4th Sunday of Easter
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
OLR, NOLA
Lest
there be any confusion about who saves us from sin and death, Peter –
filled with the Holy Spirit – says of Christ Jesus, “There is no
salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under
heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” Peter
is answering a question here. Some in the crowd want to know how he
healed a crippled man. Rather than taking the credit and boasting
about his spiritual power, Peter tells the truth: Christ healed him.
Christ saved him. This once-crippled man joins the millions, billions
of broken people over the millennia who have heard their shepherd's
voice and followed him to their salvation. Jesus says, “I am the
good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me. . .” Knowing
Christ, loving Christ is how we stay secure in his flock, confidently
led and protected from the wolves of the world. You can be sure that
Christ the Good Shepherd knows and loves you – he died for you –
but are you as sure
that you know and love Christ?
This
question isn't meant to make you anxious. I'm not trying to scare
you. Far from it. I ask the question b/c it is far too easy these
days for us to lose sight of our final goal – eternal life with the
Father through Christ. So much of what we experience everyday is
designed to steer us away from knowing and loving our Lord. Rarely
are we directly confronted by a stark choice btw following Christ and
running with the wolves of the world. Rarely – at least here in the
US – are we asked outright to choose: love Christ or love the
World. The Enemy is not so stupid as to believe that we would choose
the World if our choices were so plainly stated. So, we are instead
forced to make – over and over again – smaller, seemingly less
urgent choices that slowly but inevitably turn us either toward
Christ or the World. Choices that either lead us away from the flock
or send us running from the wolves. You know what I'm talk about.
Here's a chance to tell the truth or lie. Here's another chance to
speak up for Christ, or stay silent. Here's a moment for showing
mercy. or taking your revenge. Stay faithful to your spouse, or
commit adultery in your heart. Offer praise and thanksgiving to God,
or walk away believing you are entitled to His gifts. Knowing and
loving Christ means – at the very least – that you keep firmly
before you your final goal: eternal life with the Father through
Christ.
This
is why Peter and his Church have taught for more than 2,000 years
that the only name given on earth and under the heavens for our
salvation is the name, Christ Jesus. Many have tried through the
centuries to modify, undermine, or outright destroy this constant
teaching. Historically, the list of alternative Saviors includes:
Good Works, Good Intentions, Just Being Human, Social Justice, Secret
Mystical Knowledge, the Law, Rituals Well Done, the State, Community,
and Prosperity. In all cases, the idea is to push Christ as-he-is out
of the way and replace him with an alternative that demands less from
us and is easier for the World to control. In all cases, the
alternative is Christ with just a few little modifications, just a
few tiny little tweaks that some believe improve on the original
Savior. BUT the Good Shepherd knows his and his know him. When the
wolves start to hunt, the sheep know where they can go to be secure,
to be protected. As St. John says, “Beloved, we are God's children
now. . .” And God's children take refuge in His Son.
You
can be sure that Christ the Good Shepherd knows and loves you – he
died for you – but
are you as sure that you know and love Christ? If
you are unsure about whether or not you know and love Christ, ask
yourself: do I
follow his commands?
Christ says that those who would be friends follow his commands. Do I
love as I ought? That's his first command. Do I bear witness to his
mercy in my life? That's what apostles do, bear witness. Do I speak
up and tell the truth about his Good News? Do I speak and behave in a
way that shows others my love for Christ? Am I faithful to my
baptismal vows? Do I use my personal opinions to judge Church
teaching? Knowing and love Christ the Good Shepherd is never about
“following blindly.” It is always about making a fundamental
decision to follow Christ and then reorienting our lives along with
his words and deeds. That what “following Christ” means. To walk
with him, to talk with him, and to find ourselves living peaceably in
his flock.
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