ENTRANCE HYMN: (old, p.
142, #243) Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried and rose again on
*And I will raise Him up. And I will raise Him up. And I will
raise Him up on the last day.
I am the bread of life; He who comes to me shall not
hunger. He who believes in me shall not thirst. No one can
come to me Unless the Father draws Him. (*)
The bread that I give Is my flesh for the life of the world. He
who eats of this bread Eats it forever, He shall live forever.
(*)
PENITENTIAL RITES
Son of David have pity on me. Son of God, O hear my plea.
O son of David have pity on me. Listen to my plea.
GLORIA
Gloria, Gloria, Glory in the Highest
Gloria, Gloria, Glory in the Highest
Lord God heavenly king, peace you bring to us we worship
you we give you thanks, we sing our song of praise
Jesus saviour of all, Lord God Lamb of God
you take away our sins oh Lord, have mercy on us all.
3. At the Father's right hand, Lord receive our prayer
for you alone are the holy one, and you alone are the Lord
4. Glory Father and Son, glory Holy Spirit
to you we raise our hands up high, we glorify your name
FIRST READING: ACTS 2:14, 36-41
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
SECOND READING: 1 PT 2:20-25
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (C-F-G-C, #203e, p.156)
Alleluia, alle-luia, alleluia, alle-luia, alleluia, alle-luia, alleluia,
alle-luia
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
GOSPEL: JN 10:1-10
CREED:
I believe in One God, the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and
earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord, Jesus
Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all
ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, Through him all
things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down
from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was incarnate of the
Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under
Let all that is within me cry Jesus. Let all that is within
the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into
heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come
again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will
have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son. Who with the Father
and the Son he is adored and glorified. Who has spoken through
the Prophets. I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I
confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look forward to
the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE SYNOD
Most Holy Trinity, the almighty King of heaven and earth, we implore
You with heartfelt gratitude for Your ongoing guidance of the church
until the end of time. Enlighten and direct, Lord, the synod of the
diocese of Tonga and Niue. Help us to be truly open to listen and to
learn from one another in Your truth. Unite us in our faith in respect,
humility, and trust in one another.
We entrust to You, Lord, the theme of the family and the new
proclamation of the good news. Help us to be passionate and full of
hope while being attentive to the divine nature of the family. May the
family continue to provide an environment of love and godliness for
the community.
God our Father, look kindly upon our synod, and let it be an
opportunity for renewing and reuniting our families, and enable us
to witness and to proclaim the good news of love with joy and
enthusiasm. Create in us a heart filled with authentic love which can
heal the wounds of division. May the neglected and those who
suffer experience the consolation of Your loving mercy.
O Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, make us
grateful for Gods divine plan for the sacred dignity of the family.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, give life to our hope. Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph, listen to our prayer. Amen..
OFFERTORY (old, p.128, #218)
Blessed are you Lord God of all creation. Thanks to your
goodness this bread we offer. Fruit of the earth, work of our
hands, it will become the bread of life.
Blessed be God (3x) forever, Amen.
Blessed be God (3x) forever, Amen.
Blessed are you Lord God of all creation. Thanks to your
goodness this wine we offer. Fruit of the vine, work of our
hands, it will become the cup of joy.
HOLY:
Let all that is within me cry holy. Let all that is within me
cry holy. Holy, holy, holy is the lamb that was slain.
me cry Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is the lamb that was
slain.
Let all that is within me cry mighty. Let all that is within
me cry mighty. Mighty, mighty, mighty is the lamb that
was slain.
MYSTERY OF FAITH:
Save us saviour of the world for by Your cross and
resurrection, You have set us free.
GREAT AMEN (WYD)
OUR FATHER (F)
LAMB OF GOD: (old, p.122 208b)
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have
mercy on us. Lamb of God, You lay down Your life for the
world, have mercy on us. Praise to you, Jesus Christ, come
to be our bread of life. Lamb of God, You take away the sins
of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, You lay down
your life for the world, O grant us, O grant us Your peace.
HOLY COMMUNION (new, p.199, #260)
*One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing
which we bless. And we, though many, throughout the earth,
we are one body in this one Lord.
