“I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

       Do you want to know my daily routine, as a family man and Feast builder? Here we go… Prayer and Scripture time at 5:30 a.m. Intercession and workout time (I pray for people while exercising). Cardiovascular training, doing jump-rope or stationary biking for 30 minutes to an hour. My verison of circuit training: power sets of push-ups, pull-ups, lunges and crunches.

       Family time follows: daughter Reese’s hug and play time, and son Rob’s Lesson for the Day sessions. Then it’s date time with my wife, Joie. Since her love language is quality time, we do the following: dine and share stories. Plan and pray together. Laugh and cry together. Minister and reach out together.

       Then it’s mission time: one-to-one discipling; family discipling; giving life-changing inspiration and motivational talks; coaching and counseling; and visualization exercise.

       I won’t stop growing because I believe that the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. St. Augustine was right when he said that serving God is the greatest adventure in the world! Wanna live a life of adventure? Immerse yourself in Jesus’ fullness of life! Obet Cabrillas (obetcab@yahoo.com /twitter: @daddyobet)

Reflection:“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” (Pierre Teilhard

The Gospel can cut through the hardest of hearts and convict a person with the truth. But sometimes, it does not have to work that hard. We can look for answers to the meaning of life, and listen with willing ears and an open heart to the testimonies of others about their relationship with Jesus.

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: 36 “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” 40 He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come. (R)

Jesus is perfect and without sin and it is difficult to follow Him a hundred  percent. The Church has cultivated the cult of the saints so that we can relate to men and women like us who, being sinners, also struggled with holiness. Let us be grateful that we have these examples of holiness and grace.

20 Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. 22 He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. 23 When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Jesus promises fullness of life to those who will believe in Him. This is His mission. Our sins have deprived us of the blessings of God and Jesus restored us to His favor. Jesus brings judgment to the world but His judgment is on sin, not us.

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.

1 Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. 2 But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his  voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. 5 But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” 6 Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them. 7 So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

think: What was the turning point of your faith walk? When did you hear God’s call and respond to Him?

Read the Bible in one year Deuteronomy 15-18

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

JESUS, OUR GOOD SHEPHERD

Our Responsorial Psalm today is no other than the famous Psalm 23, the Good Shepherd Psalm. This Fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Incidentally, too, it is a special Sunday in the Catholic Church dedicated to the prayer for vocations.

       It all connects with our Gospel passage today. Although it is not yet the direct and explicit declaration of Jesus — “I am the Good Shepherd” — two other related aspects of shepherding are there: the sheepfold, and the gate. And as if to reinforce even more the idea, the opposite ideas are also discussed by Jesus: the thief, the marauder, the stranger. Then it all leads up to the concluding verse: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

       More than like a security guard, the shepherd also seeks to provide and nurture life, such that the sheep are nourished. If you will consider the Jewish terrain and topography, this isn’t an easy task. Where rocky, dusty, sandy and dry lands are the dominant feature, finding green pastures and life-giving water is a real challenge. And yet that is what our Lord Jesus also assures us. All this is aside from the protection He extends to us against menacing robbers and bandits.

        But can it be that the problem is not so much the threats from the outside? That instead, it’s probably more our own tendencies and weaknesses? Our tendency to stray away from the sheepfold, for one, largely because of our inordinate desires, such as our pride and stubbornness.

       We can take consolation from the concluding line of our Second Reading from the First Letter of Peter: “For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”

         We returned, because Jesus, our Good Shepherd, offered His very life for us, His sheep. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

How loyal have you been to Jesus, our Good Shepherd?

Thank You for being our Good Shepherd, dearest Jesus. I am truly proud and happy to belong to Your flock. Thank You for Your care and concern. Let me never stray away from You. Be my strength and protection. Amen.