There is one theme that is clearly spoken out in today’s liturgy; the love and commitment of The Lord Jesus to us. We are invited to build our lives upon this love of God rather than any human love or affection.

In today’s Gospel proclamation, the Lord Jesus speaks out His innermost conviction. He loves us not out of duty or obligation but of His own accord and free will. The shepherd does not need anyone’s encouragement to go after his sheep to save them and bring them to safety and green pastures. He is so certain that his sheep recognise his voice and will follow him. This is a truth that we as God’s children need to remember. Human heart recognises the voice of its Creator. Christian journey is not a to-do list but a heart-to-heart relationship, two becoming one, creature uniting with the Creator to enjoy and fulfil the purpose of creation.
The Lord Jesus says, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father…” (John 10:14). Our minds might be confused by the lies of the world but our spirit knows The Lord’s voice clearly. Our day to day journey with The Lord is all about hearing His voice in our spirit, and until we get this truth established in our hearts and minds, our life and journey with The Lord will be a burden, a duty to be fulfilled, a tiring task. Let us take a few minutes to search our own hearts, and find out where exactly we stand. Do we hear His voice in our spirit, and live each moment everyday according to what He is speaking to us? Or do we just have a monologue in what we call ‘prayer’ and present a list of requests and wants to The Lord and go away the same way we went to prayer? Our Shepherd and Master is fully alive, in His glorified Body and Spirit, He is The Word made flesh, and He does speak.
I only need to think about my own relationship with my spouse and my children to realise how important the communication and dialogue is in our relationships. Our heart to heart chats make our relationships thrive and blossom day after day and I am certain that it is the desire of our own hearts and that of The Lord too.

In the First Reading we witness St Peter, the disciple who was cow- ardly enough to deny his Lord and master three times before a servant girl of the high priest, now filled with The Holy Spirit, declaring boldly, of the power in the Name of the Lord Jesus that healed the lame man. St Peter’s relationship with his Lord and Master has made this drastic transformation in him. He was hosting the Presence of The Risen Lord in him and The Holy Spirit was speaking through him. This is the call for every baptised Christian. Let us desire and choose to have this same lifestyle of a disciple. We who are the present day disciples of the Risen Lord, can and will transform our world, just as the disciples challenged and transformed the whole Roman Empire.
The Second Reading gives the foundation of a disciple’s lifestyle. We are children of God. This identity is changing my life to stand tall and strong before every life situation, without becoming a victim of circumstances. This is definitely not arrogance, but quiet certainty of who I am and whose I am. Every morning I enter the Throne Room of The Father and am assured of His love and fatherly care and protection, which is alive in me, whether I am at home or at work. Whenever I tend to forget this reality and fall into the trap of my mind, believing anything other than God’s Word, I simply go back to The Father, using the tool of the four steps I have learnt through the Risen Lord Community. Before I lie down at night, I go before Him once again to tell The Father about my day, to be commended, forgiven, taught, moulded and restored in love. I have a restful sleep, knowing that The Lord watches over me when I am asleep, speaking and ministering to me even in and through my dreams.

We are often quick to criticise the Godless behaviour of the world at large, the attempts of the governments and authorities to bring in laws and practices that go against God’s law. The Lord is speaking to us, the sheep of His flock, saying it is our prime duty to enable those outside His flock to hear His voice. We are called to take the Lord to those who are yet to encounter Him. We need to host Him in our lives. Others should hear the voice of the Lord Jesus when they hear us. This is not about preaching to others what to do and what not to do. When we are filled with The Holy Spirit, and we have an intimate relationship with The Lord, hearing His voice and obeying His instruction, people who interact with us will experience the Lord Jesus. People will flock to our churches to experience The Risen Lord. Thus we will fulfil our baptismal call, as kings, prophets and priests, expanding the territory of God’s Kingdom.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for adopting us as Your own children. Amen