Fourth Sunday of Easter
Cycle C
May 8, 2022
As a youngster in the 1950’s serving Mass in my home parish, I was always excited when a Franciscan priest who grew up in our neighborhood and became a foreign missionary, came home for a visit. I got a chance to talk with him and hear his stories of different lands and peoples. He inspired me to consider the priesthood, and a vocation to the Franciscans.
But I never actually became a foreign missionary. My Christian life—like that of most Catholics I know—is usually a lot less glamorous. My “mission field” is the office where I work each day and the parish I help out at on Sundays. Your “mission field” may be your home and family, your daily work, or school.
So today when we hear the exciting adventures of Paul and Barnabas in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles we may wonder: How can we answer the call from Jesus to “go out and preach to all nations”?
One way is to support the missionaries we may know personally by our prayers and financial help. We can also match their zeal in our own witness to Christ, sharing our faith with others where appropriate. Let our attitude be that of the Good Shepherd, whose care for us is proclaimed in today’s Gospel.
