April 26, 2026
4th Sunday
Easter
FOCUS: Jesus is the shepherd and guardian of our souls.
In today’s readings, we hear of the many ways Jesus reaches out to us and saves us, tending to us as a shepherd. He is, indeed, as Peter says, the shepherd and guardian of [our] souls. If we pray and listen attentively for his voice in our heart, we will hear the call of the Good Shepherd, who is our strength and our salvation.
What's in Your Heart
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How confident am I that I'm leading others towards God and green pastures?
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Who shepherds me in my work? Do I trust that person? What could I, he/she, or we do together to improve our relationship?
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Do I really believe Christ knows my name? When do I hear him calling me?
Homily Stories
The lectionary omits a sobering detail about this Sunday’s reading from the First Letter of Peter. The apostle was not speaking in general terms about suffering. He was addressing enslaved Christians directly, instructing them how to conduct themselves within the harsh reality of their condition.
No generation can escape the history of slavery. In America, historians remind us that the roots of the conflict stretch back to the nation’s founding, when the framers of the Constitution crafted compromises to appease large landowning enslavers. Just about every subsequent attempt to resolve the issue only divided the nation further, setting the stage for the violence of the Civil War, which claimed 620,000 American lives—more U.S. fatalities than World Wars I and II combined.
Though Peter appears to counsel endurance, his exhortation to suffer for doing good and to refrain from retaliation against those who cause suffering offers wisdom for Christians in every age. Like Christ’s own sacrifice, a Christian understanding of suffering is not mere consolation; it is a refusal to participate in evil.
First Reading
Second Reading
Gospel
Quotes
“Peace be with you all!” Beloved brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who has given His life for the flock of God.
—Pope Leo XIV