Shepherding with Love and Care

Fourth Sunday in Easter: April 26, 2026

Readings: Acts 2:14, 36–41; Psalm 23:1–6; 1 Peter 2:20–25; John 10:1–10

Le Bon Pasteur by Philippe de Champaigne
To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/Tc-otoaZqn8

God enters into our lives in unexpected ways. As deeply religious and convinced of God's presence permeating around us, we believe that it is God who is guiding us and shepherding us. While looking at the incredible creation in which we live, one thing is certain: there should be some mighty power behind all of this. The world around us and all that it contains is so systematically woven and engineered that there is some sort of order in God's creation. Unfortunately, it is we who create disorder and destruction around us. As we savour the blissfulness of the Easter Season, on this Fourth Sunday of Easter, the liturgical readings are so vibrant and encouraging that all of us are invited to follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd, ardently and lovingly. 

1. Listening to the right voices

On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Gospel of John 10:1–10 places before us the striking image of the Good Shepherd and the sheep who recognize his voice. It is a passage that speaks quietly yet powerfully about trust, belonging, and the deep relationship between Christ and those who follow him.

Emmaus and Us - Awakening at the Eucharist

Third Sunday of Easter: 19 April 2026

Readings: Acts 2:14, 22–28; Psalm 16:1–2, 5, 7–11; 1 Peter 1:17–21; Luke 24:13–35

The disciples of Emmaus with Jesus at the breaking of the bread

To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/anM-xKfvKyc

What is it that keeps our memories alive? Is it the past experiences or acts that made an imprint on our memories? We remember the past based on our experiences, memories and recollections. Memory is essential to carry forward the past. Memories evoke both good and bad feelings in us. We can not live without our past; however, the memories make us come back alive and relive those past experiences. Memories have a future. Our future is determined by the past, especially those things which are life-giving and fulfilling. We carry the past within us, and yet we make choices about what we would like to carry with us so that they give meaning and purpose in our lives. As we celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter, the liturgical readings invite us to rejoice with the disciples of Emmaus. They found purpose in their lives by celebrating the Eucharist, which brought back memories of Jesus at the Last Supper. This incident never stops them but makes them run without stopping in proclaiming who Jesus really was.

1. Easter: God meets in our narrations of fears and frustrations

The Gospel of Luke 24:13–35, the journey to Emmaus, is a deeply human and profoundly consoling resurrection narrative. It speaks not only of encountering the risen Lord, but of how He meets us in the ordinary paths of our lives—especially when we are confused, threatened, feared, disappointed, destroyed, discouraged, or lost.

Diving into the Mercy of God with Peace

Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy): April 12, 2026

Readings: Acts 2:42–47; Psalm 118:2–4, 13–15, 22–24; 1 Peter 1:3–9; John 20:19–31

To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here:https://youtu.be/-RsIhzZMiYg

Who does not doubt? Belief is a very subjective matter and is based on one's convictions and experiences. Doubt arises when certainty is unclear. It may be because either we have not experienced it, or we are not convinced of it. We make conscious decisions in our lives. They are based on our experiences, assumptions, knowledge or inner convictions. We cannot believe everyone and in everything. However, we can believe based on our life experiences. The aspect of faith or convictions of faith can enable us to believe what we see, touch, smell, taste and feel. When we have to believe in something beyond space and time, we need the grace of intelligence and wisdom. Knowledge alone does not suffice us to believe something we have never heard of. As we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter, which is also called Divine Mercy Sunday, the Church invites us to gaze at the Resurrected Jesus not with our exterior eyes, but with our eyes of faith.  

1. Easter brings the gift of peace and reconciliation 

For the Jews, the first day of the week is Sunday. Saturday is a Sabbath Day. So the event of the appearance of the resurrected Jesus happens on a Sunday evening. The frightened disciples are gathered behind locked doors—fearful, uncertain, and fragile. Into this closed space, Jesus comes and stands among them. There is no rebuke, no accusation for their abandonment, no reminder of their failure. Instead, there is a gift: “Peace be with you.”

Easter Sunday - Christ is Truly Risen

The Resurrection of the Lord/The Easter Sunday: April 05, 2026

Readings: Acts 10:34, 37–43; Psalm 118:1–2, 16–17, 22–23; Colossians 3:1–4; John 20:1–9

The Resurrection of our Lord

To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/uSRNT3Yy8T0

The message of Easter is very clear: Christ is truly risen! The events that followed the crucifixion of our Lord give a rare glimpse of who Jesus was: Fully human and fully divine. With the resurrection of Jesus, the divinity of Jesus shines brighter than before. Jesus is no longer constrained by time and space. Jesus makes himself visible to everyone who longs to see him or waits on him. The mission of Jesus gets transformed now as St Paul would say that Christ "becomes all in all."

1. At Easter, it's Time to Believe

Easter dawn breaks not with noise or spectacle, but with a quiet, almost hidden revelation—the stone rolled away, the tomb empty, and hearts slowly awakening to a truth too great to grasp at once. The Gospel of John 20:1–9 draws us into this delicate moment of discovery. Mary Magdalene comes while it is still dark, carrying within her the weight of loss. Peter and the beloved disciple run toward the tomb, caught between confusion and hope. What they find is not the Risen Lord immediately, but signs—linen cloths lying there, the absence that speaks of a presence beyond death.