Sunday reflections

This is the age of celebrity. To have a selfie taken with a famous person seems to be the ambition of half the population. After all, in every generation people have looked up to those who have made their grand mark in life.

We are still in the Easter season celebrating a new creation. John’s gospel takes us back before the Easter event as we hear another part of the farewell spoken by Jesus before his death.

This Sunday’s readings give us an understanding of the life of the Church. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see the Church’s very beginnings. Paul and Barnabas travel between cities sharing the Good News of the gospel.

The image of God as shepherd of his people is strong in both the Old and the New Testament. Indeed, one of the earliest and most loved images of Jesus in the early Church was of him as the Good Shepherd who so loves his sheep that he lays down his life for them.

Sitting down to a nice meal with family and friends is important in cultures worldwide. Often, a lot of thought and effort goes into the preparation and planning of the menu. In many households, the dishes for significant family gatherings often consist of old favourites.

Although Thomas is called the ‘twin’, he might be better named Thomas the ‘realist’. Unlike other disciples, Thomas is not about to believe in something as improbable as Jesus rising from the dead unless he has hard evidence. We might even call him Thomas the ‘sceptic’ who believes only in things he can see and touch. Yet, our ‘doubting Thomas’ has more to teach us than is commonly realised.

There was a Russian Cossack, who had two sons in the First World War. Their names were Peter and Gregory. One day the father received a letter from the front. Unable to read he handed it to his daughter.

If you were asked to name ten famous figures in the #Bible, you would probably list a series of well-known male identities, for example, Abraham, Moses, Job, Jesus, Peter, or Paul. Of the 1426 names mentioned in the Bible, 1315 are male. Only 111 women’s names appear in the Sacred Scriptures.

The parable in today’s gospel tells us about the experience of being loved and forgiven. It is about a father who shares his love equally with his two sons and, as they mature into adulthood, he gives them space to make their own decisions.