“I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”
- John 14

Fourth Week of Easter  

On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Acts of the Apostles shows us Paul and Barnabas and the turmoil they faced. The Gentiles were delighted with the good news of Jesus and but the Jews were angry and expelled them from their territory. In a brief, but powerful story from John's Gospel, Jesus offers comfort to those who follow him: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Tuesday is the Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle, with its own special readings.

The first readings this week continue the story of the growth of the community, through the Acts of the Apostles.

For the gospels this week, we read from John's Gospel, chapters 10, 12, 13 and 14 - all emphasizing who Jesus is - from the Father and one with the Father. He has come to bring us light and life. He promises us that he is the gate, the way to life. And, he assures us that if we make our home in him, he will be in us, and we will thereby be one with Jesus and the Father. He says, “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved.” “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.” “From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.” “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

The Fifth Sunday of Easter brings us stories from Acts of the Apostles of Paul and Barnabas and their work in the early church. They spread the good news to the Gentiles and then “called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” John's Gospel returns to the Last Supper. Jesus gives his followers a new way of life: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Daily Prayer This Week

This will be a powerful week to reflect upon Jesus as our gate, our gate keeper and our shepherd.

Who among us hasn't felt threatened or fearful or lost at one time or another? To the degree we have any of that in our hearts this week, we can bring it all to the Lord. The words of the beautiful song by Marty Haugen come to mind: “Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.” Beyond what we want and what we fear is where each one of us can ask to be guided, cared for. The intimacy of knowledge is a wonderful grace to ask for each day, as well. Lord, I want to enjoy how you know me through and through, so much more than I know myself - even what I don't admit, acknowledge or accept in myself. You know and love me. O Lord, how I desire to know you. Show yourself to me. Let me recognize your voice, your urgings, your comfort and your call.

We can ask for graces about the areas of darkness we are going to have to walk through, engage in and wrestle with each day this week. We can ask to be brought to the Father by Jesus. We can confidently ask that we might be able to do what Jesus does - in the very places we find ourselves this week.

Imagine how helped we will be this week to wake each morning and just have these kind of prayers on our lips. As we focus them throughout each day, we will be doing two things: letting these desires deepen in our hearts in the background of our consciousness, and we will let them interact and transform the options before us and the choices we make. We will be able to feel how good this feels, how it lightens our spirits and how it helps us end each day feeling a gifted intimacy with our Lord.

Each night we can look back over the day with gratitude, even as we get ready for bed. Later in the week, we can begin to want to hear the upcoming Sunday gospel, longing to hear Jesus say to us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”