Weekly Missionary Reflection
61st World Vocation Sunday
4th Sunday of Easter, 21 April 2024
Acts 4:8-12; Ps. 118:1,8-9,21-23,26,28cd,29; 1John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18
Dear missionaries,
Today we celebrate Vocation Sunday. This celebration is always celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Easter. Vocation Sunday invites us to reflect more deeply on the valuable grace of vocation to us. The Church devotes the 4th Sunday of Easter as a particular moment to pay special attention to the development of priest and religious vocation or Institute of Consecrated Life. The 4th Sunday of Easter is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Why? Because the Gospel read on the 4th Sunday of Easter is always telling about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Gospel passage from John 10:11-18 explains “Jesus the Good Shepherd”. We pray that Jesus grants us good shepherds who will not run away when their flock of sheep is in danger, and gently serve the people entrusted to them with love.
Jesus is a Good Shepherd. He says, “I am a good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus takes good care of His disciples, protects His people by laying down His life, and is crucified. With Jesus, we will feel safe, and peaceful and get salvation. In Jesus, we have strength, spirit, hope, and love. When we are near the Lord, we will feel peace, joy, a steady soul, living hope, spirit, and profound love. On the other hand, if we are away from Him, we will feel lonely, confused, anxious, uneasy, thirst of a soul, have no peace, and lose hope. We pray that God grant grace strength and wisdom to the shepherds: priests and religious so that they can shepherd their people like Jesus the Good Shepherd. Through them, we are led to God.
Jesus is a Good Shepherd who knows His sheep very well. He says, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me” (John 10:14). Jesus knows each of us. Knowing is loving and giving full care. He knows each of us profoundly. He knows our joy and sorrow, darkness, weariness, anxiety, and trouble. He will never leave us alone. He wants to ensure our safety. We, therefore, pray that the shepherds: priests and religious know every person they are entrusted to, embrace those who come to them with full of shepherd love, and guide them to peace, justice, and joy in life.
Dear missionaries,
The 61st Vocation Sunday will be a precious occasion to thank God for the loyalty and persistence of the people who respond to God’s calling with full their hearts. God’s calling is a grace as well as a mission. God bestows the calling as a free grace and gift. In the grace of calling, we are sent to sow the seed of hope and create peace. With our words and deeds, we can be life companions to our neighbors, especially to those who despair, doubt, and fear so that they can rekindle their hope and have peace.
We pray that there will be more people, especially the youth, who are daring and willing to respond to God’s calling to share His love by dedicating themselves as priests, nuns, brothers, or other institutions of consecrated life.
Are we called by Him? How do we recognize our special calling? To know it, let us endeavor to feel the difference by visiting a place, community, or someone who can lead and enlighten us. Then, we reflect on the Lord’s word in our prayer and find a wise advisor, whether a priest, nun, brother, or someone right, to lead and guide us. By doing so, we will find our special calling. This special calling can start from the emerging desire, then the courage to leave others behind and firmly follow Him!
In the 61st Vocation Sunday celebration, let us pray for God’s grace to open the hearts of the youth and move them to boldly and willingly respond to God’s calling in sharing His love, sowing hope, and making peace by dedicating themselves as priests, nuns, brothers or other institutes of consecrated life. May God enable the parents to let go and boldly offer their son and daughter to be priests, brothers, or nuns. May God strengthen the life of the priest and religious, and bestow the grace of joy unto them so they can be more determined, faithful, and persistent in their vocation and more joyful in their service. May God give strength to the life of Christian family and guide every person who chooses to live a family life so they can become militant and missionary lay apostles.***NW
(RD. M Nur Widipranoto- National Director of Pontifical Mission Society)
DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER
Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy, and sorrow in unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit animating Jesus, also be my guidance and strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.
Together with Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the Church, in particular, I present my prayer for our Pope and apostle prayer of the Indonesian Church of this month:
Universal Church Intent: For the role of women
We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world.
Indonesian Church Intent: Mental Health
We pray for the sensitivity of our society in recognizing people with mental health and mental disorders and making any effort to assist them in maintaining their faith.
Amen.
Situs Resmi Karya Misi Kepausan Indonesia (KMKI) 