In the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the fever continues. The message, i.e. Jesus’s whole life of ministry, the passion, death and resurrection, and the ultimate message of life everlasting was so powerful. The general public and especially the people most oppressed responded greatly. People who listened and heeded the Good News had Hope. They could see there is a future!

For generations, our brothers and sisters in the faith kept the message of the one true God much to themselves. With the advent of Jesus the Messiah and especially in the nascent Church, that changed. The message went out to all who listened. Now gentiles were welcomed.

As is described in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Gentiles were delighted. They were now included! They jumped at the opportunity to join in the Journey of Faith. They “glorified the word of the Lord…and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region.”

The second reading from the Book of Revelation presents to us a beautiful vision of salvation. People of every nation, race, and tongue gathered before the throne of the Lamb. The scene is one of celebration. Faithful people endured all distress. They were washed to whiteness by the red blood of the lamb. They found protection in the shelter of the throne of God. People experienced less anxiety and had greater hope. Beautiful images of life-giving water abounded. It becomes known God wants the best for people!

Now the question for our reflection arises. Are we listening to God? Today, the Church presents a short passage from the Gospel of John. It provides simple advice to participate in all God has to offer. “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Let us understand this in the context of the image presented by John. Sheep know the master’s voice because they are listening to the voice all day long. They associate the voice with the good food they are led to. They trust that when they hear the voice they will always be cared for and have what they need. At the end of the day, they are led to safe shelter. So, they follow the voice.

Jesus likens himself to the shepherd that does all of this good for his sheep. We are the sheep. If we want all the good Jesus offers by the Father, we are to listen to him. As we listen over time, we come to well know his voice. We begin to sense God’s influence around us. With time, it becomes easier to recognize the voice, the guidance God is giving. When we are most familiar with the voice of God, we especially find great value in knowing it. When we are most distressed, we need not seek much. We quickly understand the way God is calling us.

To best learn God’s voice, we follow what the Lord has given us. It is his Church founded on Peter. Within the community of faith, we join forces with the many people who also already know the voice.

In our own parish we celebrate together on the Lord’s Day. We learn how to speak with God, that is, pray. Furthermore, we read the Sacred Scriptures and even participate in Scripture Sharing as offered here in the parish. Families make good use of the In-Home Faith Formation offered to them by the parish. And we socialize together even outside official functions of the parish. We maintain a community beyond the four walls of the church building.

In all, we the people who listen to God’s voice and remain together in faith find ourselves to be God’s people. We are the sheep of his flock. We are guided by God’s goodness, and we find relative Peace in the Lord’s care.