Today, St. Paul continues to preach that Jesus is the Messiah, showing how what is described in the second Psalm is fulfilled in Jesus. In the Gospel, Jesus encourages his disciples to have faith in him as the gate. He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” This is the same appeal St. Paul is making in Antioch, preaching to the Jews, who all believe in God, but have yet to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. If they want eternal life, all they have…
Today, Jesus teaches his disciples that no messenger is greater than the one who sent him. We see this exemplified in St. Paul’s missionary preaching. As Jesus speaks on behalf of the Father, St. Paul speaks on behalf of Jesus. He does so in a way that captures all of salvation history, highlighting all the ways in which God had been watching over his people as a Father. From their freedom from slavery in Egypt to their testing in the desert to their entrance into the promised land to the…
In today’s account of the Acts of the Apostles, we are introduced to John Mark, who many scholars believe to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. It was during these early days of the Church’s mission to all the surrounding nations that many great and influential people were entering into the Church. They were no doubt drawn by the enthusiasm of the many prophets and teachers who were named for us today, including Barnabas. Barnabas was not only Saul’s companion, he was John Mark’s cousin. Later…
“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” These words from Jesus, the Good Shepherd, are a powerful reminder of the awesome blessing and abundance of life given to all who hear his voice and follow him. Jesus walks ahead of us, and we follow him because we recognize his voice. And how do we recognize his voice? Our readings show us several examples of the ways Jesus speaks to his flock.
