His Father is greater than all. In Christ we have nothing to fear, salvation is certain in Him. Let us put our faith in Him and His Father and live for Him. Let us not be afraid to follow the path He has laid down for us. We are going to tread the path not by our own power but by His grace and the support of His Father.

God our Father, we thank you for your love, help us to hear the voice of your Son and follow Him with our whole hearts. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke