First reading: Acts 13:14,43–52

Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats. Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God.

On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.”

The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Second reading: Rev. 7:9,14b–17

I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

Then one of the elders said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Gospel: Jn. 10:27–30

Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

In other words

by Fr. Joey Miras, SVD (Toronto, Canada)

Jesus was a big puzzle to his audience. He was an enigma to his enemies and to his disciples. His enemies were confused on where he stood on certain issues about their religious tradition. His disciples were also at a loss on how to understand his teachings. Whether it was because he spoke on many levels with the same language the people spoke or whether he was still developing his thoughts because of the fluid situation he was in, Jesus was always a mystery. So were his words and actions.

A concrete example is when the Jews pressed Jesus to answer them categorically whether he was the Messiah or not. Jesus’s answer did not give them any clarity. His response was about the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd cares for his sheep and does not let anyone snatch any of them from him. But it is hard to understand how Jesus could protect his disciples from being rejected and persecuted when he could not defend himself from the rejection and persecution of the Jews. Accordingly, the Jews stoned him, and he had to seek refuge in the place where John was baptizing. The Good Shepherd may come across as a strong protector of the flock, but it seems he does not project strength in actual life.

Is language an issue in the communication of the faith? It is. We may use the same language but attribute different meanings to it in conversations or communication. So how do we avoid misunderstanding or misinterpretation?

It is in the nature of the language to “grow,” to acquire different meanings as it is spoken. The language user has an important role in its growth. And as it grows it includes various shades of meaning because of the changing situations and contexts of the language users.

The Church has spoken and continues to talk about the faith in a language people commonly use. The liturgical reform regarding the use of the vernacular in the liturgy was one concrete step to make the language of worship meaningful for the people. Inculturation studies and emerging local theologies are an offshoot of the attempts to make the faith rooted in the culture and the native tongue. But the human experience of God expressed in human language is only a tiny scratch on the surface of divine reality. Hence language always falls short in describing what reason cannot understand.

But the stark reality is that we still face the task of delving deeper into the deep recesses of our partly hidden soul or psyche to reach out to a partly hidden God. We may still need to find out the meaning of the protection and leadership offered by the Good Shepherd now. But we hope that in the future we know how gentleness can win over even the hardest of hearts.