Gentile or Jew, servant or free, woman or man no more. (*)
Many the gifts, many the works, one in the Lord of all. (*)
Grain for the fields, scattered and grown, gathered to one for
all. (*)
Post Communion
*The Lords my shepherd Ill not want. He makes me down to lie
in pastures green: He leadeth me the quiet waters by.
My soul He doth restore again; and me to walk doth make,
within the paths of righteousness een for His own names sake.
Yet though I walk in deaths dark vale. Yet I will fear no ill, for
Thou art with me and Thy rod and staff me comfort still (*)
RECESSIONAL
*Lologo fiafia, Kua liu tu mai
E Patuiki fakalofa Aleluia, Aleluia
Ki a fakaue lahi ke he pasekate lahi Kua liu hoko mai
Aleluia, Aleluia
Kua muamua hake Malia Maketalena Mo Malia mo Salome.
Aleluia, Aleluia
 the door and the shepherd. If the shepherd goes
REFLECTION through the door, it is clear that the door exists before
the shepherd. In other words, this means that the door
If you were given the task of telling only one Christian
story, what would it be?
is Jesus who has already come into the world, it is Jesus
who dwells in the Church, as he said: "I am with you
ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER
always, to the close of the age." (Mt. 28:20) And to
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near
complete our explanation: the shepherd is Jesus who
to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were
returns at the end of time to lead the faithful from his
grumbling and saying, This fellow welcomes sinners
sheepfold to the pasture, which is our heavenly home!
and eats with them. Everyone will be lost at one time or
another. Or many times. Some of us chronically wander
Eternal life is a life of knowledge:"Father ... this is eternal
The Fourth Sunday
into narrow canyons where paths stop so abruptly you
cant even turn around and go back out. Only a
shepherds crook from an overhanging ledge in the
life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom thou hast sent." (Jn. 17:3) Now, eternal life, of Easter
the very Life of God, can be bestowed upon us, given to
hands of a strong shepherd can haul you up to safety.
us, through grace, only in Christ and through Him, for he
The story of the Lost Sheep can also help cut through
alone is true God and true Man. This means that Jesus
some of the density of the Johannine material for Good
Shepherd Sunday. This Lukan story needs no
alone is our mediator before the Father, in order that we YEAR A
might become adoptive sons and daughters of God.
explanation the story works on levels simple and
Only Jesus gives us the eternal Life of the Father, only 07 MAY 2017
complex, personal and corporate, literal and allegorical,
Jesus gives us the Life of knowledge, for he alone is our
metaphorical and anagogical.
mediator, for he alone enters and leaves by the door:
"He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the
Each year, on the fourth Sunday of Easter, that is, today,
sheep." But the others, those who are not Jesus, those
we celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
whom the sheep do not follow, those whose voice is not
Each year, we read part of the tenth chapter of the
recognized by the sheep, they are the ones who did not
gospel of Saint John. Today, we read the first part of this
enter by the door, since they are not mediators: "He who
chapter: Jesus tells us about himself, the Good
does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in
Shepherd! Here the Good Shepherd reveals himself in a
by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.
parable, which we will try to understand, even if it is not
easy, for, as Saint John says, the disciples themselves
" He calls his own sheep by name and leads them
"did not understand what he was saying to them" (Jn.
out. "This short sentence makes me think, first, of the
10:6).
following: "Out of the ground the Lord God formed
every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and
The focal point of this parable seems to be the door,
brought them to the man to see what he would call
which is the person of Jesus: "I am the door; if any one
them... The man gave names to all the beasts..." (Gen.
enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out
2:19-20) And then: "To him who conquers I will give
and find pasture." This door allows one to go in and out,
some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white
it is used in both directions, to go and to come, from the
stone, with a new name written on the stone which no
sheepfold to the pasture, and from the pasture to the
one knows except him who receives it." (Rev. 2:17)
sheepfold. It is a means that must be used. Jesus, who
Jesus, the new Adam, knows us intimately, better than
is the door, shows himself here under the aspect of a
we know ourselves, and, when we enter Heaven, like
servant: he is the one through whom one must pass, he
is the one who came to serve, and not to be served (cf.
when we were baptized, he gives us a new name!.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
Mt. 20:28).
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
While he is the door, Jesus is also he who goes through
the door, once the gatekeeper has opened it to him.
What does this mean? Quite simply that, in this parable,
Jesus must be considered under two different aspects: