Year 35 No.
61 4th Sunday of Easter (C) — White
Good Shepherd Sunday/ World Day of Prayer for Vocations
What Makes
A Good Shpeherd?
by Most Rev. Jacinto
Agcaoili Jose, D.D.
Bishop of Urdaneta
W hat makes a good shep-
herd?
Everything begins with humil-
ity. Humility is the realization
that without God’s permission
and assistance one can never
accomplish anything. Humility
is giving all the glory to God’s
name. A good shepherd is a
humble shepherd. A shepherd
who does not lord over the flock
is one who humbly accepts that
it is only God who has supreme
power over everyone.
A good shepherd makes use
of his ordination as a gateway to
a lower position among people
and, making himself lower than
the rest, extends his hands up-
ward to serve the faithful—the
poorest of the poor, the outcast,
the marginalized, the abused, the
afflicted, and the orphans and
widows—regarding them as his
masters. Humility is not about
words but about service. A good
and humble shepherd realizes
that he serves the God who, out
of complete humility, comes to
earth as a child, helpless and
dependent. He patterns his life to
that of a helpless child, and with
complete dependence submits
himself to divine providence.
Humility serves as the gate-
way of other beautiful and holy
adjectives that will make a shep-
herd good. Humility compels a
good shepherd to tell himself,
I am an unworthy servant for I
have just done what I was told
to do (Cf. Lk 17:10). A humble
shepherd does not speak of what
he has done but always of what
God has done to him. A good
shepherd never thinks that, be-
cause of his good service in the
ministry, God owes him. A good
shepherd does away with entitle-
ment and a sense of specialness.
Job asked, “Can a mortal be
of use to God? Can even the
wisest be of service to him?” (Jb
22:2). A good shepherd keeps
this in mind. The life of a good
shepherd is one of renunciation,
self-denial, and total humility.
Priests are instruments of God.
God, in continuing Jesus’ min-
istry on earth, uses priests. God
must be manifested in their lives.
God’s goodness must be seen in
May 8, 2022
their actions as priests who aspire
to be good shepherds.
The priest who has mastered
himself must be able to say, I
am but a speck of dust. I own
nothing here in this world and
in the heavens above but my
sins. I am a worthless slave. I
will never be worthy in God’s
eyes. The praise I give God is in
fact also from him, for nothing
good comes from me. This is an
attitude of a good shepherd that
Jesus has shown as an example.
It is difficult to imitate Jesus.
His is the highest standard. He
is the perfect example. He has
done the perfect sacrifice. The
life of a priest is a life of sur-
render, a total surrender. Priests
must surrender everything to
God. It must be clear to them
who follow Jesus’ example of
a good shepherd that they are
mere instruments of God and
not gods. In everything they do,
it is God who must be praised.
Every good shepherd acts for the
greater glory of God’s name and
never for popularity’s sake or for
anything else.
 THE INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Antiphon
(Cf. Ps 33 [32]:5–6)
(Recited when there is no opening song)
The merciful love of the Lord
fills the earth; by the word of
the Lord the heavens were
made, alleluia.
Greeting
(The sign of the cross is made here)
P—Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
All—And with your spirit.
Introduction
(The priest may address the assembly
using these or similar words)
P—The fourth Sunday of Easter
is called Good Shepherd
Sunday. In the Gospel, Jesus
says that he protects the sheep
the Father has given him. He
also gives the sheep—his
disciples—eternal life.
We also celebrate today
the World Day of Prayer for
Vocations. We pray to the
Father to send “shepherds of
souls” who can lead us back
to him and who, like him, can
selflessly offer themselves for
the good of the flock.
Penitential Act
P—Brethren (brothers and
sisters), let us acknowledge
our sins, and so prepare
ourselves to celebrate the
sacred mysteries. (Pause)
P—You were sent to heal the
contrite of heart: Lord, have
mercy.
All—Lord, have mercy.
P—You came to call sinners:
Christ, have mercy.
All—Christ, have mercy.
P—You are seated at the right
hand of the Father to intercede
for us: Lord, have mercy.
All—Lord, have mercy.
P—May almighty God have
mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
All—Amen.
Gloria
All—Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace
to people of good will. We
praise you, we bless you,
we adore you, we glorify
you, we give you thanks
for your great glory, Lord
God, heavenly King, O God,
almighty Father. Lord Jesus
Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father, you take
away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us; you take
away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer; you are
seated at the right hand of
the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy
One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy
Spirit, in the glory of God the
Father. Amen.
