“Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their needs, so that their abundance may also supply your needs, that there may be equality.” (2 COR 8: 13-14)

When we have something more than our brothers and sisters, we can share this with them: “supply their needs.” When we have something less than others, this gives them the opportunity to share with us: “their abundance may also supply your needs.” It could be 10 minutes more I have; it could be one experience more I have; it could be … something really simple, but creativity in charity could bring me closer to my brothers and sisters.

“Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“The centurion said in reply, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.’” (MT 8: 8)

The incredible answer of the centurion is preserved in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Every one of us, before receiving Holy Communion, says exactly the same words—“I am not worthy…”. With these words we communicate our respect for the power of God’s word—“only say the word” and express humility and awareness of our limitations.

“Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.” (JN 21: 25)

We will see in heaven how many times and in how many situations Our Lord was with us and how much He did for us, especially when we felt abandoned or totally alone. We will see later how many “other things that Jesus did” in our lives, in our families and for our beloved. We will see, but now we can trust St. John that “the whole world would contain the books that would be written” “if these were to be described individually”–what Jesus did for us. The best we can do is to be thankful. Even though we do not see right now, we will see in the next life how much more we are loved daily.

“I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will guide you to all truth.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (Jn 16: 7)

Better, because “the Advocate will come to us”—we are never abandoned, never forgotten and never left to our own, always protected, always assisted and always loved beyond imagination. We have to believe, especially when we are tempted to feel that we are alone, “it is better for you that I go… But if I go, I will send him to you.”

“I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will guide you to all truth.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.” (1 JN 4: 10)

God comes with initiative first: “He loved us.” His love for us is unconditional, total and fruitful. To cover all our sins and weaknesses, He “sent his Son as expiation for our sins.” We are invited to love one another like He loves, without demanding and without conditions. This is possible not because we can do it but because He can do it within us.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. ‘I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.’” (JN 15: 9-11)

The Liturgy of the Word is never afraid to proclaim the same message over and over again: “remain in my love.” Our Lord shares with us His love for His Father and His Father’s love for Him and for us; He shares not only the Father’s commandments to “remain in his love” but also His joy that our joy “might be complete.”

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (JN 14: 27)

We can’t eliminate from our lives difficult moments, unexpected turns of events or bad news. We can’t eliminate them, but we can be guardians of our hearts, which should be protected from any troubles or fears. Our hearts, united by prayer with God, will help us keep our faith and hope in Him, Who is our merciful and powerful Father and Who takes care of us in any kind of situation. Our hearts are responsible for directing us to Him as an answer and solution for all of these problems. We can find this theological sense in a popular song: “in every life we have some trouble, when you worry, you make it double, so don’t worry.”

“Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.” (JN 12: 46-47)

Jesus is the answer in our darkness and the answer for our weaknesses and in our doubts. He called Himself “the light of the world,” and came “to save this world, not to condemn it.” Whenever we need support or whenever we need to make important decisions, we can trust in Him. He is with us at every moment.

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“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.” (ACTS 4: 12)

Today we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. Every day He brings us the same gift—salvation. And we celebrate not only on Sundays but also on every single day the mystery of the Eucharist, God’s gift of redemption, forgiveness and adoption. This is nothing that we can achieve, nothing that we deserve or nothing that is a consequence of our devotion. “There is no salvation through anyone else…”

“I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, ‘Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.’” (ACTS 5: 19-20)

We could be “imprisoned” in our minds for so many different reasons: wounded by unfair expectations of our parents—we do not believe that we are important; used by somebody whom we loved—we think that we are valuable only when useful; rejected or abandoned by our partners—we do not believe that we have dignity. But God always sends the Angel of the Lord, sometimes during the darkest nights in our lives, to “open the doors of the prison, let us out” and to give us the mission: “tell the people everything about this life.”

“Everything about this life” means: we are loved unconditionally, we are so important for Him, we are valuable and always respected, we are redeemed and our dignity can shine wonderfully.

He never forgets to tell us the most important thing—we are loved by Our Lord, who is LOVE. And we can love like He does.

“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.” (Gospel Acclamation)