AN EXODUS OF LOVE

Fourth Sunday of Easter

(Good Shepherd Sunday)

52^nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Acts 4: 8 – 12; Ps. 118; 1 Jn. 3: 1 – 2; Jn. 10: 11 – 18

The Exodus story found in the Old Testament remains until today of the most celebrated event in human history. In fact, just recently, a movie inspired by such story was released last year entitled, Exodus: Gods and Kings. I think the reason why we are still amazed until today by the story of Moses and the Israelites is because of the many wondrous events which took place in Egypt especially the ten plagues until the great crossing at the Red Sea. However, the core meaning of the Exodus event was the experience of liberation by leaving Egypt in order to go the land promised by God.  

In our Gospel today, Jesus claims that he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Such claim implies to us Jesus’ own experience of an exodus. He left the comforts of heaven in order to gather the scattered sheep and take away their fear from wolves. Peter in our first reading vividly tells us the result of Jesus’ exodus from heaven to earth. Jesus on earth was the “stone rejected by the builders.” His teachings and miracles led him not to a glorious kingdom but to the cross where he was crucified and died. However, such exodus of Jesus from heaven to earth made us as John tells us in our second reading, “children of God” And in his gospel, he tells us that it was the love of the Father that made Jesus ready to lay down his life for his sheep.

We are still in the season of Easter. And we have to remind ourselves that the Resurrection of Jesus is an Exodus event. Jesus left the empty tomb in order to fulfill his previous words to his disciples that he will rise on the third day. Such movement from the tomb to Galilee; from death to life is all because of love.

The Fourth Sunday of Easter has also been dedicated by the Church as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. In his message this year, Pope Francis quoting Deus Caritas Est has reminded everyone that “Christian vocation is first and foremost a call to love, a love which attracts us and draws us out of ourselves, “decentering” us and triggering “an ongoing exodus out of the closed-inward looking self towards its liberation through self-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God.” Therefore, the Pope is challenging us that each of us whether, single, married, or ordained is called to an exodus of love. We leave our selfish selves and move towards a self-giving life so that in the end we discover God. It has to be an exodus motivated by love because the person who first called us into this life is God who is love.

In a special way, we offer prayers for Mary Jane Veloso, our kababayan, who is into a very difficult situation in Indonesia right now. May the Good Shepherd save her life from death and that she be brought to the wellspring of life and love. Amen!