Collect
P—Let us pray. (Pause)
Almighty ever-living God,
lead us to a share in the joys
of heaven, so that the humble
flock may reach where the
brave Shepherd has gone
before.
Who lives and reigns with
you in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
All—Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading
(Acts 13:14, 43–52)(Sit)
Rejected by the Jews, the message of
the risen Lord is brought by Paul and
Barnabas to the Gentiles who accept
it willingly. God fills with joy those
who accept his message.
A reading from the Acts of
the Apostles
PAU L A N D BA R N A BA S
continued on from Perga and
reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered
the synagogue and took
their seats. Many Jews and
worshipers who were converts
to Judaism followed Paul and
Barnabas, who spoke to them
and urged them to remain
faithful to the grace of God.
On the following sabbath
almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of
the Lord. When the Jews saw
the crowds, they were filled
with jealousy and with violent
abuse contradicted what Paul
said. Both Paul and Barnabas
spoke out boldly and said, “It
was necessary that the word
of God be spoken to you
first, but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as
unworthy of eternal life, we
now turn to the Gentiles. For
so the Lord has commanded
us, I have made you a light to
the Gentiles, that you may be
an instrument of salvation to
the ends of the earth.”
The Gentiles were delighted
when they heard this and
glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for
eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord
continued to spread through
the whole region. The Jews,
however, incited the women
of prominence who were
worshipers and the leading
men of the city stirred up a
persecution against Paul and
Barnabas, and expelled them
from their territory. So they
shook the dust from their feet
in protest against them and
went to Iconium. The disciples
were filled with joy and the
Holy Spirit.
—The word of the Lord.
All—Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (Ps 100)
R—We are his people, the
sheep of his flock.
1. Sing joyfully to the Lord,
all you lands;/ serve the Lord
with gladness;/ come before
him with joyful song. (R)
2. Know that the Lord is God;/
he made us, his we are; his
people, the flock he tends. (R)
3. The L ord is good:/ His
kindness endures forever,/
and his faith­fulness, to all
generations. (R)
Second Reading (Rv 7:9, 14b–17)
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will
manifest himself at the end as the
glorious Lamb who will reward
his faithful people, those who have
listened to his voice.
A reading from the Book of
Revelation
I, JOHN, had a vision of a great
multitude, which no one could
count, from every nation, race,
people, and tongue. They stood
before the throne and before
the Lamb, wearing white robes
and holding palm branches in
their hands.
Then one of the elders said
to me, “These are the ones who
have survived the time of great
distress; they have washed their
robes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb.
“For this reason they stand
before God’s throne and
worship him day and night in
his temple. The one who sits
on the throne will shelter them.
They will not hunger or thirst
anymore, nor will the sun or
any heat strike them. For the
Lamb who is in the center of
the throne will shepherd them
and lead them to springs of
life-giving water, and God will
wipe away every tear from their
eyes.”
—The word of the Lord.
All—Thanks be to God.
Alleluia [Jn 10:14] (Stand)
All—Alleluia, Alleluia. I am
the good shepherd, says the
Lord; I know my sheep, and
mine know me. Alleluia,
Alleluia.
Gospel (Jn 10:27–30)
P—A reading from the holy
Gospel according to John
All—Glory to you, O Lord.
JESUS said: “My sheep hear my
voice; I know them, and they
follow me. I give them eternal
life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of
my hand. My Father, who has
given them to me, is greater
than all, and no one can take
them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
—The Gospel of the Lord.
All—Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Homily (Sit)
Profession of Faith (Stand)
All—I believe in God, the
Father almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth, and in Jesus
Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
(At the words that follow, up to and
including the Virgin Mary, all bow.)
who was conceived by the
Holy Spirit, born of the
Virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
died, and was buried; he
descended into hell; on the
third day he rose again from
the dead; he ascended into
heaven, and is seated at the
right hand of God the Father
almighty; from there he will
come to judge the living and
the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and
life everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Faithful
P—Loving Father, help us
listen to the voice of your
Son, the Good Shepherd, who
protects us and leads us to
greener pastures, towards life’s
fulfillment. With confidence,
we pray:
R—Father, keep us close to
your heart.
