Dear Parishioners,
This Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is called "Good Shepherd Sunday." We hear Jesus call Himself the Good Shepherd, and think about the many different ways that Jesus is our shepherd. The Holy Eucharist is the nourishment He feeds His sheep.
It is because of His mercy that we are given the grace to continue living our lives as a journey to holiness. It is God's mercy that gave us our salvation. It is God's mercy that made Him sacrifice His only Son to redeem the world under the weight of the cross, and as St. John Paul II said, "we can never get hope from anywhere else aside from the mercy of God."
So today dear brothers and sisters, as we celebrate this wonderful Good Shepherd Sunday, let us express our gratitude to God by humbling ourselves before Him knowing that
in our sinfulness, His response is and will always be love and mercy. Let us be strong in our faith and continue to proclaim that God is indeed our Lord and our God. And as we continue to live our lives following our Lord, let us pray for the courage and the strength to really follow His example and be instruments of our mercy as well.