C—Father, may Christ’s legacy
of love and his preaching
of the Gospel values be the
inspiration of our Church
leaders and missionaries in
their preaching and way of
life. We pray: (R)
C—Father, in the coming
elections, enlighten us that we
may choose candidates who,
like Jesus, the Good Shepherd,
truly care for the common
good and give their heart and
strength that there may be
peace, justice, and progress in
our land. We pray: (R)
C—Father, may all families
become fertile seedbeds for
vocations to priestly and
consecrated life through the
spirit of prayer, love, and
service that reign among
family members. We pray: (R)
C—Father, may all of us who
received the grace of your Son’s
Resurrection pursue integrity
and build community where
compassion and mercy abound
for the sake of those who are
sick, hungry, poor, and in dire
need. We pray: (R)
C—Father, give us strength to
face the trials of this life: the
pandemic, wars, those who
are sick right now, and those
suffering in any way. May we
find healing and restoration in
Jesus’ love. We pray: (R)
C—Father, may all our beloved
dead be consoled and find
mercy in the One who laid
down his life for all peoples.
We pray: (R)
C—Let us pray for the urgent
concerns of our community
and our personal intentions
(pause). We pray: (R)
P—Almighty God, you
have given Christ, the Good
Shepherd, the power over life
and death. Through his most
sweet name, graciously hear
us and preserve in us the great
joy of the Easter Feast now and
forever.
All—Amen.
LITURGY OF
THE EUCHARIST
Presentation of the Gifts
(Stand)
P—Pray, brethren…
All—May the Lord accept the
sacrifice at your hands for the
praise and glory of his name,
for our good and the good of
all his holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
P—Grant, we pray, O Lord,
that we may always find
delight in these paschal
mysteries, so that the renewal
constantly at work within
us may be the cause of our
unending joy.
Through Christ our Lord.
All—Amen.
Preface II of Easter
P—The Lord be with you.
All—And with your spirit.
P—Lift up your hearts.
All—We lift them up to the
Lord.
P—Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God.
All—It is right and just.
P—It is truly right and just, our
duty and our salvation, at all
times to acclaim you, O Lord,
but in this time above all to
laud you yet more gloriously,
when Christ our Passover has
been sacrificed.
Through him the children
of light rise to eternal life
and the halls of the heavenly
Kingdom are thrown open to
the faithful; for his Death is
our ransom from death, and
in his rising the life of all has
risen.
Therefore, overcome with
paschal joy, every land, every
people exults in your praise
and even the heavenly Powers,
with the angelic hosts, sing
together the unending hymn
of your glory, as they acclaim:
All—Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God of hosts. Heaven and
earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. (Kneel)
Acclamation (Stand)
All—When we eat this
Bread and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your Death, O
Lord, until you come again.
THE COMMUNION RITE
The Lord’s Prayer
All—Our Father…
P—Deliver us, Lord…
All—For the kingdom, the
power, and the glory are
yours now and for ever.
Invitation to Peace
Invitation to Communion
(Kneel)
P—Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away
the sins of the world. Blessed
are those called to the supper
of the Lamb.
All—Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under
my roof, but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
Communion Antiphon
The Good Shepherd has risen,
who laid down his life for his
sheep and willingly died for
his flock, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
(Stand)
P—Let us pray. (Pause)
Look upon your flock, kind
Shepherd, and be pleased to
settle in eternal pastures the
sheep you have redeemed by
the Precious Blood of your Son.
Who lives and reigns for
ever and ever.
All—Amen.
THE CONCLUDING RITES
P—The Lord be with you.
All—And with your spirit.
Solemn Blessing
P—Bow down for the blessing.
(Pause)
May God, who by the Resur-
rection of his Only Begotten
Son was pleased to confer on
you the gift of redemption and
of adoption, give you gladness
by his blessing.
All—Amen.
P—May he, by whose redeem-
ing work you have received
the gift of everlasting freedom,
make you heirs to an eternal
inheritance.
All—Amen.
P—And may you, who have
already risen with Christ in
Baptism through faith, by living
in a right manner on this earth,
be united with him in the
homeland of heaven.
All—Amen.
P—And may the blessing of
almighty God, the Father,
and the Son, (†) and the Holy
Spirit, come down on you and
remain with you for ever.
All—Amen.
Dismissal
P—Go in the peace of the
Risen Lord.
All—Thanks be to God.